Ultramarine: The Ocean‑Salted Cult Sparkling of California Ultramarine: California’s Cult Sparkling Wine 加州版「膜拜香檳」：Ultramarine 的故事

加州版「膜拜香檳」：Ultramarine 的故事

講到美國名莊，大家通常會即刻諗起 Napa 嗰啲紅白酒——1976 年巴黎審判之後，加州好多酒莊一炮而紅。但如果問：「有邊一間係專做氣泡酒，地位可以同頂級香檳並列？」大部分人都要諗一陣。呢個空位，近十年幾乎一直由 Ultramarine 坐鎮，被不少酒評同媒體稱為美國第一款真正意義上的 cult sparkling wine。

California’s Cult “Champagne”: The Story of Ultramarine

When people talk about iconic American wineries, they usually think of Napa reds and whites—the estates that exploded in fame after the 1976 Judgment of Paris. But if you ask, “Which American winery makes sparkling wine on the same level of reverence as the top Champagnes?” most people need a moment. Over the last decade, that empty spot has effectively been filled by Ultramarine, often described as California’s first true cult sparkling wine.

理科生變成氣泡狂人：Michael Cruse

Ultramarine 背後嘅釀酒師係 Michael Cruse。同一般酒農出身唔同，佢原本係讀微生物同分子生物學嘅理科生，喺實驗室做研究為主。
直到有一次聽到微生物學家兼釀酒師 Terry Leighton 嘅講座，令佢突然意識到：自己對實驗設計、對數據同細節嘅執著，其實可以轉移到釀酒上面。

之後，Michael 索性離開實驗室，投入酒莊工作，專心研究 méthode traditionnelle。佢翻查十九世紀香檳文獻、press cycle 設定、酵母管理，甚至用實驗室 mindset 去微調每一個步驟，目標好簡單：用最傳統的方法，做一支完全唔似傳統香檳的氣泡酒。

From Science Nerd to Sparkling Obsessive: Michael Cruse

Behind Ultramarine is winemaker Michael Cruse. Unlike many vignerons, he didn’t grow up in vineyards. He studied microbiology and molecular biology, working in a lab rather than a cellar.
One day he attended a lecture by microbiologist‑turned‑winemaker Terry Leighton, and realised that his obsession with experiment design, data and tiny details could be channelled into wine.

Michael left the lab, moved into wineries, and dove head‑first into méthode traditionnelle. He dug through 19th‑century Champagne texts, experimented with press cycles and yeast management, and applied a scientist’s mindset to every step. The goal was simple: use the most traditional methods to make a sparkling wine that does not taste like traditional Champagne.

不是模仿香檳，而是 California 風土的 Sparkling

一般新世界氣泡酒，好多都係以 Champagne 為藍本：由大廠收集好多農田嘅葡萄混釀，強調每一年都要維持 House Style 一致，風格上亦盡量貼近「乾淨、清新、帶麵包香」嘅典型香檳路線。 呢種做法冇錯——穩定、安全、易賺錢——但 Michael 覺得：咁樣永遠都只係「第二款香檳」。

佢真正想釀嘅，是一支「用氣泡嘅形式去表現 Sonoma Coast 呢個地方」的酒，而唔係一支模仿品。所以 2008 年開始，佢喺 Sonoma Coast 近海揀咗幾塊冷涼葡萄園，決定走一條商業上唔算「安全」、但好忠於風土嘅路：

• 每一支都係 single‑vintage、single‑vineyard，唔靠大量 blending；

• 只用 Chardonnay 同 Pinot Noir，分別釀成 Blanc de Blancs、Blanc de Noirs 同 Rosé 三款；

• 全部採用 Champagne 傳統法：木桶發酵、至少約 12 個月橡木桶熟成，再喺瓶中酒泥陳年 40–48 個月，多數 zero dosage 或極低 dosage，盡量保持高酸同礦物感。

佢唔追求「每年一樣」，反而係 容許年份差異同 vineyard 個性好誠實咁表現出嚟。對 mainstream 市場嚟講可能有風險，但對真正在意 terroir 嘅飲家，呢個反而係最迷人嘅地方。

Not a Champagne Copy, but a Sparkling Expression of California

Most New World sparkling producers take Champagne as the template: buy fruit from many growers, blend widely, lock in a consistent house style, and chase the classic profile of clean citrus, freshness and bready autolysis. It’s a safe, profitable model—but Michael felt that done this way, you’re always making “a second Champagne”.

