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 season started out unusually cool, delaying grape flowering until well into July. Even then, the weather was not great and poor pollination produced smaller than average clusters. Even then we were compelled to remove grape clusters to get the yields well below average. There is just not enough growing season left to ripen a normal crop. A season saving string of 80+ degree days at the end of September gave us all hope of ripening and put life back into our plans to make red wine. A bit of warm, soaking rain in early October sent us into further removing leaves and working to keep fruit healthy. Mid October brought an great, dry forecast and harvest began with a bang to beat predicted October 23rd rains. Red wine was harvested with gusto beginning the 17th and we wrapped up harvest the 21st October. Keys to our success were, small crop, healthy fruit, and patience to wait until the very end of the season to pick.
Accolades
93 Points, Wine Spectator: “A lovely hint of age adds dimension to this luxurious yet fresh and bright bubbly. Offers notes of apple and orange zest, with caramelized almonds and candied ginger. Drink now.” –TF
