2023 Sparkling Vermentino - Pet-Nat, 750ml, 11.5%

Winemaker Notes: The Chelsea Rose may be a test in determining how much fun a professional winemaking operation is allowed to have with a wine and still be able to sell it.  Making this wine has been challenging, liberating, and entirely enjoyable.  

Petillant-Naturel (Pet-Nat) is a very old style of making sparkling wines.  In contrast with Methode Champenoise, in which dry wine is first aged in barrel, and then re-inoculated before bottling (where the fermentation continues and produces carbon dioxide), Pet-Nats are bottled before the primary fermentation finishes, effectively only weeks after picking.  The main difference between the two styles is that while Methode Champenoise can be tightly controlled and the wine filtered and prepared before bottling, Pet-Nats are relatively raw, with the final product essentially being recently fermented grape juice.  While we can remove much of the sediment through disgorging (where the yeast is ejected from the neck of the bottle before corking), we can’t clean up the wine completely.  Hence, it is normal for tartrate crystals and small amounts of sediment to remain in the bottle.  If the wine is stored upright before serving, this will collect at the bottom and not make it into the glass.  However, Pet-Nats are, by their nature, extremely fun, and an excellent way to try the variety in a very natural state.  

Tasting Notes: Bright pear and citrus notes. Moderately persistent bubbles, which are well retained at cold temperatures.  Slightly off dry, with refreshing acidity.  

Fermentation: Whole cluster pressed, then settled. Fermented using indigenous yeast, then bottled near the end of primary fermentation.  No sulfites added.