During my visit, I had the opportunity to taste some of their newer portfolio, J. Davies, which was named for the current family running the property. This was a departure from their original wines, as these were still red wines, not traditional sparkling wines. The Davies family had experience producing reds prior to purchasing Schramsberg, so when some of the estate vineyards appeared to be more suited to Bordeaux varietals, they replanted with Cabernet Sauvignon and released their first vintage in 2001. I had the pleasure of trying their 2014 vintage and was thoroughly impressed by the deep red and blue fruit notes, with licorice, cocoa and velvety tannins to offer a balanced structure and complexity. The 2017 vintage is their current release and is getting rave reviews, and I’m so happy to see that the chance the Davies family took is getting the accolades it deserves.