F&W honors a bottle from Schramsberg, California’s quintessential sparkling winemaker.

2004 Schramsberg Blanc de Blancs ($35)

This Napa Valley pioneer’s all-Chardonnay sparkler, which President Richard Nixon served on his epic visit to China, sticks to a classically European style: firm, racy and a touch austere, with notes of citrus and tropical melon.

Winners

• Importer of the Year
• Outstanding Sparkling Wine
• Best Wines for Under $20
• Winemaker of the Year
• Best Wines for Over $20
• Best New Winery

Published October 2008