Carboniste Sparkling Chardonnay NV

Viticulture

Origin: San Benito, Santa Cruz and Sonoma Counties.

Vinification

Comprised of three vintages: 14% 2022, 60% 2023 26% 2024

The base wines for this blend were fermented with native yeast and aged in neutral barrels for up to 30 months (2022 vintage). During that period, the wine was resting on its dead yeast, gaining a mouthfilling creamy texture on top of the natural bright acidity from the Chardonnay fruit. Once assembled in tank, the wine was bottled with fresh yeast and sugar. After a short aging in bottle, the wine was hand disgorged to an easy-open crown cap to preserve freshness.

Bottled 3/11/2025   21 g/L sugar
Disgorged 7/9/2025 5 g/L dosage

Tasting notes

Aromatics include gravenstein apple, pear, and yuzu citrus. The pallet is unctuous and mouthfilling with zippy lemon curd and creamy mousse.

Winery Description

After meeting at UC Davis, Dan and Jacqueline Person worked around the world, then around California. These experiences informed their perspectives on winemaking. Dan worked for Schramsberg Vineyards for 3 years, making traditional sparkling wines from California grapes. Based on that experience, Dan decided there was a need for a new interpretation of California sparkling wine. Jacqueline was concurrently making still wines from a variety of terroirs across the Golden State, terroirs that have inspired the vineyard selections for CARBONISTE.

From Dan...
“In my mind, you don’t try to make Bordeaux in Burgundy, that would be silly … So why are we, in California, trying to make Champagne? The climate is very different, the soil is different, and fundamentally we have a different terroir … So I launched this company as an experiment to figure out what we could be doing in California that’s not simply an emulation of Champagne. Imagine you take a piece of fruit from the outside of a tree, sitting in the sun and it's really ripe and warm, it has a very strong fruit expression. If you get fruit from the shady part of the tree, it's still hard and not ripe. Fundamentally what happens in California is that we have all the sunshine, all the sweetness, and you can taste it … In a blind tasting, you would never be confused once you learn the difference.”

From Jacqueline...
“I love wines of distinction. Winemakers around the world are working to produce unique wines from their cellars, using their fruit. Wines of place and style. Making these wines is a noble pursuit, which we hope to accomplish at CARBONISTE.”

Together Dan and Jaquiline are dedicated to making sparkling wines that are modern and reflective of the grape and the place.

The wines are always made with food in mind, so the gas pressure is a bit lower than champagne, and the etiquettes are designed with fresh seafood pairings in mind. Making their own unique, California sparkling wine is a noble pursuit.