2012 Ultramarine Heintz Vineyard Blanc de Noirs

Ultramarine is a new sparkling wine label from Petaluma, California. It was founded and is operated by Michael Cruse, who is also the proprietor of Cruse Wine Co., which bills itself as “a small winery in Petaluma thoughtfully crafting table wines vineyards in California.” Cruse was trained as a biologist but shifted his interest to winemaking. He was working in California wineries when he became interested in Champagne making, which resulted in Ultramarine’s release of a Blanc de Blanc and a Rose of Pinot Noir, both from Charles Heintz Vineyards. Vinous awarded the 2011 Blanc de Blanc 95 pts and called it “a wine of such beauty (that) I have a hard time describing it. There are simply no parallels in California.”

Sonoma Coast AVA runs from San Pablo Bay in the south to Mendocino County in the north. It includes 7,000 vineyard acres and earned AVA status in 1987. Its proximity to the Pacific Ocean means it gets double the rainfall of nearby inland appellations and the ocean gives the appellation a relatively cool climate. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir can thrive in these conditions, and there are numerous producers making critically acclaimed Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.