Roederer Estate Clark Road Vineyard 2020 (Single-Vineyard)
- WS
Reviews
92 Points
Wine Spectator October 7, 2024
“Refined and handsomely structured, with elegantly layered strawberry and apple flavors that are laced with notes of spiced nuts and brioche, finishing with lift.”
Overview
Founded in 1982, Roederer Estate is nestled in Mendocino County’s cool, fog-shrouded Anderson Valley. As the California property of Champagne Louis Roederer, Roederer Estate builds upon a centuries-old tradition of fine winemaking. Clark Road Sparkling Wine is the first single-vineyard release from Roederer Estate and is at the core of Roederer Estate philosophy: deep knowledge of its family-owned vineyards and careful craftmanship of site-selected wines. Clark Road is the access road to our vineyards and also the name of the family that farmed and owned an apple orchard on the site. The single-vineyard wines that we release, including Clark Road, will showcase the sense of place and the expression of the fruit in its terroir.
Winemaking
2020 Clark Road Vineyard is a handmade bottling. This vineyard is on the cool west side of Anderson Valley, where Pinot Noir thrives. We are intimately familiar with this site, which we have been farming since 1999. During those years, we have learned that we can leave the fruit on the vine longer than other sites, and as we allow it to ripen, it develops the juicy acidity so essential to top-quality sparkling wine. Clark Road was partially fermented in casks (10%) and with a small amount of reserve wine aged in casks (1.3%) to give the Roederer Estate family touch. It was disgorged in November 2023 after 32 months on the yeast.
Tech
Appellation: Anderson Valley
Varietals: 76.8% Pinot Noir, 23.2% Chardonnay
Wine Alcohol: 12.9%
Titratable Acidity: 8.4 g/L
pH: 3.16
Dosage: 5.0 g/L
Aging: Aged 32 months on the yeast
Cases Produced: 575
Tasting Notes
Flint and pastry crust aromatics that showcase long aging on the yeast give way to delicate ripe cherry flavors. The bubbles are soft on entry and respect the character and structure of this 76.8% Pinot Noir, 23.2% Chardonnay blend. It is bolder than usual Roederer Estate blends, yet delicate and long. It is a food wine champion due to its Pinot structure and low dosage at 5 g/L.
