"Obsessive hands-on farming practices and minimalist hands-off winemaking." This is the guiding principle of rock star winemaker Ehren Jordan of Failla Wines. An incredible talent with decades of experience spanning the great appellations of France and the USA's West Coast, he deftly guides the process of transforming grapes into wines that display the perfect tension between fruit and terroir. It is no wonder that this relatively young winery has a world-class reputation for crafting magnificent, expressive wines.
The 2016 Failla 2G Sparkling Brut is a 50/50 blend of chardonnay and pinot noir sourced from the Bohan Vineyard, located in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA, a sub-region of the Sonoma Coast. The grapes were hand-harvested and only native yeasts were used in the fermentation process. The wine was disgorged in 2021 after 42 months sur-lie (aging on the lees).
Abundant with ripe fruit characters, the wine opens with aromas of lemon zest and wet stone that follow on the palate, joining brioche, honeysuckle, apricot, and green apple notes entwined with a fine mousse and balancing acidity that make the flavors dance on the tongue. Check out the press!
18/20, Jancis Robinson, MW:
"Light yellow-gold with fine bubbles. Smells of candied lemon peel, wet chalkboard, and crushed shells. A silky mousse delivers salty flavors of lemon peel and lemon pith along with a hint of buttered toast. Faint notes of honey and seawater linger in the finish. Clean and fresh and crystalline. Excellent." (11/17/23)
ABV: 12.5%