Carlos Santana’s Sparkling Wine

What do Carlos Santana and Don Ho have in common?

Tiny bubbles. And that’s probably about it.

Why the Grammy Award-winning, Jalisco-born ax virtuoso needs his own sparkling wineis another question, but one of the misconceptions about sparkling wines is that they should be associated with some special occasion.

In fact, they’re their own special occasion, and Ludovic Dervin, the Mumm Napa winemaker behind Santana Brut (a blend of pinot noir and chardonnay, the classic Champagne duo) suggests that the wine is a perfect accompaniment to potato chips.

Santana himself sees the blend as a rediscovery of “…the masculine/feminine balance of rhythm and melody in music.”

“I’ve long enjoyed fine sparkling wine,” he reports, “and this was a chance to create a wine of great personal expression.”

The fact a portion of the proceeds benefit the Milagro Foun­dation, Santana’s organization for underrepresented and underprivileged children around the world is simply added sparkle.

Santana Brut is the second collaboration between Santana and Dervin; the first, the highly regarded Santana DVX coincided with the release of his 2005 album All That I Am, itself a collusion with artists such as Joss Stone and Steven Tyler. Like DVX, Santana Brut contains only Napa Valley fruit sourced primarily from the 112-acre Devaux Vineyard (named after master winemaker Guy Devaux) in Carneros.

The wine shows characteristic Napa fullness, with creamy Bing cherry notes, hazelnuts, caramel and custard, a bit of toasted brioche and bright acidity. Winemaker Dervin studied Méthode Champenoise production both in his native Champagne at Charles Heidseick and G.H. Mumm, and in California during a three-year stint at Piper Sonoma.

So what does he wind up with when he blends Don Ho imagery and Santana wizardry, beside a Black Magic Ho?

Santana Brut, an any-occasion sparkling wine you can enjoy without strings attached.

Tasting Notes:

Santana Brut, Mumm Napa, about $35: Fully charged with aggressive, pinpoint bubbles; polished and rich, filled with cherry, apple and a lingering, wholly champenized finish of apple crisp and baked bread.