2019 Iron Horse Vineyards Russian Cuvee Green Valley of Russian River Valley 750 ml

There’s no better way to start a day of wine tasting in Sonoma than with bubbles at Iron Horse.

The view is beautiful: Iron Horse’s estate vineyards roll down the hills, which translates to some of the most idyllic scenery out there. It’s both peaceful and enrapturing at the same time. The atmosphere is both relaxed and considered, and there’s no extraneous fluff, just a focus on the wines.

Those rolling hills of vines aren’t just a pretty picture, but some of the best terroir in Russian River’s Green Valley, one of the most coveted sub-regions in all of Sonoma for growing Pinot and Chardonnay. And great Pinot and Chard translate into incredible sparkling wines.

For nearly fifty years, the family-run Iron Horse estate has been tucked into this cool pocket of Sonoma, and the Russian Cuvée is part of that legacy. It was originally created for the Reagan–Gorbachev meetings in the mid-1980s, and the reception was so warm that it was poured at the White House for six consecutive administrations—a rare level of recognition for California bubbles.

This wine is driven by place. Iron Horse farms roughly 160 acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wrapped around the winery in Green Valley, one of the coldest, most fog-influenced corners of the Russian River. Co-founder Audrey Sterling led the charge to have Green Valley recognized as its own appellation, so when you see “Green Valley of Russian River Valley” on the label, you’re looking at a site the family literally helped define.

Iron Horse works exclusively with estate-grown fruit, and has had decades of experience tailoring their farming and winemaking to their site and cuvées. The 2019 Russian Cuvée draws on their own Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from these hillsides, finished at a brut level of dryness but crafted in the generous, crowd-pleasing style that has made it one of the estate’s calling cards.