What he really wanted was a wine that expresses the Sonoma Coast through bubbles, not an imitation. So starting in 2008, he chose several cool, maritime vineyards along the Sonoma Coast and committed to a much riskier, terroir‑driven path:

• Every cuvée is single‑vintage and single‑vineyard, with no massive blending.

• Only Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are used, bottled as Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs and Rosé.

• Everything is méthode traditionnelle: barrel fermentation, at least about 12 months’ élevage in oak, then 40–48 months on lees in bottle, usually with zero or very low dosage to keep the acidity and minerality razor‑sharp.

Instead of chasing sameness, he lets vintage differences and vineyard character show, unapologetically. That may look risky in a mainstream market, but for drinkers who care about terroir, it is exactly what makes Ultramarine compelling.

風味：海風、石頭同浪花裏面的氣泡酒

飲 Ultramarine，第一啖你會覺得佢仍然係「Champagne 家族」：有檸檬皮、白桃、熟檸檬、少少黃肉果香，再加長時間 lees 帶嚟嘅麵包、奶油 brioche 味。

但再聞深啲、再飲幾啖，你好易察覺到佢同大部分香檳嘅差異：

• aroma 入面多咗好明顯嘅 ocean feel：海水鹹香、浪花拍岸後留喺石頭上的 mineral 感，帶少少貝殼同海產氣息，甚至有 flinty 打火石、輕微煙燻；好多 tasting note 都提到會聯想到 Sonoma Coast 嘅海風。

• 口感上比起傳統香檳更有 weight，同時間酸度仍然好挺，氣泡幼細但有力，唔係極瘦骨感嗰種；

• 收結帶少少 savoury、微鹹的 minerality，好啱配生蠔、海鮮塔呢啲高酸高鹹食物。

有評論形容得幾貼切：

「如果你喺全世界搵一支用 Champagne 傳統法做，但風格完全唔似香檳的氣泡酒，Michael Cruse 幾乎係唯一答案。」

對鍾意 grower Champagne（例如 Selosse、Prévost）嘅人嚟講，Ultramarine 有一種熟悉的「site‑driven」感覺，但果味同鹹感又清楚話你知：呢度唔係 Champagne，而係冷涼的 California 海岸。

Taste: Sea Breeze, Stone and Waves in the Glass

On the first sip, Ultramarine still feels part of the “Champagne family”: lemon zest, white peach, ripe citrus and a hint of yellow orchard fruit, layered over brioche and butter from extended lees ageing.

But with a few more sniffs and sips, the differences become impossible to miss:

• The aroma carries a very clear ocean character: sea spray salinity, the mineral smell of waves hitting rocks, hints of shellfish and wet stones, plus flinty, smoky edges. Many tasting notes explicitly say it evokes Sonoma Coast sea air.

• On the palate it has more weight and texture than classic Champagne, yet the acidity stays firm and the bubbles are fine but energetic—not a skinny, bony style.

• The finish shows a savoury, gently salty minerality that makes it a natural partner for oysters and seafood towers.

One taster summed it up neatly:

“If you’re looking worldwide for a wine made by the traditional Champagne method that tastes nothing like Champagne, Michael Cruse is almost the only answer.”

For fans of grower Champagne such as Selosse or Prévost, Ultramarine feels familiar in its site‑driven focus, but the fruit and saltiness clearly say: this is not Champagne, this is the cold Pacific edge of California.

產量少得誇張，點解會變成 Cult

Ultramarine 之所以會成為 cult，一方面係風味夠獨特，另一方面係 產量同配貨模式 基本上係「逼人瘋狂」：

• 每款酒年產量大約只係 千幾支，幾個 cuvée 加埋一年都只係千幾箱，對一個咁受追捧嘅名字嚟講，根本唔夠分。

• 唔做公開零售，主要透過 email mailing list 配貨；

• 就連美國米芝蓮星級餐廳，每年都只分到十幾瓶，完全唔可能長期 on list；

• 如果你今日先去佢哋官網登記，喺最好情況之下，都要排幾年先有第一次 allocation。

結果好自然：

• 高級餐廳、侍酒師同 Champagne hardcore fans 幾乎一致捧場，《San Francisco Chronicle》早早就將 Michael 評為年度釀酒師，Bon Appétit 甚至話 Ultramarine 喺香檳迷心目中嘅地位，可以同 Krug 平起平坐；

