Our Provenance Guarantee
Purchase with confidence. All of our wines are selectively sourced and thoroughly inspected for authenticity and signs of poor storage. Accepted bottles are preserved in our climate-controlled cellar until they reach your doorstep. We have no storefront and no walk-in traffic, so nothing is moved or handled between inspection and shipping.
The bottle you see photographed is the bottle you receive (or fundamentally identical when multiple bottles are listed), and our commitment to you is that it arrives as represented. If it doesn’t, we want to hear from you.
Ratings & Tasting Notes:
96 points Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
The 2016 Blanc de Blancs Heintz Vineyard is a stunning, deeply expressive sparkling wine. Sourced from one of the most celebrated Chardonnay sites on the Sonoma Coast, it offers a remarkable combination of coastal power and razor-sharp precision. Aromas of lemon confit, white flowers, crushed rocks, and lightly toasted brioche grace the glass. Brilliant, precise and remarkably textured, the 2016 Heintz Blanc de Blancs is a killer wine from Michael Cruse. Don’t miss it.
96 points Antonio Galloni (Vinous)
The 2016 Blanc de Blancs Heintz Vineyard is a stunning, deeply expressive sparkling wine. Sourced from one of the most celebrated Chardonnay sites on the Sonoma Coast, it offers a remarkable combination of coastal power and razor-sharp precision. Aromas of lemon confit, white flowers, crushed rocks, and lightly toasted brioche grace the glass. Brilliant, precise and remarkably textured, the 2016 Heintz Blanc de Blancs is a killer wine from Michael Cruse. Don’t miss it.
94 points Wine Spectator
Sleek, vibrant, and loaded with energy, featuring layers of tart crisp apple, white peach, stemmy ginger, and sea salt minerality. The fine mousse leads into a long, mouthwatering finish that lingers with toasted almond and mineral notes. Exquisitely balanced with high-toned coastal acidity.
93 points Wine & Spirits
Michael Cruse continues to push the boundaries of California sparkling wine. Sourced from Charles Heintz’s famous Occidental site, this bottling blends pure California fruit depth with a chiseled, traditional-method structure. Offers vibrant orchard fruit and an addictive, savory chalkiness on the finish.
Cult Wines International Notes:
Founded by visionary winemaker Michael Cruse in Petaluma, Ultramarine has ascended to undisputed cult status as America’s most sought-after, small-batch sparkling wine producer. Operating with a Grower Champagne philosophy translated to the cool-climate coast of Northern California, Cruse focuses exclusively on single-vineyard, single-vintage expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Sourced from the legendary Heintz Vineyard—perched high on a ridge near Occidental in the Sonoma Coast AVA—the Blanc de Blancs captures the unique terroir of goldridge loam soils and dense Pacific fog. Crafted using classical méthode traditionelle, hand-disgorged, and bottled with minimal dosage, Ultramarine has redefined what world-class domestic sparkling wine can achieve.
The 2016 growing season along the Sonoma Coast was exceptional, marked by a gentle spring, moderate summer temperatures, and an absence of extreme heat events. These serene conditions allowed the old-vine Chardonnay at Heintz Vineyard to achieve ideal phenolic maturity at low potential alcohol levels, preserving the electric natural acidity essential for top-tier sparkling production. Hand-harvested early in the morning to retain pristine freshness, the fruit was gently whole-cluster pressed and fermented with native yeasts. After undergoing extended lees aging in bottle to build complexity and textural density, the wine was disgorged with meticulous precision.
At a decade of age, the 2016 Ultramarine Sparkling Blanc de Blancs Heintz Vineyard is firing on all cylinders, balancing vibrant primary energy with developing autolytic sophistication. The nose yields an enticing bouquet of lemon curd, green apple, fresh pastry crust, jasmine, and crushed oyster shell. On the palate, a fine, creamy mousse gives way to an explosive core of citrus and orchard fruit, framed by a laser-like beam of saline acidity and a long, chalky finish. This highly coveted, microscopic-production release stands as a cornerstone acquisition for serious collectors of benchmark domestic sparkling wines.
Bottle Size:
750 mL
Storage History:
Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.
Condition:
Please note: The bottle shown is the exact bottle being sold.
Outstanding condition.
