Cannonball Wine Company
Cannonball Wine Company was founded in 2006 by longtime winemaker Dennis Hill and former attorney turned wine entrepreneur Yoav Gilat. Dennis is a Sonoma County native from a family with a long viticultural tradition in the region. The iconic label image of a child doing a ‘Cannonball’ refers to jumping into the water with your knees tucked into your chest in order to make a big splash and get your nearby friends as wet as possible.
The Cannonball name and label symbolize the uninhibited and pure spirit of a child having fun. This is the soul of Cannonball Wine Company: life - and wine - should befun! And it is exactly this pure and uninhibited spirit that animates Dennis and Yoav’s passion to produce honest, high quality wines at great prices that are fun to drink.
We hope a splash of Cannonball winewill make you smile like a big kid doing Cannonballs - and don’t forget to share a splash or two with yourfriends!
| Website | www.drinkcannonball.com/ |
|---|---|
| Wine Maker | Ondine Chattan |
| Country | America |
| Region | California |
| Appellation | California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast, Dry Creek Valley |
From this Winery
The bouquet opens with ripe mango and citrus zest aromas with enticing savory herbs. These aromas lead to flavors of white peach, nectarine, and fresh raspberry with lingering notes of lavender and Granny Smith apples. The weight is delicate and light with a subtle creaminess to balance enticing racy acidity.
The palate opens with generous plum, cherry, boysenberry, and red currant fruit. Soft, smooth tannins midpalate with a dense core of fruit and layered with oak-derived notes of coffee, toffee, and toast.
Soft, medium weight palate unfurls layers of flavor of poached pear, lemon curd, yellow plum, and toasted almond. A lively streak of acid prevails on the finish.
The palate is generous and soft on approach, leading with supple cherry fruit and transitioning to richer boysenberry flavors on the mid-palate where the medium-firm tannins, caramel , and notes of clove and black pepper come into play. The vintage’s fresh acidity lends structure to this silky expression of Merlot leaving a lingering, savory finish.
We were pleased to be able to source the entirety of this blend from Sonoma County’s Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valleys. The marine influence in these valleys plays a critical role in flavor development and ripening.
We find tropical notes in the Dry Creek Valley site, stone and citrus fruit from the Alexander Valley, and sweet green and mineral notes from the Russian River Valley.
Waves of grapefruit, lime, and orange blossom dominate on the nose with a back note of passionfruit and a hint of lemongrass.
Refreshingly light and crisp showing zesty citrus, stone fruit, and freshness on both the nose and palate. With a profile ranging from tangerine to lime to white nectarine flesh and tangy green gooseberry, there is a world of alluring fruit flavor that is delightfully complexed by more subtle notes of sweet basil and pea shoots. A classic crisp, savory minerality characterizes the finish.
ELEVEN Sauvignon Blanc was grown in the legendary Dry Creek Valley, a small AVA made of gravel and sandy loam soils characterized by warm breezes, rich alluvium, and well-drained visually stunning rocky red soils.
The warm days and cool evenings mature our grapes early in the season, and the long sunny afternoons enhance development of flavors in both the citrus and tropical fruit spectrums.
Primarily fermented in stainless steel to preserve the dramatic fruit attributes. A small portion is fermented in French oak barrels to create a blending component that adds dimension, and a subtle richness and depth that are rare and exciting
in Sonoma Sauvignon Blanc.
Vibrant aromas of guava, pineapple, and passion fruit continue onto the palate and are joined by waves of honeydew melon, tangerine, and lychee flavors. The mid-palate shows a lively acidity and soft floral notes leading to a pleasingly persistent finish.
Our Angels & Cowboys Brut is crafted in the traditional Methode Traditionnelle. This method consists of allowing a wine to go through a second fermentation inside the bottle which produces small, fine bubbles and a creamy mouthfeel.
