Inspired by the stunning images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, Iron Horse has created a new Sparkling Wine called Stargazing Cuvée to celebrate such an extraordinary scientific achievement and the astounding beauty of our earliest known beginnings.
Whether you’re an astronomer, a space buff, or just love wine with incredible bubbles and flavor, Stargazing Cuvée is the perfect way to toast under the stars.
We were awestruck by the images we saw, and it occurred to us that we could create something special –an out-of-this-world Sparkling Wine. We chose a vintage 2014 Brut LD from our extraordinary cache of bubbly en tirage, developed a special dosage, and disgorged 250 cases of magnums in October 2022.
This Cuvée literally sparkles on your tongue. The bubbles are very tiny and rise in beautiful streaming columns to form a perfect crown. Our mission in crafting the dosage was to steer the wine stylistically to emphasize its bright, racy character with an all-Chardonnay dosage to give in maximum “pop.”
Iron Horse Co-Founder Audrey Sterling, always in the lead at age 91, came up with the name.
NASA released the stunning image from the wine label in July 2022. It shows the “Cosmic Cliffs” of the Carina Nebula. The scientists say it unveils the earliest, never seen before, rapid phases of star formation. What looks like a landscape on a bright starry night is really gas and cosmic dust.
The wine has lively, tiny bubbles, aromas of fresh brioche, toasted almonds and bright citrus notes up front, like Meyer lemon, kumquat, and persimmon, and the flavors become richer, like lemon curd tart, on the mid-palate and ending with a gorgeous, long finish.
Stargazing Cuvée is our toast to the infinite marvels of the universe as well as the awe-inspiring beauty of nature’s beginnings. It gives new meaning to “drinking the stars.”
Stargazing Cuvée is available exclusively in magnum at our Sonoma County winery and on our website. Total production 250 cases. We hope you will raise a glass of Stargazing Cuvée to toast the amazing scientific achievements that continue to unlock the mysteries of our universe.
Iron Horse turned around this release in four months from inspiration to its debut on October 28th. It is to Iron Horse’s credit that such a venerable winery can be so nimble in its thinking to drop this new, highly giftable magnum right before the holidays.
Remarkably, all the James Webb Space Telescope images are available on NASA website for open use. They just asked that we send an email describing our intended use, which we did, of course. We think of each label as a work of art, created by our label designer Mark Berry.
Each bubble in this Cuvée is just as unique as the trillions of galaxies in space. The subtle, but amazing detail of the label’s design brings these images to life and makes Stargazing Cuvée a stunning addition to any wine lover’s collection.
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