Roederer Estate Clark Road Vineyard 2020
When a wine is made from a single vineyard, rather than from a blend of selected lots of wine, it becomes a representation of a specific place. In the case of our newest offering, 2020 Clark Road Vineyard, it is an expression of a specially chosen site on our estate, or what could be referred to as a “grower” wine. The Roederer Estate house style is modeled upon what we learned from our forebears in France, and in that vein, to make a true “grower” Champagne in France, you must get your hands dirty in the process of crafting your wine from the roots up.
2020 Clark Road Vineyard is a hand-made bottling. This vineyard is on the cool west side of Anderson Valley, where Pinot Noir thrives. We are intimately familiar with this site, which we have been farming since 1999. During those years, we have learned that we can leave the fruit on the vine longer than other sites, and as we allow it to ripen, it develops the juicy acidity so essential to top-quality sparkling wine. Flint and pastry crust aromatics showcase long aging on the yeast and give way to delicate ripe cherry flavors. The bubbles are soft on entry. This wine is bold, yet delicate and long.
Clark Road Vineyard sparkling wine offers insight into a sense of place, and it validates that we belong here, with our hands in this earth. We are delighted to share it with you.
93 Points | JamesSuckling.com
“This comes from a new set of small-block wines from Roederer Estate showcasing individual vineyard sites that have proven distinctive in the bigger blends over the years. It's fresh, toasty and vivid in brioche, lemon zest and toasted baguette flavors over vivid minerals and zingy acidity. Very precise, linear and focused.” Jim Gordon, Nov. 2024
93 Points | Decanter
93 Points
"A dry year that was warmer than typical, this wine shows so much depth with a pastry crust and wonderfully ripe fruit marked by bruised apples. Pinot is what makes the vintages here, according to winemaker Arnaud Weyrich. The Clark Road wine was kept on lees for 32 months; it was the first single vineyard wine from the Roederer Estate. This site was selected given its proximity to the ‘Deep End’, which provides more proximity to the Pacific Ocean, which cools faster and warms up more slowly. There is an austerity to this wine." Clive Pursehouse, Dec. 2024
92 Points | Wine Spectator
“Refined and handsomely structured, with elegantly layered strawberry and apple flavors that are laced with notes of spiced nuts and brioche, finishing with lift.” Tim Fish, Dec. 2024
