Wines Reviewed In This Article

NV Sonoma Brut

2003 Blanc de Noirs

NV Blanc de Blancs

1988 Royal Cuvee

1989 Royal Cuvee

1990 Royal Cuvee

1991 Royal Cuvee

1992 Royal Cuvee

1993 Royal Cuvee

1994 Royal Cuvee

1995 Royal Cuvee

1996 Royal Cuvee

1997 Royal Cuvee

1989 Carneros Cuvee

1991 Carneros Cuvee

1995 Carneros Cuvee

1996 Carneros Cuvee

 

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Located in the Carneros section of Sonoma County is the sparkling wine house Gloria Gloria FerrerFerrer. The winery is set back a bit from the main road and takes on a wonderful secluded and private feel with nature all around. My wife and I were lucky enough to taste through a large number of Gloria Ferrer’s wines with winemaker Bob Iantosca, who put together a vertical of their Royal Cuvee along with a horizontal of their other cuvees. Bob is a very talented winemaker and a humble guy. He knows he makes great wines, but he doesn’t hit you over the head telling you this. He lets the wine do the talking and says that he could do nothing less than his best to bottle the good stuff. Gloria Ferrer also treated us to a wonderful lunch at a local restaurant complete with some wine and fake grappa (more on this later).

I really like their wines, but what I was most impressed with at Gloria Ferrer was the staff. Most of the staff (from top to bottom) have been there for quite a while and everyone enjoys working together. The same seasonal vineyard workers are brought back and nicely taken care of throughout the year. The joy the workers take in their job is reflected by the number of regulars that show up at the Gloria Ferrer bar (also known as the tasting room). It is just a fun place to be and I’ve found that wineries where the workers stick around and have fun at work make better wines. Gloria Ferrer is a winery that would make a great “Built to Last” case study.

After talking about the winery, touring the facility, walking the vineyards, and tasting some wine, we went to lunch at a local restaurant with Bob. Along with our meal, we enjoyed a wonderful bottle of the 1996 Carneros Cuvee and 2001 Jose S. Ferrer Pinot Noir. I was especially impressed by the Pinot. It was fruit filled yet not overdone and had complexity in a way that showed respect to Burgundy. I’m not used to a chiefly sparkling wine producer also doing a good job with still wines, but from my experiences on this trip, Gloria Ferrer does (but, like their sparklers, they don’t get the respect they deserve). As we finished up the meal, the owner came out and presented us all with glasses of grappa. I was chosen to go first and have a taste. So, I smelled and got nothing and then I tasted and got nothing. I drank a little more and proclaimed that either this was the smoothest grappa ever or a glass of water. Everyone else took a sip and agreed that it was water. The owner said that was impossible and went to get the bottle. Water it was! It seems someone on the staff took a liking to the grappa and drank it all. To keep from getting caught, they filled the bottle up with water. Either that or we were the victims of a practical joke (which is certainly possible after meeting these folks).

Even before visiting Gloria Ferrer, I loved their wines and having visited them, I respect them even more now. The only weak spot I see in their lineup is the entry level NV Sonoma Brut, but it does have its following. Every other wine is very strong with the NV Blanc de Noirs being my benchmark for a high quality and inexpensive non-Champagne sparkling wine. Another wine that deserves mention is the Royal Cuvee. In my opinion (and you can see the notes below), it has been the best non-Champagne sparkling wine in the world since the 1992 vintage and consistently outperforms most vintage Champagnes that cost multiples more. With the Carneros Cuvee making a change towards fresh fruit in the 1995 vintage, another winner of similar quality to the Royal Cuvee is in the portfolio. Gloria Ferrer is a house on fire and deserves more attention. To me, they are the number one non-Champagne sparkling wine producer in the world.

Some quick facts/thoughts/opinions:

  • The Sonoma Brut ($13-$20 US) is 10% Chardonnay and 90% Pinot Noir

  • The Blanc de Noirs ($13-$20 US) is 5-10% Chardonnay and 90-95% Pinot Noir. While this is not a Rosé, it does have many similarities to a Rosé and as such, I will mention that it is made via the Saignee Method.

  • The Blanc de Blancs ($15-$22 US) is 100% Chardonnay.

  • The Rosé ($28-$35 US) is made via the Saignee Method and is mostly Pinot Noir with a small amount of Chardonnay.

  • The Royal Cuvee ($18-$28 US) is my favorite wine of Gloria Ferrer and my favorite non-Champagne sparkler. It is approximately 30-40% Chardonnay and 60%-70 Pinot Noir.

  • The Carneros Cuvee ($38-$50 US) is approximately 35-45% Chardonnay and 55-65% Pinot Noir. It has always been a late disgorged (anywhere from 8-15 years old) tete de cuvee. Originally it was made in an oxidized style (thanks to the dosage including some older, oxidized wine), but is now made in a fresh style. It still sees extended aging on the lees, but the bright fruit now shows through.

  • The Brut, Blanc de Blancs, and Blanc de Noirs are rather easy to find, but hunt like crazy for the Royal Cuvee and Carneros Cuvee as they are incredibly well made wines that rival Champagnes at two to three times the price.

  • None of the wines see any oak nor do they undergo malolactic fermentation.

  • Many (if not all) of the NV wines are actually from a single vintage.

  • Nearby (just down the road) is Domaine Carneros. I wonder if it is a coincidence that 2 of the top 3 non-Champagne sparkling wine producers in the world (Roederer Estate being the 3rd) are located so close to each other?

