This past spring, a friend of mine was visiting from France but he did not come to Houston. No, he was out in California on a sales trip and he told me in no uncertain terms that I had to come out and hang out with him for a bit. The plan was to pick him up in San Francisco and then head up to wine country.

OK, twist my arm.

As one travels north from San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge, and then through Marin County, some of the first vines you see are in the Carneros AVA, at the southern tip of both the Sonoma and Napa valleys.

Standing like a beacon atop a hill, one of the first wineries you see heading north is the majestic Domaine Carneros. Established in 1987 by the Taittinger family of Champagne (who remain as part owners today), Domaine Carneros is easily one of, if not the top domestic producer of sparkling wine.

Few wineries can match the majesty of Domaine Carneros.

In 2020, just before the world turned upside down, Remi Cohen became CEO at Domaine Carneros, replacing founding winemaker and CEO Eileen Crane. I had met Remi a few years prior, while she was the COO at Lede Family Wines and while we did not have much interaction there, since she has become the head of Domaine Carneros, we have shared many a glass of bubbles.

I like doors.

We stopped by Domaine Carneros on a brisk, but beautiful Friday morning, where we were met by PR superhuman Kimberly Charles and Remi, who graciously took a chunk out of her no doubt busy day (in addition to her duties at Domaine Carneros, she was also planning her wedding for the following weekend!). She first led us on a quick tour of the facility which was impressive.

Even though the Taittinger family has a very much “hands-off” approach to Domaine Carneros, their presence is certainly felt.

There is little question that Domaine Carneros sits at the forefront of sustainability in the wine industry. In 2003, they installed what was then the largest solar panel array of any winery in the world and now supplies more than 75% of the winery’s energy needs, to become completely energy independent.

My buddy Christophe, of Château la Nerthe in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Remi Cohen, and, well, me.

Domaine Carneros is also Napa Green certified, one of the most stringent certifications in the wine industry, and has instituted a repackaging program where cardboard and other products are not recycled but reused, saving at least 25% of its cases and inserts.

After the stroll around the property, we sat down to taste a few wines that are only available at the winery:

2017 Domaine Carneros Ultra Brut: Retail $50. 54% Estate Grown Pinot Noir, 46% Estate Grown Chardonnay. This is always one of my favorites in the Domaine Carneros line as it has a much lower dosage (0.5% g/l). The nose, a bit shy at first, eventually reveals citrus (more lime than lemon), Granny Smith apple, and maybe a hint of ripe pear. The palate is bright and tart from the jump as there is just not any additional sugar to dull the brilliant acidity. Surprisingly, a much more lengthy finish than I recall. As I stated, this is one of my faves and the 2017 is no exception. Outstanding. 93 Points. 

2017 Domaine Carneros Brut Rosé, Carneros, CA: Retail $45. 59% Estate Grown Pinot Noir, 41% Estate Grown Chardonnay. This is a different wine than the much more widely available “Cuvée de la Pompadour” which happens to be the only non-vintage wine produced by DC. A lovely delicate salmon color (perhaps more orange than pink) in the glass with an active sparkle of particularly small bubbles. The nose is once again shy with subtle red berry fruit. The fruit on the palate is more ripe peach and perhaps even orange rind. The story here, again, is the zingy acidity as this also has a very low (0.9% g/l) dosage. Lovely. Excellent. 91 Points. 

2016 Domaine Carneros Late Disgorged Brut, Carneros, CA: Retail $59. 52% Estate Grown Pinot Noir, 48% Estate Grown Chardonnay. Another wine with a really low dosage (0.9% g/l I hope you see the trend developing) with a rather amazing (at least for an American sparkling wine) 6 years sur lie. As one might expect with the additional time on the lees, the color is much more golden than straw. This nose was by no means shy with apricot (more dried than fresh), a touch of citrus rind (more lemon/lime than orange), and a nutty, yeasty (think almond croissant) component that one looks for in a high-quality sparkling wine. The palate is rich and creamy, but also tart and focused; a lovely tension in a fantastic wine. Outstanding. 94 Points. 

Kimberly Charles, apparently not very interested in Le Rêve.

2016 Domaine Carneros Le Rêve, Carneros, CA: Retail $125. 100% Chardonnay. 0.8% g/l dosage. Le Rêve. Just the mention of the name elicits a “Whoa.” Long considered (at least by me) the best domestic sparkler, this 2016 once again checks all the boxes. Lovely tree fruit and perhaps ginger on the nose, as the delicate bubbles float up through the straw-colored liquid. The palate is fantastic: Rich layered, elegant fruit, and unbelievable balance. But what sets this apart from almost all of the domestic sparkling wines I have tried is that Le Rêve always has one of the longest finishes as the elegant flavors persist for what seems like days. Extraordinary. 97 Points. 

And congrats to Remi and JJ.