Notes from the Winemaker:

Tasting Notes

Food Pairing:

Technical Notes

Varietal: 60% Estate Grown Chardonnay, 40% Estate Grown Pinot Noir
Alcohol %: 12.0
pH: 3.0
Acid: 0.84g/100ml
Sugar (dosage): 0.9%

93 Points, #33 Top 100 of 2023 - Wine Spectator:
"Alluring for its sleek polish and precision, this sparkler has tiers of Asian pear, strawberry, fresh almond and ginger flavors that unfurl slowly. Drink now." - TF (Oct 2023)

Click here to see all Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2024 we have in stock—while still available!

About the Winery:
Founded in 1982, Roederer Estate is nestled in Mendocino County’s fog-shrouded, Anderson Valley. As the California property of Champagne Louis Roederer, Roederer Estate builds upon a centuries-old tradition of fine winemaking. Roederer's unique winemaking style is based on two elements: complete ownership of its vineyards and the addition of oak-aged reserve wines to each year's blend or cuvee to create complex, dry and harmonious sparkling wines.

Notes from the Winemaker:
Roederer Estate’s winemaking style is based on two elements: ownership of its own vineyards and the addition of oak-aged reserve wines to each year’s blend or cuvée. All the grapes for the Anderson Valley wines are grown on the estate. Oak-aged wines from the estate’s reserve cellars are added to the blend, creating a multi-vintage cuvée in the traditional Louis Roederer style.

Only the cuvée (first pressing of 120 gallons/ton) is used; no première or deuxième taille. The fermentation takes place in high-grade stainless steel tanks at 65°F. Zero to minimal malolactic fermentation is used in order to ensure the wines age well and retain the fresh, precise and well-defined style that is one of the characteristics of Roederer Estate wines.

Varietals: Approximately 60% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir

Wine Alcohol: 12.5%

Aging: Aged a minimum of two years on the yeast

Ratings & Reviews

94 Points - Decanter Magazine:
“Always a solid wine from Anderson Valley, this NV is built of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir and offers pretty lemony and lemon oil notes atop a bed of fragrant white flowers. Very round and complete with an assertive mousse, just-baked bread, and bruised yellow apple fruit. This bubbly has excellent depth and a terrific mineral finish. Aged a minimum of two years on the yeast, clocking in at 10 g/L. 85,000 9-litre cases produced.” - JC (Mar 2023)

94 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
“Impressive from first sip, the MV Brut, made from 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, with 10 to 15% reserve wine, opens in a world of buttered toasty notes, spicy pear, and hazelnut. The oak and fruit shine amidst a backdrop of refreshing acidity speckled in green apple and Meyer lemon. Elegant in style, this medium-bodied Brut has an underlying thread of razor-edged acidity and great length that should keep it fresh and rewarding over the next 8-10 years. Dosage is 10 grams per liter." – Virginie Boone (Feb 2025)

93 Points, Rank #20 Top 100 of '24 - Wine Spectator:
"Dynamic yet sleekly elegant, with rich strawberry and apple flavors that are accented by spiced cinnamon and yeast roll as this dances toward the vibrant finish. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Drink now through 2026.” - Tim Fish (Dec 2024)

93 Points - James Suckling:
"Aromas of pie crust with hints of nuts and cooked apple. Some butter cookie. Medium to full body with notes of seashell, cooked apple and lemon rind. Chunky at the end. A base of 2019. A blend of 60% chardonnay and 40% pinot noir. Two years on the lees. 7.5g/L dosage. Drink or hold." (Nov 2023)

92 Points - Wine Advocate:
“The NV Estate Brut is scented of sour lemon, almonds and biscuits with flinty touches. The medium-bodied palate is rounded and creamy with bright, lemony character and a long, mineral-driven finish.” - Erin Brooks (Jul 2022)

90 Points - Vinous Media:
The NV Brut is terrific. Bright, aromatic and finely cut, the NV Brut has a lot to offer. Pear, white flowers, mint, spice and white pepper are all beautifully delineated. This is a gorgeous wine, especially for its modest price. This release is based on 2020. Dosage is 10 grams per liter. Disgorged: March 2023." - Antonio Galloni (Jun 2025)

90 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
This bottling is crisp, lively and exuberant, with concentrated and youthful fruit. Fuji apple, sweet Bosc pear, ripe white nectarine, white strawberry, Rainier cherry, and buttery brioche intertwine deliciously with lime cream mousse." - Tonya Pitts (Apr 2024)

About This Wine:
The 2019 Classic Vintage Brut is considered the “flagship” of the Iron Horse bubblies. It shows everything the family strives to accomplish, striking memory bells that say “champagne” in quality and finesse, but with flavors that are unmistakably Sonoma County, Russian River, Green Valley and most distinctly Iron Horse. 

