Artesa sparkling spotlight
The official Artesa Vineyards and Winery channel toasts harvest: estate Pinot from Carneros going into the house sparkling program that includes this oak-fermented Grand Reserve Brut Barrica.
Artesa Estate Vineyards & Winery, Grand Reserve Brut Barrica. Los Carneros, Napa Valley
Artesa's oak-fermented Carneros Brut, three years on the lees, a Spanish-method sparkling you can open at seventy-five dollars.
Grand Reserve Brut Barrica is 75 percent Pinot Noir and 25 percent Chardonnay from the Carneros estate, fermented in 10-year-old French oak barricas and aged three years on the lees: pear, brioche, Meyer lemon, now $75.
Barrica means the barrel, not another patio Brut
Primary fermentation in 10-year-old French oak Chardonnay barrels is the twist. Three years on the lees then build the creamy bead. James Suckling scored this Grand Reserve 92. Artesa's own sheet points to toasted brioche, marzipan, and pear. This is the bottle that makes fried chicken or Jamon feel like a Spanish sparkling house landed in Carneros.
The house
Raventos Codorniu built Artesa for sparkling wine. Brut Barrica is the oak-fermented bottle in that Catalan brief.
The wine
75% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay from estate blocks. Traditional method. Three years en tirage. 11.5% ABV. 450 cases.
The scores
James Suckling 92.
The drinker
Brioche and Meyer lemon first. Serve 45 to 48 F. Fried chicken, Jamon, or roast chicken with lemon.
Brioche, pear, then Meyer lemon
Toasted brioche, marzipan, and pear lead. Honeydew, Meyer lemon, and praline sit on fine bubbles. Three years of lees keep the middle creamy. Bright acidity keeps the finish clean.
No vintage on the label, so none is claimed here. The method is the vintage: oak-fermented base wine, three years on the lees, estate Carneros fruit.
Pear, honeydew, Meyer lemon, toasted brioche, marzipan, praline.
Fine bubbles, creamy mid-palate from oak and lees, bright acidity, 11.5% ABV.
Mineral, almond, a lingering creamy close. Serve 45 to 48 F. No decant.
Ferment in barricas, then three years in bottle
The winery sheet is specific. 75 percent Pinot Noir and 25 percent Chardonnay from distinct estate blocks. Primary fermentation in 10-year-old French oak Chardonnay barrels gives the toasted-brioche note. After assemblage, the wine is bottled for tirage and spends three years on the lees. Gravelly estate soils, not the heavy Carneros clay, help the grapes keep acidity.
450 cases. 11.5% alcohol. Traditional method. The word Barrica is the whole argument.
Serve 45 to 48 F in a tulip glass so the oak and lees can show.
Cava memory, Carneros fruit, one oak-fermented Brut
Artesa continues the sparkling tradition of Raventos Codorniu, whose Cava work dates to 1872, on a hill three miles from San Pablo Bay.
The estate opened in 1991. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on south-facing Carneros slopes are the natural sparkling grapes.
Barrica is Spanish for barrel. This bottling is the house telling you the base wine saw oak before the bubbles.
Ana Diogo-Draper's cellar treats sparkling as a serious table wine, not a party leftover.
Salty crunch, browned crust, a little fat
Oak-fermented Brut wants fried chicken, Jamon, and nuts. The bubbles cut richness. The brioche note locks onto crust and browned butter.
Two plates. One crispy fried chicken. One Jamon, Manchego, and Marcona almonds.
Serve 45 to 48 F. No decant. A white-wine glass or tulip lets the oak and lees open.
Crispy Buttermilk Fried Chicken
A crunchy crust. Barrica's favorite savory landing.
Why it works: Fine bubbles and Meyer lemon slice the crust. Brioche and praline echo the browned edges.
View Recipe for crispy buttermilk fried chicken (opens in a new tab)
Jamon, Manchego, and Marcona Almonds
Salty ham, nutty cheese, almonds. The Catalan snack plate for an oak-fermented Brut.
Why it works: Salt and nuts pull toasted brioche, marzipan, and the mineral finish forward.
View Recipe for a Spanish-style ham and cheese board (opens in a new tab)Put Brut Barrica in the cart
Estate Carneros fruit, oak-fermented Barrica, James Suckling 92. Seventy-five dollars.
Put six in the cart. This is the Artesa sparkling for a table that wants brioche and bubbles in the same glass.
