At this point in my life, I am ready to admit a few facts: I am never going to race in the Tour de France, I likely will never see my face on any legal tender, and I am a wine snob.

Any casual reader of this blog knows that I am not just a wine snob; I am a particular type of wine snob, probably to most annoying type:

A champagne snob.

There is a lot that goes into being a champagne snob, but when you combine it with also being a French snob? That is next-level annoyance. For instance, the combination of the two results in being adamant about when to capitalize the word “Champagne” (briefly, when you are referring to the beverage, it is masculine and not capitalized; when referring to the region, it is feminine and capitalized: “I love drinking champagne in Champagne!”)

I told you it was annoying.

Having said all of that, I am also a lover of American sparkling wine (my personal motto: “If it doesn’t sparkle, it doesn’t matter.”); I conduct a blind tsating of American sparkling wine every winter, with ~50 bottles of domestic bubbly.

Having said all of that, I can say with at least a scintilla of authority that Domaine Carneros is the finest producer of sparkling wine in the U.S., perhaps in all the world (outside of Champagne, of course). While I know that is a grandiose assertion and I am sure lovers of Roederer Estate (among others) would like to have a word, but top to bottom, good ol’ DC is very tough to beat.

Thus, when I was asked to be a part of an online seminar pairing Domaine Carneros with cheese, it was a no-brainer.

[At this point I must add that a champagne/French snob is also often a cheese snob, and although I do not eat as much cheese as I once did, I do know my way around the cheese tray. Let’s just say, two of the cheeses provided were not to my liking and will not be discussed here.]

I received four wines in all, including the almost mythical Le Rêve, which I recently tasted with a few other writers….

2021 Domaine Carneros Brut, Carneros, CA: Retail $39. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (903g; 31.7oz). 53% Estate Grown Chardonnay, 47% Estate Grown Pinot Noir. This is Domaine Carneros’ flagship wine, and like wines from Champagne, this is aged for a minimum of three years on the lees. This was paired with the Point Reyes Toma, an Italian-style cheese with a creamy, nutty flavor. As one would expect, this is a pretty classic pairing. The wine is fairly light in color with a citrusy, nutty, yeasty nose that already matches well with the cheese. Tart on the palate, with hints of fruit, but plenty of verve, this is really what you want with a sparkling wine. Wonderful from the jump all the way to the finish, with my only gripe being a dosage that is a smidge too high in my mind. But I nitpick. Excellent. 91 Points.

NV Domaine Carneros Cuvée de la Pompadour Brut Rosé, Carneros, CA: Retail $40. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (927g; 32.6oz). 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. This has been a constant at the last few Blind Tastings of American Sparkling Wine, and has always shown really well. This time, it was a part of a Zoom tasting with Point Reyes Cheese, and once again, this wine came close to stealing the show; just fantastic once again. Light salmon-orange with a lovely peachy/cherry vibe going on. Whoa. The palate explodes with flavor, tons of fruit, tartness, and just a touch of yeastiness. Whoa. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2021 Domaine Carneros Vermeil Demi Sec, Carneros, CA: Retail $42. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (914g; 32.2oz). 55% Estate Grown Chardonnay, 45% Estate Grown Pinot Noir. I have been reviewing Domaine Carneros wines for quite a while now, but I believe this is my first time reviewing this Vermeil, Demi-Sec. And it’s fabulous. It is the same wine as the flagship Vintage Brut, but the dosage on this wine is up to 23 grams per liter. Great tree fruit and white flowers on the nose. The palate, which I expected to be sweet, is less than that, in fact, I would be hard pressed to call this even a Demi-Sec. That fruit translates onto the palate along with a nuttines and a hint of brioche. I thought I would lean toward disliking this wine, but it is rather fabulous. Excellent. 92 Points.

2017 Domaine Carneros Le Rêve, Carneros, CA: Retail $125. 100% Chardonnay. One of the heaviest bottles I have ever weighed (1114g; 39.2oz, not quite 2.5 pounds). This wine was produced under the previous CEO, Eileen Crane, but released under the current CEO, Remi Cohen, who started at DC over five years ago. Such is the life of a ultra-premium sparkling wine, I guess? Having said all of this, this wine is stellar. I first tasted it blind about a year ago for my annual sparkling wine tasting and I liked it (90 Points), but it is more expressive now. Light straw in the glass with bright pear, golden apple, white rose, a hint of tangerine rind, and toasty brioche. Whoa. The palate is tart, inviting, and loaded with fruit and a rare yeastiness (for US wines). I was able to spend a bit more time with this wine and as it warmed, it really began to speak, suggesting that a bit more cellar time will continue to provide more positive results. Outstanding. 93 Points.