2017 Ultramarine Blanc de Blancs Keefer Vineyard

The 2017 Blanc de Blancs Heintz Vineyard is closed at this stage, taking time to segue from initial rubbery tones to touches of flint, toast and nori. The medium-bodied palate is dry and creamy, with expansive, savory flavors and a long, layered finish. When I tasted this as a hand-disgorged sample at the winery in September 2022 (before it was officially disgorged, topped up and capped for release), it was showing generous stone fruit—this spent 40 months on the lees and may just need more time after its fairly recent disgorgement.

Whole-cluster pressed to old oak barrels, initial fermentation with native yeasts, malolactic blocked. Spends almost 46 months on the lees in bottle. Disgorged 17 November 2021. 2 g/l dosage. Pale greenish gold with extra-fine bubbles. Smells of tidepools and toasted brioche. A silky mousse delivers flavours of bright citrus pith, brioche, seawater, kelp and just a touch of toasty oak. An amazing salty lemon-peel flavour lingers in the finish. Expansive, mouth-watering and delicious. This is a preposterously good wine, certainly one of the best California sparkling wines I've ever had. (AY)

The 2017 Keefer Ranch Blanc de Blancs is a new cuvée from Ultramarine, from Chardonnay vines planted in sandy Goldridge soils, with 40 months in bottle on the lees. I tasted this as a hand-disgorged sample at the winery before it received dosage. Winemaker Michael Cruse notes that the first direct-to-consumer release, set for December 2022, received two grams per liter dosage; the rest of these bottles will be disgorged and released later to restaurants. It has compelling accents of dried herbs, almonds and peppery tones to begin, taking time to unfurl its golden apple fruit. Completely dry at this stage, the palate is creamy and fresh with dynamic flavors and a long finish with biscuity undertones.