Carboniste "Mackerel" Pét Nat of Pinot Grigio 2023

12% ABV - Photo is of a prior vintage

The grapes are pressed and naturally fermented with minimal influence from the winemaker. Dry, Light, textural, hazy. Just a lovely Pinot Grigio.

Producer Notes:
Our 2023 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 abundance of energy and lightness.

Vineyards

This year we sourced the Pinot Grigio 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!)

About Pét Nat/Pétillant Naturel Wines

Pétillant naturel wines are bottled prior to the completion of their primary fermentation so they continue to ferment in the bottle, "trapping the gas that makes them sparkle"  Topped with a crown cap instead of the cork and cage of Champagne, they can be cloudy with yeast sediment and carry a bit of a haze. They are slightly less sparkling than Champagne and can contain some residual sugar and sweetness.