Freddy R. Troya

9.1

Breathless Wines – Blanc de Noirs – N/V
Healdsburg, Sonoma County, California 🇺🇸
100% Pinot Noir | Méthode Traditionnelle

Overview
A non-vintage Blanc de Noirs crafted entirely from Pinot Noir, showcasing both precision and personality. Sourced from Sonoma County fruit and produced in the traditional method, this sparkling wine balances freshness with depth, offering far more complexity than its playful label might suggest.

Aromas & Flavors
Expressive and refined, opening with delicate floral notes, fresh red apple, wild strawberry skin, and hints of white cherry. Subtle brioche and almond tones follow, adding dimension without overwhelming the purity of the fruit.

Mouthfeel
Bright and energetic with a fine, persistent mousse. Crisp entry, clean mid-palate, and a refreshing, dry finish. The Pinot Noir structure provides enough weight to stand up to food while remaining elegant and lifted.

Food Pairings
Excellent on its own, but truly shines with food: crudo, sashimi, roasted poultry, mushroom dishes, or soft cheeses. Versatile and gastronomic without being heavy.

Verdict
A well-crafted Blanc de Noirs that delivers both freshness and complexity. Approachable yet serious, making it equally suitable for casual sipping or pairing at the table.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
This is one of those sparklers that works effortlessly both solo and with food. Floral, fresh, and layered, proof that Sonoma Pinot Noir can translate beautifully into sparkling form.

Did You Know?
Breathless Wines focuses exclusively on sparkling wines made using the traditional Champagne method, emphasizing extended lees aging and Pinot-driven expressions to build texture and depth. — 6 months ago

Mark Mannebach

9.0

Strawberry apple up front with nice finish — 5 years ago

Joseph Lewinski

9.0

Bursting with lush fruit and the mellows out to nice dry and light finish. Quarantine wine and watched ‘Breathless’. — 6 years ago

with Ginny

Adam

9.3

Breathless 2014 — 8 years ago

Kevin Arndt

Specialist Grand Vin Colorado

9.4

Stunning- breathless, can't ask for much more — 9 years ago

Rhishi Pethe

9.3

Breathless! — 11 years ago

Richard Steinberg

9.9

2012. Breathless. Ethereal. Teeth staining. Restrained but stupid good. Really fun to drink. B — 11 years ago

with Monica, Holli and 2 others

Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Breathless – Blanc de Blancs – Cox Vineyard (Single Vineyard Reserve) – Méthode Champenoise – Organic
Mendocino County, California – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A beautifully crafted Blanc de Blancs made in the traditional méthode champenoise, sourced from the organic Cox Vineyard in Mendocino County. Produced by Breathless Sparkling Wines, founded by the three sisters Sharon Cohn, Rebecca Faust, and Cynthia Faust, this cuvée reflects the winery’s philosophy of celebrating life’s “breathless moments.” Elegant, artisanal, and fruit-centered, it captures California brightness while honoring Old World technique.

Aromas & Flavors
Fresh brioche, lemon curd, white peach, and crisp green apple, lifted by subtle minerality. Gentle notes of pastry cream, toasted almond, and rising dough show the extended lees contact and classic champagne-inspired craftsmanship.

Mouthfeel
Bright, delicate, and creamy. The mousse is refined and persistent, offering a graceful texture that remains lively from start to finish. A very clean, uplifting acidity shapes a long, refreshing finish.

Food Pairings
Oysters, goat cheese tartlets, shrimp ceviche, sushi, fried tempura, creamy pastas, or delicate white-fish dishes. Also a beautiful aperitif on its own.

Verdict
A genuinely lovely Blanc de Blancs that blends California sunshine with classic French technique. Elegant, aromatic, and refreshing, this is one of the most delightful expressions of méthode champenoise sparkling wine coming out of Sonoma/Mendocino today. A winery with heart behind every bottle.

Did You Know?
Breathless was founded by three sisters, Sharon Cohn, Rebecca Faust, and Cynthia Faust as a tribute to their mother Martha, whose mantra of living life fully inspired both the name Breathless and the joyful label art. Their winemaker, Penny Gadd-Coster, is considered an “honorary fourth sister” and is one of California’s most respected sparkling specialists. — 7 months ago

Karen Tripson

9.0

Fun fun fun — 5 years ago

Natalie Griffin

9.2

One of the best CA sparkling wines out there! Burnt caramel notes, dry, and a hint of tart Granny Smith apple. Served it with almond soufflé. — 6 years ago

Felicia Arlin

9.3

Big, Barny, full bodied, nice mineral. An herbaceous blueberry taste. Leaves a breathless sort of feel at the end. — 9 years ago

Daragh Hoey

9.0

A gigantic wine. The nose and the tongue are divorced, if they integrated better this wine would be rated higher. The alcohol is the fist thing that hits you. It's breathless and blunt. But let it settle and it's quite lovely. Pomegranate and cranberry are bright and beautiful. The acidity zings. In the mouth this is all Dogliani. — 10 years ago

Anthony Lombardi

9.7

One of the greatest examples of Rose that I've ever tasted. Angela Osbourne really is a Grenache savant. So light & ethereal, but so deep with flavor. Breathless. — 11 years ago

DAL 9000

9.0

Mild tart strawberries upfront. Then a quick effervescent finish. — 3 years ago

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.8

World class … baby-butt smooth at 55 years old. I’m speechless… gob-stopped…struck dumb…just a drop of good spring water to splash the tart-apple nose straight up your nostril. Pie spice, cinnamon, tobacco- pouch, dark brown sugar… then a blast of rounded alcohol that threatens to leave you breathless before it blasts its way to the back of your throat. Plenty of weight, oceans of complexity, and long, smooth ribbons of chocolate crusted caramels. Simply wonderful on this early winter evening.,, — 4 years ago

Tom AlfaroZierten

9.0

Showing well. Good acid and tannins still, but fruit forward. Blueberry and notes and dark cherry. Could still use more time to deepen and get even better. — 6 years ago

Felicia Arlin

9.1

Bold with a strong tannic finish., almost leaves you breathless. Deep plum, smoke and leather. — 8 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

10

Just perfect...
Breathless... speechless...
— 9 years ago

Dade Thieriot

10

This 22-year-old #Saar #Riesling was as fresh as spring itself--the balance between the steely acidity and gentle honeysuckle sweetness left us breathless--easily the fastest-to-empty bottle of them all--BRAVO #EGON!!! #EgonMüller #Scharzhofberger #spätlese #1994 — 10 years ago

with Petra

Emiliano Mei

9.7

Tasted #vintage 2000 of this #harimann #montepulcianodabruzzo #wine from #Pasetti and it left me breathless. Balance and freshness with a bold, strong body. Alcoholic feel is well integrated. Silky on my sense. A different #abruzzo among my favourite tastings at #vinitaly2015 — 11 years ago