Ratings & Reviews
Ratings & Reviews
Non Vintage Brut
Wine Enthusiast
Steve Heimoff - December 31, 2007
"This lovely brut offers real Champagne-like finesse. It’s rich and dry, with yeasty flavors of pineapples, lemon chiffon and raspberries. The mousse is creamy and smooth. This polished bubbly will develop with five years of cellaring."
Fort Collins Colorodoan
Kelli Lackett - December 26, 2007
Recommended U.S. sparkling wine
Wall Street Journal
Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher - December 01, 2007
"$15 to $25. At this price range, we'd look for California bubbly: Scharffenberger Cellars..."
Wine News
December 2007"Fresh aromas of butterscotch and croissant with yeasty, buttery notes. Bright peach and apricot flavors with a green apple tartness. Fresh, steely close with a mix of lemon drop and minerals."
Shop Smart from Consumer Reports
December 2007The editors recommended Scharffenberger Cellars NV Brut in their tasting of bubbly for $20 or less. They said it paired well with savory appetizers and seafood.
San Francisco Chronicle
Lynne Char Bennett - November 30, 2007
The Examiner, San Francisco
Pamela S. Busch - November 03, 2007
"[T]he wine has remained tried and true and for the money — you cannot ask for a better sparkling wine made in California. Delicate and a little bit yeasty with vanilla, almond cream and briochelike flavors, keep this in mind for holiday celebrations."
Food & Wine
November 2007"California sparkling wine is a great match with any crisp, salty, fried appetizer...This green-appley bottling is especially refreshing."
Dallas Morning News
Tina Danze - August 28, 2007
"This elegant blend of two-thirds pinot noir and one-third chardonnay melds red-fruit richness with classic chardonnay tropical fruit for a balanced, fruit-forward sparkler. Its cleansing character and dry finish made it a match with the tuna and yellowtail as well as with sushi rolls coated in sesame seeds. 'The toasted, nutty character of the wine is a good complement to the toasted sesame seeds,' Mr. Wardlow said. Mr. Pinnell noted that it cuts through pickled ginger very nicely."
Food Arts
Jeffery Lindenmuth - June 2007
Sommelier Steve Hua, NobHill, MGM Grand, of Las Vegas recommends Scharffenberger Cellars NV Brut.
Orange County Fair Wine Competition
January 01, 2007Monterey Wine Competition
2007Wall Street Journal
Dorothy J. Gaiter & John Brecher - December 01, 2006
"Most notable was our old friend Scharffenberger, which was the clear best of tasting, with interesting layers of taste, some complexity and an intricate melding of bubbles and wine...Best of tasting. Classy, with true, clean tastes of minerals, toast and ripe grapefruit. Nutty, with a slightly buttery finish that's quite luscious and lasts."
USA Today
Jerry Shriver - December 01, 2006
San Francisco Chronicle
December 01, 2006"The goal of Scharffenberger winemaker Tex Sawyer is to craft drink-now wines, and the two-thirds Pinot Noir composition highlights freshness over its ability to age. Another woodsy nose, with sharp apple, red fruit and lemon. Very, very precise on the palate, to the point you wish it had a bit more breadth."
Wine Enthusiast
Steve Heimoff - March 2006
"Here's a polished, elegant wine, very dry, with delicate flavors of citrus rind, bread dough and yeast, toast and vanilla. It has a lightness and charm on the palate that make it irresistible."
Wine Spectator
J.L. - December 2005
"Distinctive for its baked pear, orange zest and spice notes. Crisp apple and lemon flavors blend nicely, adding richness on the finish."
Wine & Spirits
December 2005"Yeasty and dry in style, this emphasizes broad richness of flavor. It gives a soft, round impression, then ends integrated and clean. Serve with roast veal in a light cream sauce."
Wine News
January 2005"Pale gold hue with ribbons of small bubbles. Rich aromas of apple, ginger, bread dough and a subtle whiff of oxidation. Berry flavors of green apple, banana and roasted grains. Dry close."
Winery
San Francisco Chronicle
Tara Duggan - February 22, 2008
The experience: The staff person at the tasting room was very knowledgeable about the winery and the history of the area. She pointed out that the brut's composition of two-thirds Pinot Noir and one-third Chardonnay was the opposite of Roederer's, which is made in the French style. We were regaled with tales of the valley's winemaking past, including the days when nearby Greenwood Road was called Vinegar Ridge because locals would go there during Prohibition to by "vinegar" from Italians who grew grapes there.