Wishing you happiness, health and good fortune for the Year of the Monkey!
To commemorate the occasion our friends at Iron Horse Vineyards have created a special, limited edition “Year of the Monkey” cuvée, and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this sparkling wine benefits The Leakey Foundation!
Celebrate and join in tribute to our curious and smart relatives. Field research into monkey’s lives deepens our understanding of our own evolutionary history, and The Leakey Foundation is proud to fund many of these important studies.
We are lucky to be working with the award winning Iron Horse Winery. Only 300 cases of this vintage have been bottled! Get yours today, toast to the Year of the Monkey, and help The Leakey Foundation continue to do great things for research and the conservation of wild monkeys around the world!
About Iron Horse Vineyards and Year of the Monkey Chinese Cuvée
Artisanal Winemaking: Hand harvested in the chilly fog of early morning, our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes are gently pressed as whole clusters yielding base wines of great delicacy. The juice ferments slowly at 62° to 65° f retaining vibrant fruit esters. In blending this wine we chose Pinot Noir and Chardonnay lots that were a bit shy by nose with a touch of ’fruit forwardness’ resulting in a sparkling wine that shows wonderful complexity that is rich, nutty and toasty with a hint of fruit. The dosage for this wine is 12 ml Blanc de Blanc LEX and 12 ml 2014 Rued Clone Chardonnay.
Precision Winegrowing: At Iron Horse “Estate Bottled” means that the winemaking begins in the vineyard. Our location in Green Valley represents the very best soil, climate and aspects for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Our goal is to grow the best winegrapes through what we call “precision farming.” All pruning, canopy management, irrigation and cover crop decisions are determined on a block-by-block (and sometimes even vine-by-vine) basis, considering both the vintage at hand and the long-term needs of the land.
Tasting Notes & Food Pairings: By nose: rising dough, orange marmalade and baked apple. By mouth: ripe red apple, Mandarin orange and hazelnut. Focused, complex and brut-level dry with precise, pinpoint bubbles. Pairs beautifully with the diverse flavors and textures of Chinese cuisine – pot stickers, dumplings, egg rolls, sea bass steamed with mushrooms and scallions, vegetable stir fry, shrimp fried rice, roast duck, Szechuan style spareribs, and fortune cookies, of course.
Technical Data
Appellation: Green Valley of Russian River Valley Blend: 69% Pinot Noir, 31% Chardonnay Alcohol: 13.5% v/v
Harvest Dates: August 27 – September 22 2010 Date Bottled: August 2011
Release Date: Current disgorging, January 2015 Total Production: 300 Cases
Suggested Retail Price: $65.00
