Texas A&M product Rollin Michael Soles, the Pacific Northwest pioneer for sparkling wine as founding winemaker at Argyle in 1987, debuts his bubble program as part of the ROCO Winery brand he launched in 2001 with his wife, Corby. It’s not coincidence that this vintage coincides with the establishment of Radiant Sparkling Wine, the mobile production company that became almost an instant success with Andrew Davis, a Soles protégé, at the helm. Make no mistake, though, this carries Soles’ thumbprint, starting with his selection of Pinot Noir from Domaine Drouhin’s exciting Roserock Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills and Chardonnay via Gran Moraine in Yamhill-Carlton. They join for a classic blend of Pinot Noir (67%) and Chardonnay (33%) that leads to beautiful aromas of fresh-baked sourdough bread with hints of strawberry, raspberry and lemon. Its fine mousse allows for gorgeously rich flavors of Bosc pear, a brisk transition to Granny Smith apple and gooseberry, then a finish of dried apricot. Another interesting note with this initial bottling is that there are 100 cases that won’t be disgorged until 2023. Longtime fans of Soles can start looking for RMS on the shelves of savvy wine merchants across the country this fall.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 700 cases
Alcohol: 12.5%
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Guys, Thanks very much for your Kind Words! I love that you found the Bosc pear, Granny Smith apple, and Gooseberry flavors. I associate these flavors with nice Chardonnay sparkling wines. At 33% Chardonnay, these descriptors really shouldn’t pop up on the palate. When I was designing the Liqueur de Dosage, I wanted to draw out the Chardonnay flavors that were hiding behind the 67% Pinot noir component. Looks like I succeeded! It is still amazing to me how such small things like dosage can completely change a sparkling wine! Really focuses my winemaking palate. A Grateful, Rollin Soles