Breaking Bread
Pet Nat 2021
Pét Nat, short for Pétillant Naturel, is French for “natural sparkling.” This method of making sparkling wine pre-dates the traditional champagne method, where one takes a fully fermented dry wine and adds yeast and sugar to cause a secondary fermentation. Instead, the Pétillant Naturel method transfers wine that is still in its first fermentation to the bottle. This allows the native yeast to continue fermentation within the bottle and produce carbon dioxide which creates the delicious bubbles we all love.
Vineyard
Mizany Vineyard is a 16-acre vineyard planted in the famous Cortina Gravel of Dry Creek Valley. They purchased the vineyard in 2011 and named it after Erik’s father-in-law. They took a heritage approach and planted a field blend of Zinfandel much like the first vineyards planted in the area. The Zinfandel clone is the DuPratt clone on 1103 Paulsen root stalk. The Zinfandel for the Pet Nat was picked at 20 brix, which translated into 11.9% alcohol and a zippy acidity.
Mizany Vineyard is a 16-acre vineyard planted in the famous Cortina Gravel of Dry Creek Valley. They purchased the vineyard in 2011 and named it after Erik’s father-in-law. They took a heritage approach and planted a field blend of Zinfandel much like the first vineyards planted in the area. The Zinfandel clone is the DuPratt clone on 1103 Paulsen root stalk. The Zinfandel for the Pet Nat was picked at 20 brix, which translated into 11.9% alcohol and a zippy acidity.
Winemaking
Pét Nat, short for Pétillant Naturel, is French for
“natural sparkling.” This method of making sparkling
wine pre-dates the traditional champagne method,
where one takes a fully fermented dry wine and adds
yeast and sugar to cause a secondary fermentation.
Instead, the Pétillant Naturel method transfers wine
that is still in its first fermentation to the bottle. This allows the native yeast to continue fermentation
within the bottle and produce carbon dioxide which
creates the delicious bubbles we all love.
Vintage
The 2021 vintage was said to be superb. Although there were some wildfires – and producers had to be vigilant – for the most part, the 2021 growing season was one of the easiest in years. The growing season began with a dry, cold winter, however, spring saw temperatures quickly rise prompting a burst of vigorous vine growth leading to a successful budburst and flowering.
Tasting Note
Passion fruit and Bing cherry come off the nose of this wine with a distinctive, wet gravel minerality. As you look at the wine in your glass it continues to dance and open up to its more complex flavors and aromatics. The palate on this wine evokes a traditional Champagne in weight and fineness of bubbles; however, the easy-drinking, fruit forward youth of the wine makes it very quaffable.
Color
Red
Trade Materials
