Winemaker Letter
Few things bring people together quite like sparkling wine, and this release is a particularly meaningful one. Your Bubbles Club allocation is a three-year vertical of our Vintage Brut, bringing together the first three vintages we ever produced: 2014, 2015, and 2016. Tasting them side by side is a rare opportunity to look back at where our sparkling wine program began.
Each wine is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, though the exact balance shifts from year to year, allowing each vintage to speak for itself. 2014 was warm and generous, one of the sunniest seasons the Willamette Valley had seen. 2015 carried that abundance forward, giving wines of real depth and concentration. 2016 came in early and gently, with the lifted aromatics and polish that make it so elegant. Three vintages, each with its own personality, all grown in the Dundee Hills.
All three spent about five years en tirage (italicize en tirage), resting quietly in bottle on their lees after secondary fermentation. That extended time on the lees gives the wines their toasty, brioche-like notes, creamy texture, and fine, persistent bubbles. Vintage sparkling wines like these continue to evolve in the cellar, becoming softer and more complex with age. We taste through our library regularly to make sure every wine is showing at its best, and these three stood out as vintages worth sharing again.
I encourage you to pour all three side by side and take your time with each glass. Notice how each vintage reflects its growing season while sharing the unmistakable signature of Domaine Serene. However you enjoy them, I hope they bring a little sparkle to your autumn gatherings and the celebrations ahead.
Cheers,
Carl Formaker, Domaine Serene Winemaker
