The Winery: Poppy & Rose
The Winemaker: Kelly Koch
The Wine: 2021 sparkling pinot meunier, 11.7% ABV
The Price: $35
The Grapes: 100% pinot meunier
When you pour a glass of Poppy & Rose 2021 Pinot Meunier, remember that revelatory statement from famed Benedictine monk and Champagne cellarmaster Dom Perignon: “Come quickly, I’m seeing stars!”
Winemaker Kelly Koch’s very first solo sparkling release has the kind of textbook tiny persistent bubbles that a fine sparkling should. But while some traditional method wines (the technique of secondary fermentation in individual bottles employed to create bubbles) can be a bit of an assault on your tongue, Koch’s is balanced push and pull of texture and flavor.
On the nose it smells of Anjou pear, dried chamomile and lemon curd along with bits of that crusty-bread presence from lees aging. In your glass, the seemingly endless run of bubbles rise like little can’t-stop, won’t-stop meteors.
“This wine is made from the first grapes we harvested for Poppy & Rose, so it’s very exciting to finally release it,” says the winemaker. “I wanted to make a pinot meunier sparkling because the grape holds a special place in my heart. I had worked with it in California as well as here on Long Island, which ties into the inspiration behind the name Poppy & Rose.” That is, the state flowers of her former and present homes: St. Helena, Calif., and Long Island, N.Y. “The idea for the label artwork was a tribute to my daughters, with a comet representing my older daughter Haley and a shooting star for Zoey, my younger daughter.”
A seasoned pro who cut her teeth here at Corey Creek and Macari, Koch busted out on her own in 2022, launching Poppy & Rose, her very own boutique project that’s close to her heart — and the release of her first sparkling, the 2021 pinot meunier, is an occasion to mark, and worth popping to mark an occasion.
What’s in your glass: Harvested September 11, 2021 (a cooler vintage, Koch notes), the grapes were whole cluster pressed and fermented in stainless steel, with the second fermentation in bottle, where it aged on the lees for 22 months. The yield amounted to 72 cases.
Pairs with: “You can never go wrong with a nice triple crème cheese. A creamy, savory risotto is also a huge family favorite.”
To hold or not to hold: Sparkling is always a stellar cellar addition. Koch estimates a solid five or so years for her 2021 sparkling pinot meunier to continue to improve, but drink it now—for any reason—and you won’t be sorry. “I am a huge believer that sparkling wine should be for everyday occasions, not just special celebrations!” she says.
