Sokol Blosser Bluebird Cuvee Brut Sparkling 2020

Our Bluebird Cuvée Brut Sparkling is a vibrant example of a wine made in the traditional method. The Bluebird Cuvée Brut Sparkling is designated as a Brut level of sweetness. Expressing aromatics of lychee and baguette. There are notes of spiced apple cider on the nose and on the palate, and the finish is crisp pear with bright acidity and fine bubbles. The label showcases Sokol Blosser’s long-time support of the Prescott Western Bluebird Recovery Project, with a pen-and-ink style image of a Western Bluebird.

2020 will always be remembered as a year of epic challenges. For the grapes, a cold wet spring hindered fruit development during bloom and thus gave us the smallest crop since 1998. An exceptionally light crop level historically leads to exceptionally good quality. Loose clusters with big and small berries often leads to dark color and richer and more intense flavors.

We began harvest on September 3rd and had a good week of bringing in most of our grapes for sparkling wine. Then, the winds changed and the fires started. For around seven days a thick fog of smoke hung over the Willamette Valley. During that time the sun was covered, all photosynthesis stopped and the grapes’ development stalled. The smoke event ended in an amazing fury of lightening, thunder, and 1” of rain on the night of September 17th. We then waited for the grapes’ development to progress, taking samples and doing micro-ferments to test for smoke effect. Proceeding slowly and carefully once full maturation had been achieved, we harvested the remainder of our Estate fruit feeling incredibly lucky and optimistic.