Pale pink in color, Resilience has aromas of dried strawberry and raspberry, toastiness, and hints of citrus. Lively on the front palate with raspberry and apricot. A touch of creaminess on the mid to back palate, with a perfect balance of acidity and flavors.
Precision Winegrowing
At Iron Horse āEstate Bottledā means that the winemaking begins in the vineyard. Our location in Green Valley, only a dozen miles from the Pacific Ocean, represents the very best soil, climate, and aspects for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Our goal is to grow the finest wine grapes through what we call āprecision farming.ā All pruning, canopy management, irrigation, and cover crop decisions are determined on a block-by-block (and sometimes even vine-by-vine) basis, considering both the vintage at hand and the long-term needs of the land.
Precision Harvesting is Key
Our only rule is to make the most delicious wines of the vintage. We wait until harvest to decide sparkling or still, as the main difference is the brix level (or the amount of sugar in the grapes, less for sparklings, more for still). Then winemaker David Munksgard considers berry size (bigger is better for sparklings, smaller for still), the health of the canopy, clone selection, even small details such as the relative dampness of the cover crop can make a difference. If necessary, parts of the same block may be picked on different days.
Artisanal Winemaking
Hand-harvested in the chilly fog of early morning, our Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes are gently pressed as whole clusters yielding base wines of great delicacy. The juice ferments slowly at 62Ā° to 65Ā° f retaining vibrant fruit esters. In blending this wine, we chose Pinot Noir and Chardonnay lots that were a bit shy by nose with a touch of āfruit forwardnessā resulting in a sparkling wine that shows wonderful complexity that is rich, nutty, and toasty with a hint of fruit. The dosage for this wine is 8 mls of Blanc de Blancs LEX, 12 mls of 2018 Gold Ridge Pinot Noir, and 6mls of 2020 Rued Clone Chardonnay.
Iron Horse is one of Sonoma Countyās most prestigious, small, independent, estate, family-owned wineries located in cool, foggy Green Valley. Iron Horse Sparkling Wines have been served at the White House for five consecutive presidential administrations, beginning with the Reagan-Gorbachev Summit Meeting in Geneva on November 20, 1985, which led to the end of the Cold War. Wine & Spirits Magazine has named Iron Horse Sparkling Winery of the Year nine times. From the beginning, Robert Parker has said, āThese impressive Sparkling Winesā¦possess more texture and flavor than just about any sparkler I have tasted from California.ā
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
2019 Iron Horse Resilience Sparkling
4 bottles for $149.99 $37.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $379.99 $31.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
I made no secret of the fact that I was interesting in seeing more sparkling wine on the site. In fact, I started the āWish List 2024ā thread challenging WD and Casemates to step up their sparkling game. And just the other day I mentioned Iron Horse sparkling in the āwaiting on repeat sales from usā thread.
Then came the random sparkling offer. And now this.
When I learned that Iād been selected as a Labrat for an Iron Horse sparkler, I was overwhelmed with a mix of excitement with a profound sense of responsibility. A brief Google search showed no Casemates IH sparkling-only offer since 2019. Itās rare as henās teeth!
The timing was also great. My father-in-law was in town, one of the few wine lovers in my extended family. We decided to sample this offering at a local Dim Sum/Chinese place that offers BYOB. Let the games begin!
The tasting started off with a bang, literally. I desultorily opened the cage while chatting with the family. The next thing I knew, the cork launched skyward, ricocheting off the ceiling into a nearby soup bowl. Sparkling wine began pouring out, splashing me with the delicate nectar.
The fault here was mine. The wine had just arrived a few hours earlier and I did not take the necessary precautions. Fortunately, no one was hurt and the wine lost was minimal. Now, letās get to the good stuff!
The wine poured a lovely golden color with plenty of bubbles. Aromatically, there was a lot going on: Granny Smith apple, pear, and lemon curd. Dosage didnāt appear to be overly sweet. Iād put it firmly in the brut category, with a moderate richness. This was not an austere wine. There were no yeasty/bready notes to speak of.
On the palate there was good effervescence which worked well to compliment the food without being overpowering. The finish was medium plus, lasting a good 20-30 seconds. Flavors were heavily leaning toward apple with perhaps a hint of peach.
The wine was a wonderful accompaniment to my Chinese styled fried chicken. Those fantastic bubbles erased any hint of greasiness, with a richness that melded with the spicy coating. The soup dumplings also went well, though not quite as perfect as the chicken.
This wine is just starting itās life but is hitting on all cylinders, even at this young stage. It was a huge hit with my wife and father-in-law. I expect to see it gain complexity over the next 3-5 years.
