Bodkin Wines 'Hotspur Cuvée' Sparkling Rosé, North Coast, California 2021

• Winemaker: Chris Christensen
• Farming: Sustainable
• Varieties: 81% high elevation Barbera and 19% mountain-grown Zinfandel.
  
• Dosage: Zero dosage
  
• Terroir: Barbera: 1,400ft of elevation at the Dorn-Las Lomas vineyard in the Kelsey Bench AVA of Lake County; Zinfandel: 2,000ft above sea level Lewers' Family High Rock Ranch in the Sonoma Coast.
  
• Vinification: Charmat method (tank, or prosecco-method), with 4 months on the lees
  
• Tasting note: The aromas of berries and citrus blossoms on the nose transfer to flavors the pallet, where you’ll find them along with the additional accents of fresh baked brioche and ruby red grapefruit.

Bodkin Hotspur Cuvee Sparkling Rose, North Coast, California 2021
Chris Christensen is a gem of a man. Hailing from Iowa, this midwesterner grew up with a love of Shakespeare and an urge to do something big. As many farmboys do, he moved west to find adventure nearly 20 years ago.  After years of working in wine production, Chris released the first Bodkin bottles- something to call his own- in 2011. Now, he's known as one of the renegade New California winemakers specializing in delicious, hand-crafted, fruit-driven wines at really great prices. He says he makes wines for "ballers on a budget", and we are into it!
This wine is a fun one and super easy to drink. Chris makes this wine from a blend of high-elevation Barbera and Zinfandel. The North Coast AVA is used on the label when vineyard sources cross county lines of Lake, Marin, Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, and Solano Counties.  For the Hotspur Cuvée, Chris gets Barbera from the Dorn-Las Lomas vineyard in the Kelsey Bench in Lake County, a high-elevation vineyard planted on volcanic soils on the Northwestern part of the Mayacamas Mountains. He sources the Zinfandel from Lewers’ Family High Rock Ranch on the Sonoma Coast, at an even higher elevation of 2,000 feet above sea level. The cool climate and high-elevation Zinfandel are perfect for sparkling wine, as the naturally high acidity balances the high sugars that sun-drenched Barbera can achieve.
The grapes are pressed and fermented separately in stainless steel tanks. When the primary fermentation is complete, Chris tastes and blends the final cuvée. The blend is moved into tanks to settle on its lees, and the yeast and remaining sugar ignite a secondary fermentation. This is the step responsible for creating the bubbles, and when the wine ferments to total dryness and is perfectly sparkling, it is bottled under pressure and corked. This is known as the Charmat method and is the same technique for making Prosecco.
The aromas of berries and citrus blossoms on the nose meet ruby red grapefruit and fresh-baked brioche on the palate, which makes for pure pleasure in the glass. The wine is juicy and full-bodied, so feel free to enjoy it with heavier fare! We love this with buttermilk fried chicken, honey-corn bread, and summer salads with stone fruit and fresh chevré. — Cara Patricia, Explore Like A Somm Bottle Club, April 2024