Westborn Wine - New California Sparkling Project

WINE TALK
41

Hello everyone, thank you for the questions. Weston here, one of the winemakers at Westborn.

The first vintage of Westborn was 2018, which is when the reserve program began. We’ve been tasting it since then, and 2020 marked the first year it showed the complexities we were looking for.

The focus of the reserve program is not solely on the wine’s age but on the moment it truly begins to shine within the context of a non-vintage wine. As the reserve program evolves, it continues to age and develop greater complexity. This brings us to the Perpetual Reserve NV.01—a blend of three vintages, crafted with a concept inspired by Laurent-Perrier’s Grand Siècle, where three vintages are combined to create something truly exceptional.

3 Likes
42

Hello everyone, Thank you for your interest and enthusiasm for our wine.

Westborn has been a true labor of love since its inception in 2018, and I’m happy to finally share it with the world. From the very beginning, my vision has been to craft a sparkling wine of the highest quality, which led me to source fruit from some of California’s most renowned vineyards in Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino… vineyards that also supply iconic producers such as Aubert, Kongsgaard, Williams Selyem, and Kosta Browne.

The challenge, of course, is that while I am paying the same premium fruit costs as those wineries, sparkling wine production is far more labor, cost, and time-intensive than still wine.

This decision was purposeful… In sparkling wine, much of the flavor often comes from the winemaking process and extended aging rather than the base wine itself. However, I wanted to go further—layering the elegance of méthode champenoise on top of the finest possible base wine which provides unmatched texture and intensity. Sourcing fruit from such sought-after vineyards is a significant investment, but it is essential to achieve the quality I aim for.

Additionally, the yield for sparkling wine is considerably lower than for still wine—roughly 25-30% less. This is due to more restrictive press cuts required to preserve the elegance and energy that define exceptional sparkling wine. Furthermore, sparkling wine is literally made twice: first as a still base wine, or vin clair, and then again through the second fermentation in bottle.

Finally, the aging process is much longer than for still wine. Each bottle of Westborn Sparkling Wine rests for 3-5 years or more, allowing it to develop complexity, texture, and depth. This extended aging period, combined with the additional production steps, naturally drives up costs—but these are investments in quality that are essential.

At Westborn, every decision has been intentional, with an unwavering focus on quality and no corners cut. Our goal is to create a wine that not only justifies its price but also delivers a truly exceptional experience. Working with some of the best vineyards and growers has deepened my understanding of what this wine can achieve, and I’m proud to see that vision come to life.

I hope that when you experience the wines, you’ll find that this unwavering commitment to quality has paid off.

5 Likes
43

Order in! Can’t wait to pop one of each during Christmas, as these should be killer with the food!

Saw the tissue wrapped bottles on their Instagram…love the detailed vineyard map on the tissue paper (and the sticker detailing which wine it is…pet peeve of mine not knowing what wine is behind tissue paper).

44

In for a 3 pack of the NV. Excited to try this.

1 Like
45

I have had the chance to try these wines a couple times and they are very impressive. I think Weston, Nate, and Russell have done an amazing job creating what I am sure will end up being one of the most exciting domestic sparkling wines out there. Always fun to support good people as well!

5 Likes
46

It would be delusional for Chenin, Gamay, Carignan, Riesling… don’t get me started on Colombard or Ruby Cabernet.

It approaches delusional for Sauvignon Blanc, unless it is a companion to a successful (Napa) Cab selling for twice the price.

47

Posting a recent TN for the NV Perpetual Reserve

  • NV Westborn Perpetual Reserve 01 - USA, California, North Coast (12/3/2024)
    Disclosure: I received this bottle for free from Russell Bevan, who generously offered to gift me one when I mentioned that I was interested in his new sparkling wine project. Russell is clearly an awesome guy, so I may not be able to be fully impartial in this review as my experience was colored by his kindness.

    It seems that Russell and his partners in this venture (Weston Eidson and Nathan Reeves) are aiming very high here. Not just in terms of quality (the vineyard source list reads like a who's-who of the top sites in the North Coast) and investment (this project began 6 years ago, in 2018), but also price ($100 for the Perpetual Reserve). Talking with Russell, I got the sense that they don't simply aspire just be considered among the top domestic sparkling wines; rather, it's clear that they aim to be compared favorably to some of the great wines of Champagne.

    I opened this wine to serve to family for Thanksgiving dinner and sipped at it while I cooked. The other tasting notes are fairly spot-on for this wine, and it exhibits notes of slightly underripe green apple, pear, and prominent brioche. The palate is elegantly textured with a long finish. The wine displays great balance, with excellent cut and acidity but not veering too far into the underripe/overly tart end of the spectrum.

    This is a bottle of wine that I could have easily polished off by myself, but alas my dinner guests discovered it and the wine disappeared before dinner was served. It seems that others enjoyed it just as much as I did. (93 points)

Posted from CellarTracker

2 Likes
48

I had the chance to taste three different bottlings last night at a tasting in Fort Worth. Two were tasted blind (Perpetual reserve and the brut), and one unblind - Rose. I thought all three were excellent, with the Rose being the best. I am trying to get out of the wine buying business, and I find that I don’t reach for high-end sparklers much these days. I also get that there are lots of options, foreign and domestic, at similar or lower price points. But, after a recent string of unimpressive Ultramarine wines, and having more or less given up on Under the Wire due to inconsistent bottles, green/off flavors and aromas, I was impressed here by the quality across the bottles. My take is that if this is a price point you are comfortable with, you will like what is in the bottle. I know lots of people that don’t blink twice at buying vintage champagne at similar or 2-3x these prices. Are these worth the freight? Who knows - for me, I walked away at several new Cab projects that came out at $300+. Lots of those available. This is 1/2 that, and how many MV sparkling wines are out there? Not many, if any. And these gave me at least as much enjoyment as the last few new/random Cab projects did.

2 Likes
49

Already got my wine! I would open one tonight if I wasn’t going to a big Champagne tasting tomorrow.

2 Likes
50

Got mine as well! Planning to open a perpetual soon and the vintage rosé during Christmas.

1 Like
51

Man, these posts are making it REALLY hard to not pull the trigger. I’m essentially in the same spot as @Eric_Werner in that i just dropped Ultramarine and don’t purchase UTW anymore, so i ‘kinda’ have room for a new domestic sparkler (just dipped my toes in the water with BXT and excited to try them).

Just wish the price point was a tad lower for a first release and i wouldn’t think twice :cheers:

1 Like
52

Congrats to Weston and the Westborn team on their recent Jeb Dunnuck reviews! 96 for both the Perpetual Reserve and 2019 Rosé! Not bad for an inaugural release, and quite the quote for the rosé…”It’s unquestionably the finest sparkling rosé I’ve tried outside of Champagne.”

I’ll have to pop one and join in the celebration!

5 Likes
53

Confirms what I tasted in October! That Rose was legit

1 Like
54

Same. I thought both were very good, and the rose excellent. Putting price point to the side, these wines deserve attention.

1 Like