Winemaker Notes
Extended Tirage Brut is aged for ten years on the yeast and disgorged on demand to ensure freshness. Argyle’s Tirage Library in Dundee has sparkling wines still aging on the yeast, dating back to our first vintage in 1987.
Food Pairing Notes
Argyle Extended Tirage Brut is America’s Highest Rated Sparkling Wine and Has been named to the Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines in the World four times. Upon release each vintage, Extended Tirage Brut is Argyle’s most sought after wine.
Vineyard Notes
The 2008 growing season was a “late bloomer”. A very dry, cold Spring delayed flowering until July rather than the traditional June time frame. August brought needed rainfall—more rain in August than any one month of March, April or May. As usually happens, the predicted rain in October was called off, and dry Indian Summer weather took hold. Ripening and picking occurred at a nice even pace. Our last day of picking was October 29th.
Accolades
93 Pts., Wine Review Online: "The 2008 Argyle Extended Tirage Brut is an impressive sparkling wine. A blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (63 and 37 percent respectively), it is dry and fairly full-bodied with aromas and flavors indicative of aging – honey, roast nuts, toast, brioche and a hint of mushroom – as well as youthful notes, especially orange rind, mixed citrus , tart cherry and apricot. These flavors show good concentration, which speaks to the quality of the grapes in the first place. Prolonged aging is again evident in the wine’s rich and creamy texture. Within this creaminess, the mousse tastes relaxed and gentle, still lively and persistent but less energetic than it would have been when the 2008 was first released. The wine has stature and a majesty born of the its development in the bottle."
