Alma Fria Sonoma Coast Sparkling Chardonnay NV

A small-production sparkling Chardonnay from a producer better known for still Pinot and Chardonnay. The cuvee is roughly half a perpetual base that Carroll Kemp has been building since 2010-2011 and half current-vintage West Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, bottled at slightly lower pressure with no dosage. The result is a sparkler that tastes like a serious still wine with bubbles – lemon confit, white flowers, mint, slate, white pepper, fine mousse, completely dry. A grower-style California bubbly with the kind of detail you don’t expect outside Champagne.