Ployez NV "California" Brut
$20; $45 the magnum

Ployez NV "California" Brut
Rating: 98/96
by Jerry MEAD

There is no vintage date on the label, but this wine is actually entirely from the 1983 vintage! It is made 100 percent from chardonnay grapes and by the handmade, "in this bottle," champagne method. Only recently disgorged (recorked after the dead yeast cells are removed), it combines the freshness of its sparkle and effervescence with the complexity of well-aged wine and the toasty-nutty complexity of yeast autolysis. The fruit is in the subtle, ripe apple vein.

This is a wonderful example of California bubbly and at a true bargain price for what it is. Case purchases very highly recommended for year 2000 celebration.

Ployez has now expanded to still wines and is getting things such as grape sources settled down. For example, current and previous vintages of the nv Brut have been made with chardonnay from various California regions but beginning with the 1999 wine, the grapes will come from Lake County. For that reason, we have chosen not to review the sparkling wine and, instead, have picked two of the still wines. At the same time, understand that it is still early days for Ployez Winery and we think that it is a winery that bears watching.

Colorado Wine News
January-March 2001

The 1999 Gamay Beaujolais, Lake County, $12, was made from gamay noir. It has a fairly bright bouquet of mostly cherry with smoky notes and some raspberry accents. The palate is light and fresh red cherry with a candied note at the edges before a short finish.

The 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon, Lake County, $18, is still quite closed. Blackberry, cassis, vanilla, plum, oak, and caramel on the nose lead to a smooth palate with nice depth and lots of cherry plus raspberry, red currant, and plum plus fine tannins all nicely layered and well integrated.

The wine has good acidity which gives it structure and it should show much better after three years or so in the bottle.

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