NV Sonoma Brut
This cuvee takes on a rather amylic character when first opened, but with some air, these aromas fade and are replaced by earthy peaches and a touch of sulfur. Based on the nose, I would have called this out as a low end NV Champagne that was dominated by cheap Pinot Meunier. Luckily the palate adds in a nice dose of lemon/lime acidity to lift the wine up and give it a touch of elegance. Fluffy peaches and lemon meringue flavors show well, but there is always a clumsy earthiness to this wine that holds it back. It is a solid effort for the price, but the only wine in the Gloria Ferrer lineup that I don’t buy. Grade of C+ (77-79 pts). Find this wine

Gloria Ferrer NV Blanc de NoirsNV Blanc de Noirs
The pale salmon color on this wine is Rosé leaning and the nose matches it well. Bright strawberry citrus with touches of biscuit do a little dance and force you to dive in for a taste. On the palate you get a great dose of red citrus sherbet, and a big dollop of sweet, fluffy cream on the last small piece of biscuit left on the plate. It is fun, funky and an incredible buy in my book. To me, this wine is the perfect match of California and Champagne as it doesn’t try to be Champagne, but instead perfectly matches the bright, fluffy California fruit with Champagne structure and acidity. A bargain bottle to buy by the case and as I said above, a benchmark for NV sparklers. Grade of B (85 pts). Find this wine

2003 Blanc de Blancs
Of all the basic cuvees (Brut, Blanc de Noirs, Blanc de Blancs), this has the most fragrant nose as fluffy peaches, and large doses of citrus fill the air surrounding the glass. Once in the mouth, a hefty dose of lemon-led citrus, minerals, and a touch of creamy, earthy peach paint a nice profile. While there isn’t anything amazing about this wine, it is very solid. The only problem I have with it is that the Blanc de Noirs is a better wine at the same price point. However, if you aren’t into funky, fun, red Pinot Noir flavors then this wine may be just for you. Grade of Low B (82-84 pts). Find this wine

1988 Royal Cuvee
Quite mature and full of toasty pears. Over time, this really opens up and sees the toast come out. Still, the fruit isn’t showing enough for me. While good, I think this has seen its better days. Grade of Low B (83-85 pts). Find this wine

1989 Royal Cuvee
This is quite high in acidity without the fruit to balance it all out. It tastes amazingly young, but the peach and pear notes just aren’t bright enough. Oddly, this fell apart in the glass within 30 minutes. Could this have been slightly flawed? Grade of B- (80-82 pts) for the first 30 minutes. Find this wine

1990 Royal Cuvee
Slightly corked, but underneath the corked notes, this showed very similar to the 1989. Flawed, not graded. Find this wine

1991 Royal Cuvee
Here is where things started to change and the wine style moved from fruit in the rear to a full frontal assault of classic pear, apple, and peach flavors. Good toastiness and fruit flavor match the acidity very well. Grade of B+ (87-89 pts). Find this wine

Gloria Ferrer 1993 Royal Cuvee 1992 Royal Cuvee
Now we are talking. This shows a perfect balance of acidity with toast, peaches and pears. It is fresh, lively, and mouthwatering. It will easily age for another 5 years. Grade of A- (90-92 pts). Find this wine

1993 Royal Cuvee
Pretty much identical to the above wine with a bit more peach to it. It has lovely toast notes and a fresh citrus acidity to carry it along for a good number of years. Grade of A- (90-92 pts). Find this wine

 


Gloria Ferrer 1994 Royal Cuvee 1994 Royal Cuvee
Home run! A silky and sexy wine loaded of peaches, pears, and vanilla nut laden toast. This is my favorite vintage of my favorite California sparkler. Grade of Low A (92-94 pts). Find this wine

1995 Royal Cuvee
A bright, young sparkler full of creamy apples, pears, peaches, and dough. Enjoyable now, but should gain complexity with a few more years in the cellar. Grade of A- (90-92 pts). Find this wine

Gloria Ferrer 1996 Royal Cuvee 1996 Royal Cuvee
Very fruit forward with Golden Delicious apples and peaches mixing with doughy toast. Could use a touch more acidity to balance out the fruit, but time may see it all come together. Grade of High B+ (88-90 pts) with the potential to move up a couple points in the future. Find this wine


1997 Royal Cuvee
Peaches, pears, slightly spiced dough, and honeysuckle notes mesh perfectly. This is still quite young and can age for much longer, but it is also a treat now. Grade of Low A- (89-91 pts) with the potential to move up to a more solid A- (90-92) pts. Find this wine

Gloria Ferrer 1989 Carneros Cuvee1989 Carneros Cuvee
This dates back to the days where the dosage included some older oxidized wine and it is amazing how it shows through. This is quite dry with lots of sherried acidity and toast. Hints of creamy peaches also sneak through, but the sherry really dominates. Grade of High B- (82-84 pts). Find this wine

1991 Carneros Cuvee (disgorged August 17, 2005)
As with the above wine, this is made in a mature style. Sherry, vanilla, nuts, and toast dominate the nose and palate. Some peaches do eventually find their way to the front, but this wine leaves me wanting for more. If only this era of Carneros Cuvee wasn’t so mature tasting; if only it was like the wines below… Grade of High B- (82-84 pts). Find this wine

Gloria Ferrer Carneros Cuvee1995 Carneros Cuvee (disgorged March 2, 2004)
Huge portions of ripe fruit mesh perfectly with the acidity to create a wine that will certainly age for much longer. Peaches, pears, and vanilla spices are tightly wound in this package. It will get better. Grade of B+ (87-89 pts) with A- potential (90-92 pts). Find this wine

1996 Carneros Cuvee (disgorged May 18, 2005)
Full of slightly spiced flowers and very bright citrus and pear fruit. This is very light, fluffy, and easy to drink. Where the 1995 will need a bit more time to come together, this is ready to go now. Grade of A- (90-92 pts). Find this wine

Cheers!

Brad Baker

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