Domaine Ste. Michelle 'Michelle' Brut NV

Wine & Spirits 90
Broad and expressive in its pear and lemon aromas, this steal of a sparkler has wonderful cut. Its driven by clean, chalky minerality and a modest phenolic bite that will make it sing with a mealeven a simple roast chicken. Domaine Ste. Michelle, Paterson, WA

"With delicate flavors of apples and citrus and lively acidity, Michelle Brut is the perfect accompaniment for a wide array of foods. Winemaker Rick Casqueiro samples approximately 110 lots of base wines and eventually selects the cuve, based on aroma and acidity to create the assemblage. The assemblage is then bottled with a small amount of liqueur de tirage which triggers secondary fermentation. The sparkling wine is aged sur lie for up to 18 months. 63 Chardonnay, 19 Pinot Noir, 18 Pinot Gris" ~ Winery Notes

Founded in 1934, Chateau Ste. Michelle is the oldest winery in Washington with some of the most mature vineyards in the Columbia Valley. The winery combines Old World winemaking with New World innovation and is best known for its award-winning Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Chateau Ste. Michelle receives some of the highest accolades in the industry, including "American Winery of the Year" by Wine Enthusiast for 2004 and "2005 Winery of the Year" by Restaurant Wine. In addition, the winery's Eroica Riesling, crafted from a partnership with German winemaker Ernst Loosen, has been named to Wine Spectator's prestigious "Top 100" wines list for five consecutive years.

Chateau Ste. Michelle is one of the few premium wineries in the world with two state-of-the-art wineries, one devoted to whites and another to reds. This dedicated approach to winemaking allows winemaker Bob Bertheau to build winemaking programs to the unique specifications of red and white wines. While all of Chateau Ste. Michelle's vineyards are located on the east side of the Cascade Mountains where the climate is dry and sunny, Bob Bertheau makes the award winning white wines in Woodinville, 15 miles northeast of Seattle. The winery's expansive, 87-acre estate hosts more than 250,000 visitors annually for tours, tastings, dinners and outdoor summer concerts.