TASTING NOTES
Beautiful gold straw color with fine, persistent bubbles. The Classic Vintage Brut has aromas of green apple, honeysuckle, and a hint of fresh brioche. The inviting nose leads to flavors of baked apple on the front palate, with honeysuckle really shining through on the finish. This wine has bright acidity, a touch of creaminess, and a delicious long, lingering finish.

Winemaker Notes: 
The dosage for this wine is 8 mls of BDb LEX, 8 mls of Rued Chardonnay, 2 mls of 1986 LD Blanc de blancs

Blend: 67% Pinot Noir, 33% Chardonnay

Ratings & Reviews:

94 Points, #55 Top 100 of 2023 - Wine Spectator
"A bubbly with richness and verve, this cuvée offers lilting apple tart, crème brûlée and lemon verbena flavors that finish with a spicy accent of fresh ginger. Drink now through 2026. 2,150 cases made." - TF (Dec 2023)

94 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"An engaging complexity wafts from the glass as this elegant, well-integrated wine opens with toasted baguette, butter cookie and ginger aromas. These are followed by a fine bead of bubbles, while great acidity keeps it lively. Mineral, chiseled stone and vanilla notes build on the palate and linger on the finish." - Jim Gordon (Dec 2023)

Jeb Dunnuck:
"The 2019 Classic Vintage Brut pours a youthful straw hue and is fresh and lifted with red berries, orange zest, almond, and fresh bread dough. This medium-bodied sparkler offers a chalky texture and a lively mousse, with a touch more of a lineal feel, with ripe apple, fresh flowers, and grapefruit pith. It’s another charming wine to drink over the next few years." (Jul 2023)

Notes from the Winemaker:
This J non-vintage Brut gracefully opens up with crisp lemon peel, honeysuckle and delicate yeast aromas. Upon entry, these notes follow through to a mix of Fuji apple and grapefruit interlaced with toast, caramel and almond flavors on the mid-palate. The acidity adds just enough liveliness and the citrus zest leads to a lingering, warm pear and lush finish. Demonstrating an illustrious combination of yesterday and today, its fresh exuberance showcases layers of depth and complexity.

Celebrating twenty years of winemaking excellence, J Cuvée 20 proudly displays an exceptional, stylish assemblage from our best cool-climate vineyard sites in the Russian River Valley.

Ratings & Reviews

94 Points - James Suckling:
"Light-bodied, full-flavored and complex, this wine is dry, toasty and handsomely mature in flavor. Made primarily from the 2017 vintage, it offers brioche, white pepper, citrus, ginger and grilled baguette notes on a vibrant texture of fine-grained bubbles. Drink now. (May 2025)

92 Points - Wine Enthusiast:
"Fresh and focused, this energetic Brut delivers aromas of lemon peel, chalky minerality and chopped herb mélange on the nose. The palate is racy and alive, with driving citrus-laden acidity, pithy lemon and floral flavors and just a bit of grip at the finish." - Tom Capo (Oct 2025)

90 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"Made from 51% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, and the rest Pinot Meunier, the NV Cuvee 20 Sparkling Wine pours a rich golden color, with ripe aromas of roasted pineapple, orange rind, bread dough, and white flowers. It offers a lively and rounded mouthfeel, with ripe fruit on the palate of poached pear and peach, and it has a soft texture. Drink it over the next few years." (Jul 2023)

90 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"Nicole Hitchcock, head winemaker at classic Sonoma sparkling house J Vineyards, crafts more than 30 wines annually. The J Cuvée 20 is a classic blend of the three Champagne grapes across the six estate vineyards in the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast. This flagship wine aims to be fresh and fruit-forward, showcasing richness and texture. Lemon and apple notes give way to toasted nut flavours." - Brianne Cohen (Nov 2022)