• 零售價本身已經去到美金幾百級別，但二手市場經常再上升一截，Wine‑Searcher 上亦長期見到 Ultramarine 排喺美國氣泡酒嘅價格同搜尋榜前列。

Tiny Production, Cult Status

Ultramarine became cult partly because of flavour, but just as much because of how little is made and how it’s allocated:

• Each cuvée is only a little over a thousand bottles per vintage, and all cuvées together amount to just a bit over a thousand cases a year—nowhere near enough for global demand.

• There is no broad retail distribution; bottles are offered mainly through an email mailing‑list allocation.

• Even Michelin‑starred restaurants in the US often receive only a dozen or so bottles per year, so it’s almost impossible to keep it permanently on their lists.

• If you sign up on the website today, in the best‑case scenario you still wait years for your first allocation.

The result is predictable:

• Top restaurants, sommeliers and hardcore Champagne lovers champion it; the San Francisco Chronicle named Michael Winemaker of the Year, while Bon Appétit wrote that Ultramarine occupies a place in Champagne lovers’ hearts “alongside Krug”.

• Release prices already sit in the high hundreds of US dollars, and secondary‑market prices climb even higher; on Wine‑Searcher, Ultramarine regularly appears among the most expensive and most searched American sparkling wines.

2021：五支不同性格的 Ultramarine

最新討論嘅，就係 2021 年幾支單一園氣泡酒。雖然全部都出自同一個腦袋、同一套做法，但每一支性格其實好分明：

2021 Charles Heintz Vineyard Blanc de Blancs

• 100% Chardonnay，係 Ultramarine 最經典的一支。2021 年被形容為「礦物感爆棚但層次好細緻」：金蘋果、檸檬皮、柑橘白膜，加上奶油檸檬撻、白花同碎石感。

• 入口極乾淨，酸度筆直但不尖銳，氣泡幼細、口感 creamy，帶明顯海水鹹香同粉狀石灰礦物——最接近 Champagne Grand Cru 風格，但尾段多一點 Pacific 海岸嘅鹹氣。

2021 Charles Heintz Vineyard Blanc de Noirs

• 全 Pinot Noir 釀成白酒，香氣與結構都比 BdB 再深一級：紅蘋果、血橙、紅莓，加上一點香料、輕烤吐司同煙燻石頭氣息。

• 口感更飽滿，mousse 絲滑而流動感好強，核心有一條辛香感＋礦物感做骨幹，收結又咸又長，係最適合慢慢陳年、甚至放十年來睇變化的一支。

2021 Charles Heintz Vineyard Rosé

• 以 Pinot Noir 為主，加少量 Chardonnay，顏色偏鮭魚粉紅。香氣係紅莓、士多啤梨、石榴配柑橘皮、玫瑰花瓣同乾香草，帶少少橙皮苦香同 brioche。

• 入口有 Heintz 一貫的咸感與礦物，但比兩支白多一點 juicy 紅果和香料，肉感同酸度平衡得好好，係最「好玩」、亦最易喺餐桌上配食物的一支。

2021 Hirsch Vineyard Rosé

• Hirsch 海拔更高、風更猛，2021 Rosé 整體更冷調同收斂：紅加侖子、蔓越莓、白胡椒、乾玫瑰、少量草本與鹽味礦物。

• 結構比 Heintz Rosé 再筆直一級，酸度尖少少但相當乾淨，尾段有明顯咸石、粉紅葡萄柚般的微苦感，係「嚴肅版」Rosé，啱嗜酸、鍾意冷調風格的人。

2021 Michael Mara Vineyard Blanc de Blancs

• 同樣 100% Chardonnay，但 Michael Mara 更偏內陸、石灰與岩質明顯，所以風格比 Heintz BdB 再「尖銳」少少：青蘋果、檸檬、白桃、粉筆、煙燻石頭，少量烤吐司與 brioche。

• 口感非常 crisp，氣泡強而幼細，酸度爽利、線條直上直落，比 Heintz 少一點奶油感、更多 chalky、flinty 的乾淨感，係最適合喜歡超高酸、超 mineral 的飲家。

