In 2018 we did again produce ten, yes 10 different, distinct and delicious Pét-Nats! We will again have them available throughout the year, released one or two at a time as appropriate to the season. This is our third Pét-Nat to be released from the 2018 vintage...our 2018 Tocai Friulano Pétillant Naturel.
These wines we have produced are part of an ancient tradition and are made in a process known as "Methode Ancestrale" and the wines are often referred to as Pétillant Naturel or Pét-Nat's. This is how it works...we hand harvest the grapes, whole cluster-press them and settle the juice. We started wild/ambient fermentations in small stainless-steel tanks and watched the ferments very carefully until they were at their tail-end. Then we coarsely filtered the wine and bottled it (with no sulfur dioxide or stabilization) in sparkling wine bottles closed with a crown cap to contain the carbon dioxide being given off by the continuing fermentation in bottle, trapping the gas in solution and making the wine sparkling. The wines are also not disgorged like traditional method sparklers and Champagnes...so you will see some sediment in the bottle from yeast lees and tartrate crystals. This is part of the charm, rusticity and deliciousness of this style of wine. Embrace the slightly cloudy nature when pouring out the end of the bottle...it is yummy (and arguably good for you), so bottoms up!
These wines are referred to as Petillant because sometimes there is a bit less pressure than in a bottle of Champagne. Ours contain just between 3-6 bar whereas Champagne and other sparkling wines have about six bar. We recommend you drink these Pét-Nat's very cold and suggest you drink them in larger white wine glasses as opposed to flutes to take advantage of their lovely primary aromas and delicately creamy mousse. We also suggest you drink these wines sooner than later (though we are finding these wines are aging very well). While they will develop beautifully and develop autolysis like Champagne from sitting on their lees, they are just too irresistible to not drink in their youth. Reminiscent of Prosecco and Moscatos and Champagne and sparkling wines all at once our Pét-Nat's are delicious unique creatures that illicit tons of smiles and great pleasure.
While these really are just so good on their own, they are fantastic in cocktails and with so many different menu options. With the alcohol being quite moderate (8-11%) these also make fine companions at the brunch and lunch tables, you don't have to wait till the sun sets to crack these bottles. And don't forget the bottle opener...no need for a corkscrew with the crown cap closure! We really have had so much fun making and drinking these Pét-Nat's, so get what you can while they last and have as much fun as we are! Again, we made TEN variations this year; four whites, five pinks and a red! Right now, we are releasing the Tocai Friulano Pét-Nat so everyone can get ready for the seasonal change and the eventual shift to Springtime!
