It is getting close to the 4th!
For those who are thinking about digging in, here’s the current state of the wines based on opening them pretty regularly for tasting appointments:
Universally, open them cold and then let them warm up to your preferred drinking temperature. The bubbles are fine, but can cascade if you open the bottles warm.
If you like more traditionally styled sparkling wines (richer and slightly more oxidative), I would really recommend the Durant as the first choice. That said, it has a slight reductive funk when it’s first poured. That should blow off in less than five minutes (usually more like 2-3). It showcases the lovely tranquility of the vineyard, and the grain/dough influence of the extended lees contact of the reserve wines.
If you like a more zingy, refreshing style of sparkling, the Willamette Valley Extra Brut is a good choice. It’s bright, with a bit of a laser focus, but is also starting to show a more complex nature as it opens up. I like to open this one a day ahead, taste it and restopper the bottle for 24 hours before drinking it.
If you prefer a dry style of wine with some salty seaspray and flinty reductive notes, the Whistling Rdge is the choice. It’s labeled Extra Brut, but there is no dosage added so the finish is bone dry and, IMO, is the wine that will enjoy some cellar time the most. I also think opening this a day, or two, before drinking it is a good idea.
With the protective CO2 layer in bottles, all of these wines really evolve over time. I think the Durant is the most ready to go. With the warmer vintages in Champagne lately, IMO, all of these will seem brighter and more acidic than most Champagnes with base wines of 18, 19, or 20. And I definitely would suggest food with the WV and Whistling Ridge.
