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Brick & Mortar, Single-Vineyard Brut Rosé

Other, United States 2015 (750mL)
$49.00
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Fruit
Earth
Body
Tannin
Acid
Alcohol

Brick & Mortar, Single-Vineyard Brut Rosé

For their first-ever sparkling wine debut, Brick & Mortar certainly brought the heat: Only 95 cases of today’s single-vintage, single-vineyard, non-dosage rosé were released, and the majority of it was rapidly snatched up by world-famous Michelin 3-star restaurants like Single Thread and The French Laundry. And what of the few remaining cases? They were generously offered to us by Brick & Mortar proprietors Matt and Alexis Iaconis. Judging by the amount of California sparklers we’ve showcased—averaging less than one per year—today’s rare sighting should give every subscriber pause because it brought our office to a screeching halt.
I wish I could tell you that this was secretly in a lineup of $75-$100 Rosé Champagnes and that it stunned the room with its entrancing salmon-orange color and sublime, multi-textural palate. But the reality of the situation is that it was the only bottle on the table. And yet, it still didn’t stop us from immediately drawing parallels to some of the trendiest, finger-on-the-pulse grower-producers in Champagne. Seriously, If I buzzed about a single-vineyard vintage wine that was naturally vinified in barrel and topped off with zero grams of sugar after 40 months of aging, your mind would immediately take you to the global juggernaut that is Grower Champagne. And tasting this rosé would only strengthen those beliefs because there’s so much sublime power, multi-dimensional flavor, pulverized minerality, and (concert grand) piano-wire tension to be had in each sip. This truly is one of the most exciting, and limited, sparkling discoveries one can have. What a thrilling debut!!!
Founder Matt Iaconis had originally intended to study aeronautical engineering when he attended UC Davis but found himself drawn to wine and the viticulture/enology program instead. He followed an itinerant path for a while, as so many young winemakers do, making stops in New Zealand, Australia, Italy, and especially France, where an extended sojourn in Burgundy provided a lot of the inspiration for what would become Brick & Mortar in 2011. Simply put, Matt Iaconis and his wife/co-owner, Alexis, are rising stars on the California wine scene, but as they’d be the first to tell you, the real stars are the vineyards. With the help of Alexis, a seasoned sommelier currently pursuing the Master Sommelier Diploma, he has focused his efforts at Brick & Mortar on single-vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines crafted in a finessed, Burgundian style. But in 2015, he set his sights further north and crafted sparkling wines à la Champagne.

Today’s Brut Rosé comes entirely from the Sweetwater Springs Vineyard nestled deep in the heart of Sonoma Coast’s “Russian River Valley” sub-AVA (i.e. sub-appellation). This prized tract of land is where you’ll find some of the finest vineyards and, accordingly, producers, in Sonoma Valley. The weather in 2015 resulted in a reduced, yet intensely flavorful crop, of which was handpicked and trucked to their winery in nearby Healdsburg. The Chardonnay was gently pressed into neutral French barrels and underwent a long, indigenous-yeast fermentation, including malolactic. The wine was sent into bottle, along with a small addition of Pinot Noir (4%, for color and a touch of extra flavor), where it aged for 40 months. It was then disgorged without any sugar addition in July of 2019. 

In the glass, Brick & Mortar’s inaugural 2015 Brut Rosé pours an attractive light salmon and vermilion hue and an impeccably fine mousse that hints at the beautiful experience that is soon to follow. This has all the makings of a cult classic: It’s layered with tension-filled white and yellow fruit, heaps up delicate citrus, and savory notes of brioche, acacia, and crushed earth components. It flaunts the nervy power of top-sourced Chardonnay, all while blending hints of Pinot Noir in the form of redcurrant, wild strawberry, pomegranate, and Rainier cherry. Imagine a Premier or Grand Cru Rosé from Champagne’s Côte des Blancs and you’re right in this wine’s wheelhouse. The palate is simultaneously layered and precise, providing accents of creamy, generous, just-ripe fruits—something that many zero-dosage Champagnes lack. The superb quality of grapes and craftsmanship in the winery will allow this spectacular wine to age over the next 5-7 years, but you must open a couple of bottles today. When doing so, pour into Burgundy stems, allow the wine to breathe for 15-30 minutes, and enjoy around 50-55 degrees. I guarantee this will open your eyes to a whole new frontier. It certainly did for me. Cheers!
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Country
United States
Region
Other
Sub-Region
United StatesRussian River Valley / “Sweetwater Springs Vineyard”
Soil
Clay Loam
Farming
Sustainable
Blend
Chardonnay 96%, Pinot Noir 4%
Alcohol
12.5
OAK
Neutral Barrel Fermentation
TEMP.
50-55
Glassware
All-Purpose or Burgundy Stem
Drinking
Now-2025
Decanting
15 Minutes in Your Glass
Pairing
Salmon Roe Blinis

United States

Washington

Columbia Valley

Like many Washington wines, the “Columbia Valley” indication only tells part of the story: Columbia Valley covers a huge swath of Central
Washington, within which are a wide array of smaller AVAs (appellations).

Oregon

Willamette Valley

Oregon’s Willamette Valley has become an elite winegrowing zone in record time. Pioneering vintner David Lett, of The Eyrie Vineyard, planted the first Pinot Noir in the region in 1965, soon to be followed by a cadre of forward-thinking growers who (correctly) saw their wines as America’s answer to French
Burgundies. Today, the Willamette
Valley is indeed compared favorably to Burgundy, Pinot Noir’s spiritual home. And while Pinot Noir accounts for 64% of Oregon’s vineyard plantings, there are cool-climate whites that must not be missed.

California

Santa Barbara

Among the unique features of Santa Barbara County appellations like Ballard Canyon (a sub-zone of the Santa Ynez Valley AVA), is that it has a cool, Pacific-influenced climate juxtaposed with the intense luminosity of a southerly
latitude (the 34th parallel). Ballard Canyon has a more north-south orientation compared to most Santa Barbara AVAs, with soils of sandy
clay/loam and limestone.

California

Paso Robles

Situated at an elevation of 1,600 feet, it is rooted in soils of sandy loam and falls within the Highlands District of the Paso Robles AVA.

New York

North Fork

Wine growers and producers on Long Island’s North Fork have traditionally compared their terroir to that of Bordeaux and have focused on French varieties such as Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

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