Iāve been asking for sparkling wine and clearly WD and Casemates are listening. Iām not sure what price point weāll see, but Iām confident this will be a great opportunity to get some top notch domestic sparkling at a solid discount. I just took delivery of the mystery sparkling offer but am very tempted to also jump in here. Thanks to Alice, WD, and Joy for the opportunity to sample this beautiful wine.
Iām usually in for the max order on sparklings (drinking a Portalupi from the Mystery set of a few days ago as I write this.)
But whoa, Nelly! This one is a bit above my price point. It would have to be more than three times better than say an offering of Gruet, and while I donāt doubt that, I didnāt hear that in the Lab Rat review.
I still have a the bottles of the 1-2015 Iron Horse Brut, 1-2014 Wedding Cuvee and 1-2015 Still Chardonnay from the Jan 2019 Casemates offering for which I paid $30/bottle. Owing in part to what I paid at that time, I have been reluctant to chill one for a daily drinker. So there they sit on my wine rack.
Now to be sure this price is not that much different per bottle, but given the total amounts of sparklings that I have in inventory, Iāll pass, and consider putting one or two of the bottles, which I do have out of their misery, in the near future, eh?
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2019 Iron Horse Resilience Sparkling - $70 = 15.55%
@CorTot I kinda, sorta thought it might look pinkish, maybe?, when I squinted at the picture. I guess we could ask @hscottk for first-hand observations.
/giphy daunting-callous-steak
Canāt resist getting some Iron Horse, especially since weāre running low. Also havenāt had this specific one before.
2019 Iron Horse Resilience Sparkling
Tasting Notes
Precision Winegrowing
Precision Harvesting is Key
Artisanal Winemaking
Specs
Whatās Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $900/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jul 22 - Tuesday, Jul 23
2019 Iron Horse Resilience Sparkling
4 bottles for $149.99 $37.50/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $379.99 $31.67/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2019 Iron Horse Resilience
Hello, Mates!
TLDR: Buy, buy buy!
I made no secret of the fact that I was interesting in seeing more sparkling wine on the site. In fact, I started the āWish List 2024ā thread challenging WD and Casemates to step up their sparkling game. And just the other day I mentioned Iron Horse sparkling in the āwaiting on repeat sales from usā thread.
Then came the random sparkling offer. And now this.
When I learned that Iād been selected as a Labrat for an Iron Horse sparkler, I was overwhelmed with a mix of excitement with a profound sense of responsibility. A brief Google search showed no Casemates IH sparkling-only offer since 2019. Itās rare as henās teeth!
The timing was also great. My father-in-law was in town, one of the few wine lovers in my extended family. We decided to sample this offering at a local Dim Sum/Chinese place that offers BYOB. Let the games begin!
The tasting started off with a bang, literally. I desultorily opened the cage while chatting with the family. The next thing I knew, the cork launched skyward, ricocheting off the ceiling into a nearby soup bowl. Sparkling wine began pouring out, splashing me with the delicate nectar.
The fault here was mine. The wine had just arrived a few hours earlier and I did not take the necessary precautions. Fortunately, no one was hurt and the wine lost was minimal. Now, letās get to the good stuff!
The wine poured a lovely golden color with plenty of bubbles. Aromatically, there was a lot going on: Granny Smith apple, pear, and lemon curd. Dosage didnāt appear to be overly sweet. Iād put it firmly in the brut category, with a moderate richness. This was not an austere wine. There were no yeasty/bready notes to speak of.
On the palate there was good effervescence which worked well to compliment the food without being overpowering. The finish was medium plus, lasting a good 20-30 seconds. Flavors were heavily leaning toward apple with perhaps a hint of peach.
The wine was a wonderful accompaniment to my Chinese styled fried chicken. Those fantastic bubbles erased any hint of greasiness, with a richness that melded with the spicy coating. The soup dumplings also went well, though not quite as perfect as the chicken.
This wine is just starting itās life but is hitting on all cylinders, even at this young stage. It was a huge hit with my wife and father-in-law. I expect to see it gain complexity over the next 3-5 years.
Iāve been asking for sparkling wine and clearly WD and Casemates are listening. Iām not sure what price point weāll see, but Iām confident this will be a great opportunity to get some top notch domestic sparkling at a solid discount. I just took delivery of the mystery sparkling offer but am very tempted to also jump in here. Thanks to Alice, WD, and Joy for the opportunity to sample this beautiful wine.
@hscottk Never had XLB with bubbles. Clearly I need to step up my game.
@hscottk lucky you to get to rat the iron horse!
