PAULA KORNELL BRUT
It has been a long time since we have found anything new and interesting to talk about regarding domestic bubbly.
This particular item comes along at just the right time in the marketplace. Part of the problem with domestic sparklers is that the players never change, the quality doesn’t seem to get much better and the prices keep edging up. For that reason the success of this launch is important for a number of reasons, not the least of which is to add a interesting new option to a somewhat unexciting cast of characters, and maybe a little quality improvement and price reductions to potentially liven up a static category.
That’s a lot of pent up hope to lay on one producer. We have chronicled a precious few new domestic sparkling wine sources over the years that have done a fine job with the bubbles themselves, but have priced themselves into competition with top French Champagne houses with the predictable result of not getting much lasting traction in the marketplace. Paula Kornell has the right idea in taking her talents to the public with a tasty, affordable sparkler.
As a number of you have figured out, Paula Kornell herself is something of an insider in the wine business. Hans Kornell, who’s sparkling wine cellar was highly visible in the Napa Valley until its closure in 1992, was her father. Paula herself spent time in both retail and hospitality before returning to the family estate in 1982. After a number of years on winery, and vintners boards, world traveling, and charitable work, she opened a consulting firm in 2014. Subsequently, the first sparkler was made in 2017 and the Paula Kornell brand was launched two years later.
As we often say, you never know if a label will stand the test of time. But she is off to one heck of a start. There are two bottlings, this one and a more ‘reserve’ level Napa Valley Blanc de Noir. It was this Paula Kornell California Brut that got our attention for a number of reasons, mostly for value performance in the category. Fine bead, the fruit component was fresh and engaging, and the wine was impeccably clean from start to finish and showed a bit of personality.
The hard part will be getting the word out that there’s a potentially important new player in the game if this first effort is any indication of where this project is going. Most of the reviewers don’t talk about California bubblies because there is little in the way of ‘news’. In all fairness, it’s the same producers making non-vintage ‘house style’ sparklers year in and year out. Someone new coming into this section of the marketplace, particularly with the kind of family history that Paula Kornell has, is definitely worth a few lines.
We did find some nice words in the Wine Enthusiast that did hit the key points here, “This inaugural release is stunning and incredibly impressive—a wine well worth stocking up on for the price and quality. A beautiful jasmine aroma leads to marzipan, peach and cherry flavors as lively acidity envelopes the palate. It’s a blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir…94 Points.” A wine like this has a large potential audience available to them if subsequent efforts hit the same quality level. As to this one, if you are buying one of those ubiquitous California sparklers or widely distributed Spanish cavas, you definitely need to give this one a spin.