Producer of the Year: Schramsberg Vineyards, Napa Valley, California
‘Best of the Year’ picks are made, obviously, during the holiday season, when sparkling wine corks pop around the world. Many people don’t have a lot to celebrate as this economically challenged year comes to an end, though if one beverage can put a spring in the step and a gleam in the eye, it’s bubbly, in all of its manifestations — Champagne, Spanish Cava, Italian Prosecco, Cremant d’Alsace, German Sekt, U.S. sparklers, and so many others.
This year, I toast Schramsberg Vineyards and its elegant, self-effacing ‘grande dame,’ Jamie Davies, who died in February 2008 
at age 73. Beginning in 1965, Davies and her husband, Jack (who died in 1998) were the first to produce blanc de blancs, blanc de noirs and brut rosé in California, using the traditional techniques of Champagne. Like the chicken crossing the road to prove to the possum that it could be done, Schramsberg progressed as the Champenoise observed for nearly a decade, when they established their California bubbly outposts at Domaine Chandon, Domaine Carneros, Mumm Napa Valley and Roederer Estate.
History and tributes are wonderful things, yet my choice of Schramsberg as producer of the year is based on what’s in the bottle now. One of the Davies’ three sons, Hugh, is in charge at the Calistoga winery, and across the board, his wines, all vintage-dated and made from grapes grown in cool-climate vineyards throughout the North Coast, are at once rich and elegant. They have sun-ripened California fruit aromas and flavors, along with the depth and brioche complexity of fine Champagne. 
Schramsberg delivers, from the sumptuous 2001 J. Schram prestige cuvée ($100) and complex, age-worthy 2001 Reserve ($100), to the refined and refreshing 2005 Blanc de Blancs ($35) and full-bodied, juicy 2005 Blanc de Noirs ($37), and to a great drink for the holidays, the lively, berry/citrus-accented 2005 Brut Rosé ($40).
These wines aren’t inexpensive, yet they’re worth the money, delivering Champagne-level quality and at competitive, if not better, prices.
Schramsberg’s second label, Mirabelle, offers excellent value in two multi-vintage sparklers, Mirabelle Brut ($22) and Mirabelle Brut Rose ($25).
Also not to be missed is the family’s J. Davies Diamond Mountain District (Napa Valley) 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon ($75), made from estate-grown grapes grown south of Calistoga. The Davies family got into the Cabernet Sauvignon game late, bottling their first vintage in 2001. In that short period of time, Hugh Davies has mastered the tricks of producing still wine to complement his bubblies, with the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon approachable and luscious, yet with plenty of backbone.
Wines of the Year: Pacific Rim Single-Vineyard Rieslings 2007 Columbia Valley, Washington
I’m cheating in picking not one but three new, single-vineyard Rieslings from Randall Grahm’s Pacific Rim winery in 
Washington state’s Columbia Valley, yet they are most impressive as a group, showing Grahm’s commitment (and that of his Pacific Rim general manager/winemaker, Nicolas Quillé), to producing outstanding Riesling in Washington. Chateau Ste. Michelle and Long Shadows’ Poet’s Leap wineries have been doing that for some time, though having another player is good for the neighborhood and for consumers.
Pacific Rim’s ‘regular’ Rieslings come in dry and sweet versions and are fruity, quaffable blends from multiple Columbia Valley vineyards, selling for around $8. The Solstice Vineyard in Yakima Valley and Wallula Vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills sub-appellations are the sources for the new range of Pacific Rim Riesling — one from Solstice and two from Wallula, of which one is made from biodynamically grown grapes. All are sealed with screw caps.
Pacific Rim, Yakima Valley (Washington) Solstice Vineyard Riesling 2007 ($30): This is the sweetest of the three wines, with 1.14 percent residual sugar, yet it remains dry on the palate. Stony and nutty on the nose, the wine crackles in the mouth with lime and grapefruit, with some spicy baked apple and richness on the finish. It’s crisp and refreshing, clocking in at 13.5% alcohol. 89
Pacific Rim, Columbia Valley (Washington) Wallula Vineyard Riesling 2007 ($18): This wine tastes bone-dry (the residual sugar percentage is 0.9) and has an inviting honeysuckle aroma with a flash of minerality. It starts out rather austere, with earthy notes and racy citrus and white peach flavors. There’s some creaminess and tropical fruit in the mid-palate, and the wine closes with mouthwatering acidity — tart and minerally. This wine is delicious now, yet two or three more years in bottle should unleash some secondary complexity. Another plus: it has just 12.3% alcohol by volume. Note that Wallula Vineyard is in the Horse Heaven Hills American Viticultural Area, although the front label reads ‘Columbia Valley.’ 91
Pacific Rim, Columbia Valley (Washington) Wallula 
Vineyard Biodynamic Riesling 2007 ($30): Produced from a young, 145-acre, certified biodynamic plot at Wallula Vineyard, this floral, flinty Riesling has pure, focused Meyer lemon, citrus pith and white-peach fruit notes. It’s dry (.76% residual sugar) though slightly plumper than the non-biodynamic wine above, and layers of flavor continue to unfold through a long finish. A pleasant leesiness adds complexity. It, too, will benefit from cellaring, for up to five years for those who like more mature Riesling. 13% alcohol. 92
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