@hscottk @klezman
Be nice if RPM also got a Rat
There may be some SoCal bottles available
@rjquillin maybeā¦
@klezman @rjquillin We would take 2 or 3 if theyāre available. Pick up at the Arboretum?
@davirom @klezman
Should work
@davirom @rjquillin let me know how many I should take. Up to 4.
@davirom @klezman
My reply, from hours ago, must still be on my work computer, unsentā¦
3 davirom (or 2)
4 klezman (or ?)
it was a busy day
/showme a tepid indigo plot
Iām usually in for the max order on sparklings (drinking a Portalupi from the Mystery set of a few days ago as I write this.)
But whoa, Nelly! This one is a bit above my price point. It would have to be more than three times better than say an offering of Gruet, and while I donāt doubt that, I didnāt hear that in the Lab Rat review.
I still have a the bottles of the 1-2015 Iron Horse Brut, 1-2014 Wedding Cuvee and 1-2015 Still Chardonnay from the Jan 2019 Casemates offering for which I paid $30/bottle. Owing in part to what I paid at that time, I have been reluctant to chill one for a daily drinker. So there they sit on my wine rack.
Now to be sure this price is not that much different per bottle, but given the total amounts of sparklings that I have in inventory, Iāll pass, and consider putting one or two of the bottles, which I do have out of their misery, in the near future, eh?
Autobuy
/giphy limp-miffed-music
![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations.)
2019 Iron Horse Resilience Sparkling - $70 = 15.55%
Always all in on iron horse
/giphy dispensable-finicky-trapper
![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
/giphy likeable-awestruck-margarita
![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
Gotta give it a try.
![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
/giphy exclusive-bleary-pancake
Pretty excited to see Iron Horse sparklers again. I feel like itās been a while??
In for 4!
Description says this is pink, rat pics show a white sparkler.
Want to buy but we are in July and thatās when bad staff happens to wineā¦.
@CorTot Same for me, been pondering all day about this offer and summertime heat.
@CorTot I kinda, sorta thought it might look pinkish, maybe?, when I squinted at the picture. I guess we could ask @hscottk for first-hand observations.
@CorTot @InFrom I noticed the pink descriptor. It looked more like a deep, golden color to me. I think my photo was a pretty good representation.
@CorTot @hscottk @InFrom![:wink:](https://dj5zo597wtsux.cloudfront.net/joypixels/assets/6.6/png/unicode/64/1f609.png)
Probably similar to the Wedding Cuvee which just has a tinge of pink to it. When the light shines on it a certain way.
/giphy daunting-callous-steak
![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
Canāt resist getting some Iron Horse, especially since weāre running low. Also havenāt had this specific one before.
/giphy bragging-ecstatic-bead
![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
@chipgreen want to part with a few?
@marjoryk
I have already parted with 5 but willing to part with 2 more.
Okay New Jerseyans, who wants to split? Iām happy to take 4 or 6.
@hscottk you in South Jersey? Iām in Philly, looking to split a 12
Does anyone in Minnesota - Twin Cities west - want to split a case?
@dmischke99 Iād be in for 3-4. I transit the TCs every 1-2 mos.
@takethefarm I have a case coming. Unless I hear from anyone else, you get 3 or 4.
Iron horse is always an automatic autobuy, even though I donāt have room. Thanks Joy! Iām glad it didnāt sell out yet.
/giphy twisted-fussy-tinker
![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
Anyone if San Francisco or
Nearby want to split a case?
I couldnāt resist. Ordered a case. Still willing to share a few bottles.
Yep, in.
![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
/giphy hospitable-hyperactive-club
I promised myself next time I saw Iron Horse sparklers here Iād buy them, storage space be damned!
![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
/giphy pointless-economic-sycamore
/giphy buoyant-vindictive-hole
![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
@marjoryk
So I guess thatās a ānoā on the 2 bottles?
@chipgreen @marjoryk![:rofl:](https://dj5zo597wtsux.cloudfront.net/joypixels/assets/6.6/png/unicode/64/1f923.png)
@chipgreen I only hot the four bottles. I didnāt hear from you and you was afraid it would sell out ,but Iād still buy 2 if u r willing
@marjoryk
Sure, Iāll put you down for 2.
@chipgreen @marjoryk
/showme a leaking case of wine
@chipgreen ty!
@chipgreen @rjquillin /showme a champagne cork breaking something
@marjoryk @rjquillin
Probably have to start a new line with it.
/showme a champagne cork breaking something
Always in for two cases when it comes to the iron!
@cduan Are you considering?
Been lurking for something like this, but only room for 4. Bonus is itās for SWMBO
Resistance is futile!
![](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIABAP///wAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
/giphy unified-spiffy-cherry