2013 Roco Winery RMS Brut

2013 Roco Winery RMS Brut Methode Champenoise Willamette Valley 67% Pinot Noir & 33% Chardonnay ~$65

This wine has bubbles for days. Well, I mean I assume, since we drank it up in one evening.  But if we hold it to the sparkling test of “fine and persistent bubbles” it passes with flying colors. If I didn’t know the grapes in this wine I would swear it had some Pinot Gris because of the spice notes.  Baking spice, white pepper, evergreen, and clove keep your palate intrigued with this truly beautiful sparkling representation.

 

Below is our story on this special wine and winemaker Rollin Soles.  This story first appeared in the Oregon Wine Press.

Rollin Soles’ legacy is intricately intertwined with the story of sparkling wine in Oregon.  Soles built Oregon’s first sparkling wine facility in 1987 with Argyle Winery and continues to serve as a mentor to their winemaking program.  The Willamette Valley with it’s cool climate production of Chardonnay and world class Pinot Noir is primed for sparkling wine.  As a shareholder in Radiant Sparkling Wine Company, Andrew Davis’s “custom crush” company dedicated to sparkling wine, Soles has helped to increase Oregon’s offerings.  After involvement in Oregon sparkling wine almost from the beginning, Soles’ name has moved from the back label to the front.  Roco Winery released the 2013 RMS (Rollin Michael Soles) Brut Fall of 2016.   The new méthode champenoise bubbly is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sourced from higher-altitude vineyards in the Willamette Valley: Blossom Ridge (Eola-Amity AVA), Vista Hills Vineyard (Dundee Hills AVA) and Gran Moraine (Yamhill Carlton AVA).

“After thirty years of making fine sparkling wine, I feel like it’s part of my body and soul,” says Soles.  Careful not to take for granted the complicated exercise of making quality sparkling wine, Soles feels he has developed a deep understanding for balance and the ability to create a seamless presentation of fruit and acid that provides a creamy texture from attack through the finish.  After tasting the wine in the early production stages, Soles knew it would be amazing.  “Two and a half years later the wine is exceeding my expectations,” shared Soles.  He predicts with time the Willamette Valley will become the top New World wine region for fine, complex sparkling wines.  

Seven hundred cases were made of the 2013 RMS Brut.  Following the tradition of the great Champagne houses, 100 cases will be held for future disgorgement in 2023. For more information visit http://rocowinery.com.

For more on our industry tasting of Northwest Sparkling Wines see 6 NW Sparkling Wines for your Holiday Wish List

Samples were provided by winery and reviewed and enjoyed by Tasting Pour without bias.