Wine of the Month - December 2020
Christmas is now upon us, only a month away (we know it's come around so quickly). So for this month's Wine of the Month we have chosen a lively and charming, organic sparkler, to help you celebrate this festive season.
In a nutshell:A lively and charming, organic sparkler from near the Oregon coast in the northwestern USA.
The lowdown:Alex and Alison Sokol Blosser are passionate about making their wines in a sustainable way and all of their cuvées amply demonstrate this approach. Their Evolution Sparkling is a blend of several grape varieties led by Muller-Thurgau, Semillon and Riesling which might not be the usual suspects in a sparkling wine but is certainly none the worse for that. It's made in the traditional method from different vintages and wines with different levels of malolactic fermentation and oak treatments. The result of this is a wine, which while nicely dry and vibrant on the tongue, has a delightful fragrance and citrus aromatics. Zesty citrus, pear, white peach and green apple aromas are followed by a mineral and subtly creamy dry palate.
When to drink:Clean and crisp, it's perfect on its own, as an aperitif with canapes and even fruit-based desserts.
With little industry experience, but plenty of passion Bill Blosser and Susan Sokol Blosser planted their first vines in 1971 in the Dundee Hills. Back then there was no Oregon wine industry. Now Dundee, in the heart of the Willamette Valley where their winery is to be found, is the epicentre of Oregon Pinot Noir. The estate is now run by their son and daughter Alex and Alison Sokol Blosser with the same enthusiasm as their parents.
Sokol Blosser estate vineyards are farmed organically and received full USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) organic certification in 2005. Local organic straw, organic cow and horse manure, grape pomace from the crush and organic rock phosphate contribute to the composting. The insect population is kept in check by a resident flock of bluebirds. The vineyards have been certified green by LIVE (Low Input Viticulture and Enology, an international certification). And the underground barrel cellar, built to US Green Building Council standards, became the first winery in the country to earn the prestigious LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.
