Scharffenberger Cellars in Philo, California

Scharffenberger Cellars

Founded in 1981, Scharffenberger Cellars is committed to producing sparkling wine of unsurpassed quality, emulating the standards set by the finest Champagne houses. With the guidance of winemaker Tex Sawyer, the winery is equally dedicated to achieving full expression of the Anderson Valley’s singular style with every sparkling cuvée. The proprietary name Pacific Echo, launched in 1998, captures the essence of the winery’s mission: draw from the rich and resonant traditions established by the French, yet build upon the Anderson Valley’s unique foundation on the rugged Pacific Coast, to produce America’s foremost premium sparkling wine. Pacific Echo sparkling wines are crafted with select Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes which have reached optimal levels of ripeness and acidity, and are vinified using the centuries-old méthode champenoise process. Although relatively rare in California, all Pacific Echo fruit undergoes 100% malolactic fermentation, as do most Champagnes, to ensure rich, complex flavors and a round, creamy and lengthy finish. The 35,000 square foot state-of-the-art winery, completed in 1991, features presses specifically designed for sparkling wines, enabling winemaker Tex Sawyer to produce sparkling wines of consistent and superior quality, year after year. Exemplified by its non-vintage Brut, the Pacific Echo style is crisp and dry with a fruity, refreshing finish. Fragrant, floral notes and citrus aromas, typical of the Anderson Valley, are exhibited throughout the entire range of wines. In recent years, these wines have been widely acknowledged as among the finest produced in America.

Directions
To reach Scharffenberger Cellars from San Francisco, follow Hwy. 101 North to Cloverdale. Take the Hwy. 128 West turnoff and drive West about 35 miles, to the winery on the right side of the highway. The address is 8501 Highway 128.

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Products

Brut Non Vintage

The wine is two-thirds Pinot Noir which produces a red fruit forward nose (cherry and plum) combined with one-third Chardonnay which adds the tropical expression of lychee nut and mango. The 100% malolactic fermentation adds a vanilla cream character producing a round and full-bodied wine. After approximately two years on the lees, there are notes of freshly baked bread and pastry that enhances the more fruit forward style of the wine. Finally, after several months on the cork, the wine develops caramel and hazel complexors.

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