Roco RMS Sparkling Brut 2019
Type: Sparkling
Country: USA
Region: Oregon, Willamette Valley
Grape Variety: 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay
Alcohol Percentage: 12.5%
Viticulture: Certified Organic
Rating: 93 Wine Enthusiast, 91 Wine Spectator, 91 James Suckling Points
Climate: The Willamette Valley climate is relatively mild throughout the year, with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers. While moisture is abundant, most of the rainfall occurs in the winter, not during the growing season. This temperate climate, combined with coastal marine influences, make the gentle growing conditions within the Valley ideal for cool-climate grapes
Terroir: Grapes are grown in the Marsh Estate, Gran Moraine, Blossom Ridge and Vista Hills vineyards. The Pinot Noir vineyards lie on volcanic basalt soil while the Chardonnay vineyards lie on marine sedimentary soil
Ageing: Produced with the Methode Champenoise. This labour-intensive process creates the very best Champagne and high-quality sparkling wines around the world. The wine undergoes a secondary fermentation in the 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 are replaced with a solution of wine and sugar, which gives sparkling wine its sweetness.
Color: Pale gold with very fine effervescence
Nose: Floral nose of orange/lemon citrus blossom and white chrysanthemum framed by yeasty, toasted baguette
Palate: Complex fruit mix of plum, red-skinned apple, and yellow cherry is lifted upon bracing citrus acidity. Despite its high acidity, the mid-palate has a beautiful creamy, vanilla, and cracked yeast impression. Long, fresh finish
About the Winery:
Family owned and operated by Rollin and Corby Soles, Roco Winery represents the finest in Oregon winemaking. The Soles purchased the vineyards 30 years ago, situated in the Chehalem Mountain Range in the Willamette Valley and the site enjoys an enviable combination of elevation, south-western exposure, diverse soil types, natural springs, and geological aspect. Planting the Wit’s End Vineyard in 2001, it was just two years later that they produced their first vintage of Private Stash Pinot Noir showcasing Rollin’s small-lot winemaking skills, which was poured at the White House.
A winery was built in 2009, later expanding their Wits’ End vineyard to keep pace with Roco’s growing prestige and demand. Texas-born Rollin has a bachelor’s degree in microbiology and a master’s degree in enology. His winemaking balances science and nature from experience gained in California, Switzerland, Washington and Australia. Dedicated to crafting world-class wines,
Today, Roco Winery has distinguished themselves as an outstanding producer of Oregon Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with a strong dedication towards sustainability. Roco wines have been named among the Top 100 Wines of the World by Wine Spectator an impressive 13 times, a distinction matched by no other Oregon winemaker. In 2013, Rollin Soles was named one of the “20 Most Admired Winemakers in North America” by Vineyard & Winery Management magazine.
