Our Innovation series introduces unbridled winemaking curiosity and technical exploration to our lineup. Different varietals, different techniques, and anything but predictable, these small batch experiments are made with no guarantees of a repeat next vintage. That's why each wine is given a unique, individually numbered label.
This Amber wine is made by fermenting Pinot Gris and Muscat berries together with their juice, just as it was done in ancient times. In the spirit of innovation, we toy with the berry to juice ratio by pressing a fraction of the fruit while destemming the rest. As a final contemporary twist, a portion of the wine is drained into neutral Champagne barrels where it finishes fermentation.
91 Points & Editor's Choice
Wine Enthusiast. October 2019
Pétillant (pay-tea-yawn) French for “slightly sparkling”. The base wine for our Pétillant is made according to exacting Champagne-making techniques. The grapes are harvested early in the season for lower alcohol, delicate aromatics, and wickedly high acid - all hallmarks of great Champagne. The grapes are pressed slow and gentle and the pristine juice is fermented in French oak barrels to add depth and layers of complexity. Things take a contemporary turn when the wine is bottled at subzero temperatures and carbonation is infused into otherwise still wine. Et voila: we have Petillant!
Pétillant Naturel (AKA Pét-Nat) translates to “natural sparkling” in French. Our Pét-Nat is a hybrid of natural and modern Champagne-making techniques and is in a class of its own. The grapes are grown, harvested, and pressed according to Champagne-making protocols. Then, the minimalist approach is taken by bottling the fermenting juice at precisely the right sugar level to obtain the appropriate bottle pressure upon completion of fermentation – which means we halt harvest activities to bottle when the time is right! Only grape derived sugars are used to achieve the final sparkle and the wine is not fined, filtered, or sulfured. We add a posh twist by disgorging the sediment and sealing the bottles with a cork & cage. The final appearance ranges from a slight haze to crystal clear as per the unique personality of each bottle.
91 Points
International Wine Review. June 2019