2019 RMS Brut
ABOUT THE RMS BRUT
In 1987, when all other Willamette Valley wine producers were focused on Pinot Noir, Rollin Soles had a different vision. He believed that Oregon was the best place in North America to grow cool climate grapes for sparkling wine. After making wine at Petaluma Winery in Australia, Rollin moved to Oregon and founded Argyle Winery, the state’s first sparkling wine production facility. During his 27+ years with Argyle, Rollin crafted some of the most highly acclaimed New World sparkling wines, which made Wine Spectator’s Top 100 wines three times, proof that he has mastered the sophisticated craft of fine Méthode Champenoise. Rollin’s vision has become a reality as the world continues to discover that the Willamette Valley’s cool, maritime climate is indeed ideally suited to world-class sparkling wine production.
THE MÉTHODE CHAMPENOISE PROCESS
This labor-intensive process creates the very best Champagne and high-quality sparkling wines around the world. The wine undergoes a secondary fermentation in bottle creating those signature small bubbles. The process starts with the addition of a liqueur de tirage (a wine solution of sugar and yeast) to a bottle of still wine. This triggers that second fermentation inside the bottle which produces carbon dioxide and lees, or spent yeast cells, which collect at the neck during the riddling process. After an extended time on lees, the bottles are disgorged and the lees is replaced with a solution of wine and sugar, which gives sparkling wine its sweetness.
2019 VINTAGE NOTES
This was quite the “Yo-Yo” growing season, so definitely not boring to this old Veteran Vintner, Rollin Soles. The warmer-than-normal start in May with temperatures into the 90’s was a worry as there is normally a colder temp at the time. Then, when the shoots were a good 6 -8” long, a cold, rainy mid-May hit came for a full two-week period. Then, a warm long summer kicked in. And just as anticipated, from first of September to the 19th, we were presented with nearly 3” of cold rain. Mt. Hood looked fantastic with its early mantle of white snow! Cool temps and refreshing rains after such a long time dry in the vineyards, lifted the aromatics (think “floral” qualities) and the elegance in the palate and in the fruit flavors.It’s becoming a pattern here in the Willamette, where we receive a “refreshing wash” of cold rain at the end of August or into early September (15, 16, 17, 19 for example). Seems to brighten and lift the fruit and acidity of our wines.
TASTING NOTES
"2019 was a lovely cool, fall for picking. Aromatics of fresh fruit pear, Granny Smith applesauce, yellow cherries, corrugate beautifully with the wines amazing spices, ginger and "cream puff" pastry complexities.
The palate is perky big acidity, like tart citrus. The rich fruit kicks in with honey crisp apple, white nectarine folded in the yeast aged, spice component including delicate white flowers, white rose petal and pistachio.
This wine is just how we like it. Rich complexity in the mid-palate and a delightful lingering aftertaste."
Decanter - 94 points
Wine Enthusiast - 92 points, Editors' Choice
