Carboniste 2023 Rouge Brute Sparkling Brut, California

I love everything this small sparkling wine producer is doing. They are not trying to emulate Champagne but wanting to focus on what makes California sparkling its own, unique and celebration worthy freshness of fruit. The label here wrecks me too as it is in honor of a sculpture the winemaker's wife made when she was a little girl, and it sits on her parent's shelf at home to this day. This playful sparkler is showy with high energy fruit, crunchy and reminds me of rhubarb or pomegranate. Flirty little fizz this is a perfect picnic wine.