Nose
Intense aromas of ripe pineapple, Mandarin orange and creamy strawberry are followed by subtle notes of vanilla crème brûlée topped with caramelized Madagascar sugar.
Palate
The palate delivers with a beginning of cranberries and ruby grapefruit followed by a mid palate bursting with baked cobbler, guava and a dollop of meringue. The finish completes the experience with a quenching acidity that lingers along with a creamy viscosity.
Growing Conditions
2000 was almost a perfect growing season—cool and foggy weather in June and July set the course for harvest to begin mid-August, allowing some of the cool vineyard sources to mature into late September. This picture perfect season produced intensely aromatic Chardonnay with rich viscosity and a long, acidic backbone. Pinot Noir from the 2000 vintage was bursting with juicy red fruit, and bright lingering acidity.
County Composition: 61% Napa, 24% Mendocino, 9% Sonoma, 1% Marin
Bottling
Bottled: April 23–25, 2001
Winemaking
A polished marriage of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, this wine showcases Schramsberg’s signature style of weaving together small lots of wines fermented in stainless steel tanks with lots fermented in French oak barrels.
Barrel Fermentation: 42%
Principal Chardonnay Blocks
Napa-Carneros: Tognetti, Hyde, Schwarze, Jones
Anderson Valley: Rose
Sonoma County: Vella, Pacheco
Aging
Following secondary fermentation in the bottle, the J. Schram Rosé was aged for seven years in Schramsberg’s historic caves.