飲開香檳、又鍾意試新 producer——Ultramarine 好容易用幾句就講明重點：

• 「California 第一支真正被稱為 cult 的氣泡酒」：single‑vintage、single‑vineyard，加上 40–48 個月酒泥陳年，用 grower Champagne 的思路去做 Sonoma Coast 氣泡酒。

• 「不是模仿香檳，而係 Sonoma Coast 嘅海風版 sparkling」：一樣有麵包香同細膩果味，但多一層海水鹹香、碎石礦物感，飲一啖已經知道佢唔係 Champagne。

• 「產量千幾支、配貨要排隊」：對收藏家嚟講，Ultramarine 係嗰種「見到就應該開一支、買一支備用」的酒——錯過咗之後，只能喺別人嘅開瓶照同拍賣紀錄裏面懷念。

2021: Five Distinct Faces of Ultramarine

The most talked‑about recent releases are the 2021 single‑vineyard wines. Same winemaker, same philosophy, but each bottle shows a very different personality:

2021 Charles Heintz Vineyard Blanc de Blancs

• 100% Chardonnay and arguably the signature Ultramarine bottling. The 2021 is often described as “explosively mineral yet incredibly detailed”: golden apple, lemon zest, citrus pith, lemon‑curd tart, white flowers and crushed stone.

• The palate is laser‑clean with straight, non‑aggressive acidity, super‑fine mousse and a creamy mid‑palate. Sea‑spray salinity and powdered chalk define the finish—this is the closest in feel to a Champagne Grand Cru, with an extra twist of Pacific coastal salt.

2021 Charles Heintz Vineyard Blanc de Noirs

• 100% Pinot Noir vinified as a white wine. Compared with the BdB, aromatics and structure are deeper: red apple, blood orange and red berries, with hints of spice, light toast and smoky stone.

• Fuller on the palate, with a silky, rolling mousse and a strong spine of spice and minerality. The finish is long and distinctly salty, making it the bottling most suited to long ageing—this is the one to forget in the cellar for a decade.

2021 Charles Heintz Vineyard Rosé

• Predominantly Pinot Noir with a touch of Chardonnay, pale salmon in colour. Aromas of red berries, strawberry and pomegranate wrapped in citrus peel, rose petals and dried herbs, with a touch of orange‑zest bitterness and brioche.

• On the palate it keeps the classic Heintz salinity and mineral drive, but adds juicier red fruit and gentle spice. The balance of flesh and acidity makes it the most playful and food‑flexible of the Heintz trio.

2021 Hirsch Vineyard Rosé

• From the wind‑swept, higher‑elevation Hirsch vineyard, this rosé is cooler‑toned and more restrained: redcurrant, cranberry, white pepper, dried rose, light herbs and a firm salty minerality.

• Structure is even straighter than the Heintz rosé; acidity is a touch sharper but very clean. The finish shows salty rock and a pink‑grapefruit bitterness. It is the “serious” rosé in the line‑up, perfect for those who love taut, cool‑climate styles.

2021 Michael Mara Vineyard Blanc de Blancs

• Again 100% Chardonnay, but from a more inland, rockier site. The profile is a bit more chiselled than the Heintz BdB: green apple, lemon, white peach, chalk dust, smoked stone and a little toast and brioche.

• Extremely crisp and driven, with strong yet fine bubbles and straight‑line acidity. There is less creaminess than Heintz, more chalky and flinty precision—ideal for drinkers who crave very high acidity and pronounced minerality.

How to Explain Ultramarine to Your Guests

For customers who already love Champagne and enjoy exploring new producers, Ultramarine can be summed up in a few lines:

• “California’s first true cult sparkling wine”: single‑vintage, single‑vineyard, 40–48 months on lees, applying grower‑Champagne thinking to the Sonoma Coast.

• “A Sonoma Coast sea‑breeze sparkling, not a Champagne copy”: it offers brioche and fine fruit like Champagne, but overlays them with ocean salinity and stony minerality, so one sip is enough to know it isn’t from France.

• “Only about a thousand‑plus bottles per cuvée and long waiting lists”: for collectors, Ultramarine is the kind of wine you open one bottle and keep another; if you skip it, you’ll only see it in other people’s photos and auction catalogues.