Solid Goes Out Through Gas
TASTING NOTES:
Iron Horse Vineyards Brut Rosé Sparkling - “The 2020 Brut Rosé stands out as the boldest and most vibrant of our sparkling wines, captivating with its brilliant color and dynamic flavors. Crafted from a masterful blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, this lively, full-bodied vintage balances crisp dryness with a luxurious, creamy texture. Its rich, deep color comes from letting the Pinot Noir sit on the skins. Aged for over three years en tirage, this extraordinary rosé reveals layers of refined complexity and enduring elegance. By nose, this wine opens with a vibrant bouquet of lush red fruits. On the palate, it unfolds with a full, velvety texture, delivering a harmonious blend of ripe strawberry, juicy raspberry, and deep, rich dark cherry, elevated by a bright touch of lime. This is Brut with a bold, capital B - its depth and structure make it a perfect pairing for a hearty steak dinner or lobster fest.” (pH 3.17)
62% Chardonnay, 38% Pinot Noir
Iron Horse Vineyards Spring Rosé Sparkling - “Hints of wild raspberries, paired with gentle floral nuances. Ripe peach graces the front palate, with delicate orange blossoms in the mid-palate, finishing with a whisper of blackberry.” (AbV 12.5% v/v, pH 3.07)
58% Chardonnay, 42% Pinot Noir
BARRELS: Stainless steel.
PAIRS WITH: a hearty steak dinner or lobster fest
THAT REMINDS ME OF: Dry ice, which the winemaker uses to cold-soak the Pinot Noir for seven days before it goes into the Brut Rosé.
Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide, and it does not melt. At normal air pressure it sits at about -109°F and then goes straight from solid to gas, a move called sublimation. It skips the liquid stage altogether, like a guest who slips out of the party without saying goodbye. The French call that leaving, and the Irish call it something else, and dry ice does it with no puddle left behind. A French chemist named Adrien Thilorier first saw the solid form in 1835, when he opened a container of liquid CO₂ and found it had flash-frozen into snow.
My favorite part is the spooky fog you see in haunted houses and on stage, the kind that crawls along the floor. The CO₂ is invisible. The fog is water vapor, chilled into tiny droplets when warm water hits the ice, and it hangs low because the freezing gas around it is heavier than air. So the classic special effect for “something eerie is happening here” is actually just a cloud of tiny water droplets, rolling around the floor like a very dramatic ground-level weather system. I would like to see a Green Valley morning fog roll in and have somebody quietly point out that it’s a different kind.
