Carboniste 2021 Pet Nat Pinot Grigio

Pet Nat Brut Nature. This is a continuous ferment PetNat, but the tank was chilled to drop tartrate crystals, so quite clean. The nose shows a creamy roundness with notes of soft citrus and a raised bread dough. The palate is light with a soft roundness of cream and citrus. D&M Tasting Notes

Our 2021 Pét Nat Pinot Grigio is a fresh and clean example of pétillant naturel wine. Bottled with primary yeast sediment, it shows lovely yeast flavors characteristic of bottle aging. Early picking allows this wine to carry low alcohol along with an adunbance of energy and lightness. 

This year we sourced the Pinot Grigio from an area of California we hadn't yet explored; San Benito county.

The vineyard holds misty clouds blown off the Pacific. An extended chilly atmosphere combined with warm summer afternoons allows longer development of flavor in the grapes and we love the expression of fruit in this finished bottle.

Winemaking (Ancestral)

You'll notice a light cloudiness to the wine. We've decided not to disgorge our pét nat this vintage. Not only is this a typical approach to the style, but we just loved the texture that contributes to the overall experience in drinking this wine.

This wine is a continuation of our experiement in pre-traditional sparkling winemaking. Not modern or “traditional”, Pét Nat (pétillant naturel) wines are often called “ancestral”. Perhaps a happy accident, wine that is bottled before the completion of fermentation will continue to ferment in bottle, trapping the gas that makes the wine sparkle. This was the root of the traditional method used in Champagne. Science and industry has since led to advances that standardized the process, allowing for more consistent traditional and modern products.

This wine undergoes minimal influence from the winemaker. The grapes are pressed, and the juice is allowed to ferment until a sufficient level of sugar remains. It is then bottled and allowed to rest for 7 months.

We prefer crown caps as a final closure. They are safe and easy to open, and they are trusted across the world to age wines before disgorging (including Champagne!) Winery Notes