97 points Wine Advocate

The 2017 Sparkling Rosé Heintz Vineyard is composed mainly of Pinot Noir, made without malolactic conversion and bottled without filtration. It was aged on the lees in bottle for 40 months and has just below five atmospheres of pressure (as opposed to the six to 6.5 bars of pressure in the Cruse Tradition sparklings), resulting in a creamier texture. “What matters more is pressure, not time en tirage,” notes winemaker Michael Cruse. “2017 was an earlier vintage for us, so this is a bigger Ultramarine than I would normally release—the 2016 and 2018 were more classic vintages for us, more acid driven.” The palate is elegant yet powerful, its bright fruit layered with more savory tones of toast, pastry and mushrooms. It has an alluring ultra-soft texture, singular personality and a very long finish. I’d love to see how this develops over the next 5-7+ years in bottle (EB).  (9/2022)

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