Iconic Champagne varieties of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were sourced from our favorite vineyards in Northern California, including Mendocino, Sonoma and Solano counties, to produce this delicate and complex Brut. Each exemplify the terroir of the region and contribute their unique flavor profiles and aromas to
our blend.
After our wine completes 12-month en tirage (aging on the lees), a traditional dosage of liqueur d'expedition is added for balance and complexity. The base wine blend contains 24% reserve wines (from a perpetual reserve).
This Methode Traditionnelle Brut exhibits attractive notes of golden delicious apple and citrus blossom. Fresh and zesty on the entry, the enduring bubbles release fragrant toasted brioche and roasted almond. A creamy finish completes the profile of this elegant blend.
Our Angels & Cowboys Brut Rose is crafted in the traditional Methode Champenoise, known in the Anglophone wine world as the Traditional Method. This method consists of allowing a wine to go through a second fermentation inside the bottle which produces small, fine bubbles and a creamy mouthfeel.
Iconic Champagne varieties of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier were sourced from our favorite vineyards in Northern California, including Mendocino and Sonoma counties, to produce this delicate and complex Brut Ros Each exemplify the terroir of the region and contribute their unique flavor profiles and aromas to our blend. After our wine completes 12-month en tirage (aging on the lees), a traditional dosage of liqueur d.expedition is added for balance and complexity. The Rose base wine blend contains sixteen percent reserve wine from vintages 2012-2018.
Abundant notes of red raspberry, strawberry, and watermelon, coupled with the crisp acidity of citrus lime, elevate the profile of this elegant and approachable Brut Rose Wonderfully fresh, balanced, and complex, our inaugural Brut Rose is the perfect complement for celebrations and festive occasions, social gatherings, seafoods, salads, and lively cuisine.
The dark cherry/mahogany red color is indicative of the luscious palate structure which leads with briar/ bramble berry fruit backed by notes of violets, sweet hibiscus juice, black currant conserves, and red-flesh plum.
Meaty and mouthwatering with succulent edges, the full body is built on a tannin structure that starts out silky and fine then builds to a firm yet smooth finish that lingers indulgently on the palate.
ELEVEN Chardonnay was grown in the Sonoma Coast where the cool climate fruit strikes a balance between opulence and elegance.
Defined by its proximity to the dramatic Pacific coastline and a direct maritime influence it is characterized
by pastoral valleys rolling hillsides, high rainfall, adobe to silty sand soils, and windswept ridges.
The growing season is long, natural acidity is abundant.
Fermentation and the ensuing eight months of cellaring took place in a combination of stainless steel tanks and French oak barrels.
The barrel-fermented component included 20% new French oak and 15% second fill barrels. A further 40% of the blend was aged sur-lie in neutral French oak to build richness and texture and to round out the lively acidity.
The balance of the blend was aged in stainless steel tanks to retain bright fruit and a vibrant bouquet.
This cool climate Chardonnay is delicate in profile; balancing Meyer lemon and white peach fruit with honeycomb, flint, and mineral notes.
The palate reveals notes of sweet apple and mellow pear, and preserved lemon. A vivid streak of acidity runs through the palate, unifying flavors and leading to a crisp, toasty, lightly oaked finish.
The wine presents as deep ruby red in color with an almost black hue, indicative of the fruit profile and depth of flavor. On the nose the bouquet opens with boysenberry and black cherry fruit followed by a silky crème de cassis vein accented by hints of licorice, and vanilla spice. Dark cherry flavors continue on the palate; smooth and velvety with tannins becoming more evident on the mid-palate before softening to finish with a flourish of currant-blackberry-fig compote and a lingering savory balsamic complex.
Beautiful floral aromatics of red cassis, rich notes of strawberries and crushed blackberries, along with subtle background tones of clove and white pepper. Rich, plush mouthfeel, with sweet dark currant and blackberry fruit. Fabulous density and weight, with excellent texture. Bold and complex, with hints of dark chocolate and espresso…long subtle finish with focus and purity.