Rare release from California's newcult spraklign wine producer. Limited.

The Cruse Wine Co. Tradition Rosé Sparkling Wine is 68% Pinot Noir approx 7% still Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay. The grapes were pressed using a traditional Champagne cycle and press cut. The vineyards were fermented separately in barrel with native yeasts, natural malolactic fermentation, and no sulfur added. In the late spring, the wines were blended and tirage bottled. After nearly two years on lees, the bottles were riddled and disgorged with 6 g/L dosage. Pressure: 5.5 bar. Sourced from several sites including Rorick Heritage Vineyard high in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Alder Springs from Mendocino County, Keefer Ranch in Sonoma, and a small amount of wine for Linda Vista in Napa

96 Points Robert Parker: "The 2018 Tradition Sparkling Rosé is a new cuvée from Cruse Wine Co. Made using the traditional method, it is composed of 68% Pinot Noir and 32% Chardonnay from several vineyards including Rorick Heritage in Sierra Foothills, Alder Springs in Mendocino, Keefer Ranch in Sonoma and Linda Vista in Napa. "Vins clairs don't often taste great," notes winemaker Michael Cruse. "But the 2018 rosé tasted incredible from barrel." Cruse Wine Co.'s sparklings are technically non-vintage—you won't find the vintage listed on the label—but this first iteration is composed entirely of fruit from the 2018 vintage. Grapes were fermented in barrel and disgorged with six grams per liter dosage after two years on the lees. About 7% red wine was added to the blend to produce its medium cherry-pink color, and it has 5.5 bars of pressure. The nose offers a layered, singular perfume of warm peaches and strawberries, biscuit, spring butter and toast, expertly balancing ripe California fruit and savory autolytic character. Medium-bodied and dry, the palate is intense and savory, with biscuit-laced flavors and bright bursts of pure raspberry character. It has a fine, creamy texture, a long finish and loads of personality! 565 cases were made."

Michael Cruse might no longer be the new kid on the block but his wines are still the freshest around. The wines of Cruse Wine Co. are crushable homages to modern Californian cuisine and culture. Cruse helped revolutionize the image of what California wines can be and was one of the first proponents of a more balanced and delicate style. In 2016, he was recognized by the SF Chronicle and named Winemaker of the Year. Sadly, since the secret is out, his wines don’t stay on the shelves too long. Now is your chance to get your hands on some of the best locally made wines around that push the envelope! What makes Cruse wines a must for your wine rack is that these are wines made for the type of local and ethnically diverse food we’re actually eating, and for the outdoor park-chilling life we will one day get back to. These aren’t stodgy extracted Cabs and Chards of yesteryear that demand big hunks of meat or floods of butter and heavy cream. These are light, energetic wines that know how to move with the spice of a Baja fish taco and are down to take a bit of chill for a refreshing glass al fresco.