Pale gold color; pear, yellow apple, grapefruit, nectarine, baked bread on the nose and palate.
Brut; excellent acidity; rich, creamy, mouth-watering in the mouth. Lilting body. Very tiny, persistent bubbles. Impressively long finish with palate-cleansing acidity. Blend of 67% pinot noir, 33% chardonnay; méthod champenoise; 10-year triage. Rollin Michael Soles is the winemaker, and this is ROCO’s first release. Impressive inaugural. 12.5 % ABV
Rollin Soles and Corby Stonebrakers-Stoles arrived in Oregon at the start of the Oregonian wine era. They built wineries, developed industry organizations, and had the vision of Oregon as a premier place to grow and make pinot noir and chardonnay. They were right. Their operation is Live Certified Sustainable and certified Salmon Safe.
The ROCO website notes: “Now more than 35 years later, ROCO showcases Oregon winemaking at its peak—through a talent that has produced hundreds of 90+ scores from leading industry critics, repeated placement in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the World, and multiple bottlings served in the White House.”
Rollin Soles is a founder and winemaker. Born in Texas, Rollin learned wine in Switzerland, Australia, and California before coming to Oregon. He became the first producer of sparkling wine in Oregon. Corby Stonebraker-Soles had a background as a corporate marketer and the creative vision of a working artist. She helped establish several wineries and the famous International Pinot Noir Celebration, including serving as its executive director. Jarod Sleet is ROCO’s assistant winemaker, joining the team in 2017 after working at Cana’s Feast, Archery Summit, and Argyle.
ROCO Winery Rollin Michael Soles RMS Brut Sparkling Wine, Willamette Valley 2013 is charming, sophisticated, sleek, bracing, with a dramatic cleansing finish. Although it is two-thirds pinot noir, the sharp chardonnay flaunts impressive power. If you want a crisp, nimble, exciting sparkling, this clearly will satisfy your needs. Bubbly pairs with almost any food, and this is no exception. Works as an aperitif, certainly as a toasting wine at an event—although I always caution folks not to waste higher quality wines on a gaggle of guests—so best used at an intimate toasting event, perhaps an anniversary meal for two. Cheese—soft cheeses; goat cheeses; brie, camembert, gruyere. Can work with hard, dry cheeses—swiss, parmesan. $65-100