2017 Brick & Mortar Block House Vineyard Rosé Brut Napa Valley 750 ml

When we first tasted it, all 154 cases of Brick & Mortar’s 100% Pinot Noir Brut Rosé were spoken for: They were bound for MICHELIN three-starred SingleThread in Sonoma County, where they’d be sipped at a huge, star-studded MICHELIN affair.

The gala got canceled (it was 2020, after all), so we sprang into action and got the tiny-production sparkler—which most of the world will never have the chance to try—rerouted from one of America’s greatest restaurants to Wine Access members. It’s been a hit ever since.

Brick & Mortar is led by winemaker Matt Iaconis, who honed his skills at Piero Antinori’s Antica Napa Valley estate, and he’s since left his mark in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and France. But it was a summer in Burgundy that cemented his commitment to cool-climate, terroir-driven, European-inspired wines, and in 2011, Brick & Mortar was born. 

For the 2017 Brick & Mortar, Matt sourced Pinot Noir from Block House’s cool, alluvial soils in eastern Yountville. He hand-harvested and whole-cluster-pressed the grapes directly to barrel, where the wine rested for ten months. After blending in 4% still Pinot Noir, Matt kept the wine on the less for an astounding 40 months before riddling and disgorging. 

At a final dosage of just two grams per liter, this has a mouthwatering finish that will have you licking your lips and ready for another sip. The terroir and painstaking élévage are apparent to the last drop, making it clear why this wine would undoubtedly have a home at one of the most exacting restaurants in the world. It’ll delight just as thoroughly in your home—if you score some from us quickly enough.