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Piquette
Derived from the French word for “prick” or “prickle,” which describes the drink’s slight fizz, piquette dates to ancient Greek and Roman times. Considered a meager, cheap-to-produce drink made from the scraps of winemaking, it was given to slaves and field workers. In France, piquette is said to have been the preferred drink of vineyard workers at the lunch table, as its low alcohol encouraged post-lunch productivity rather than an alcohol-fueled stupor. While the style is tied closely with France, nearly all European winemaking countries have their own version of piquette, usually made and consumed by field workers and their families.
In the winery, during harvest, the smells and tastes of fermenting juice and the “what could be’s” of this year’s crop are such a special thing. As juice progresses through the initial fermentations, the juice becomes wine, the bright fruit, peaches, apples, melon, and grapefruit start to fade into the background. They’re still there in the finished wine. But not nearly as intense and fresh. So I’m trying to capture that. Lightning in a bottle. With this first of many piquettes to come during harvest, I’m hoping to share those things with you. In a way, to allow you taste harvest with me. Piquette has the unique ability to do that as here we are, talking about a wine that is a few weeks old but ready to consume.
This Piquette “Numero Dos” is made from the pomice of Grenache Noir. After I whole cluster pressed the Grenache Noir for our 2020 Pet-Nat, I saved the left-overs that consist of pressed berries and stems and added water to allow the berries to soak back up. In doing so, some sugar is steeped from the pomice and fermentation begins. Daily foot treadings for five days and then I pressed the pomice again to get this light, sprtizy, low alcohol, thirst quencher. Before being bottled September 1st, 2020, right in the middle of harvest. Nothing was added but water. Nothing taken away. It simply is. It simply is the essence of harvest.
$12 500ML bottle
$18 750ML bottle
Piquette
Derived from the French word for “prick” or “prickle,” which describes the drink’s slight fizz, piquette dates to ancient Greek and Roman times. Considered a meager, cheap-to-produce drink made from the scraps of winemaking, it was given to slaves and field workers. In France, piquette is said to have been the preferred drink of vineyard workers at the lunch table, as its low alcohol encouraged post-lunch productivity rather than an alcohol-fueled stupor. While the style is tied closely with France, nearly all European winemaking countries have their own version of piquette, usually made and consumed by field workers and their families.
In the winery, during harvest, the smells and tastes of fermenting juice and the “what could be’s” of this year’s crop are such a special thing. As juice progresses through the initial fermentations, the juice becomes wine, the bright fruit, peaches, apples, melon, and grapefruit start to fade into the background. They’re still there in the finished wine. But not nearly as intense and fresh. So I’m trying to capture that. Lightning in a bottle. With this first of many piquettes to come during harvest, I’m hoping to share those things with you. In a way, to allow you taste harvest with me. Piquette has the unique ability to do that as here we are, talking about a wine that is a few weeks old but ready to consume.
This Piquette “Numero Uno” is made from the pomice of Grenache Blanc. After I whole cluster pressed the Grenache Blanc for our 2020 Pet-Nat, I saved the left-overs that consist of pressed berries and stems and added water to allow the berries to soak back up. In doing so, some sugar is steeped from the pomice and fermentation begins. Daily foot treadings for five days and then I pressed the pomice again to get this light, sprtizy, low alcohol, thirst quencher. Before being bottled September 1st, 2020, right in the middle of harvest. Nothing was added but water. Nothing taken away. It simply is. It simply is the essence of harvest.
$12 500ML bottle
$18 750ML bottle
This wine has aged beautify and thanks or in part to a warehouse inventory sanfu, we recently discovered some extra cases we didn’t know where still here. So we have re-released it to the public. Get it before we drink it all!
Tasting Notes The 2016 Grenache Blanc shows bright fresh lemon, honeyed apple and a creamy apricot nose that then turn more savory with hints of tarragon, cider, and sage. In the mouth its initial impression of fruit (spiced apple sauce, quince and green melon) is followed by vibrant acids, then turning sweeter again on the finish, suggesting preserved lemon and anise and leaving a lingering impression of saline minerality. Drink now and for the next two to three years.
Vineyard The Mounts Family is located directly west of Mount St. Helena in the northern reaches of the beautiful Dry Creek Valley. Meticulously farmed for the last 60 years by this father and son team, they truly have a firm grasp on the site and it’s place. The block of Grenache Blanc sits in a low spot in the vineyard where an old creek use to run. This old creek has stripped the soil, leaving only cobbles and sand. This limits the inherent vigor of the Grenache Blanc vine and allows fantastic concentration of flavors . The orientation of the vineyard allow for plantings of a southern Rhone selection of Grenache Blanc. The fruit is loosely clustered with thick skins that collaborate to create wine with monumental structure and vivid acid.
Winemaking The fruit was picked the night of September 14th and arrived at the winery bright and early were it was treaded in bins and allowed to soak on it’s skins for several hours. It was then whole cluster pressed into stainless steel tanks where it was cold settled for two days. After the grape solids had fallen out, I racked this wine to used, neutral French oak barrels to barrel ferment with a native yeast in some barrels and a variety of Rhone white commercial yeast strains in other barrels to add complexity. When Fermentation was complete, the barrels where topped up and the wine was aged for 8 months with a bi-monthly stirring of the lee’s to add mouth feel and complexity.
“Candied apples, apricots and spices. Light to medium body, slightly tart acidity and a fresh finish. Drink now.” – James Suckling
Gold Medal- SF Chronicle Wine Competition 2017 & 2018
$32
Tasting Notes Pale salmon in hue, classy and vibrant with aromatics of pink grapefruit, fresh strawberry, watermelon rind, rose petal, candied orange peel concentrated with a refreshing line of minerality and zippy citrus finish. The Grenache grapes for this wine were picked with the intention to make a Rosé and its expression showcases this.. This Rosé is made from 100% Grenache.
Vineyard This Rose is made from Grenache harvest from Peter Mathis’s Vineyard in Sonoma Valley . The Mathis Vineyard is 7.5 acres of glorious south facing slopes with low vigor volcanic soils – it’s heaven for red wine grapes. Peter found the finest clones available (super small berries with great color and a more tannic spine than the typical Grenache found in the U.S) that had just been imported to the country. I’m lucky to share in some of the fruit of this vineyard, as he very rarely sells any and only through my love of all things Grenache did he part with such precious fruit.
Winemaking The fruit was picked the night of September 14th and arrived at the winery bright and early were it was whole cluster pressed into a stainless steel tank, allowing it to be cold settled for two days. After the grape solids had fallen out and settled out of solution, I racked this wine to stainless steal drums to “barrel” ferment with native yeast in some drums and a variety of Rhone rose/white commercial yeast strains in other drums to add complexity. After the long, slow, cold fermentation was complete, the drums where topped up and the wine was allowed to settle for two months and then it was filtered and bottled.
$25
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Pet Nat Or Pétillant Naturel, is produced in the method ancestral. Long story short, the wine is bottled prior to fully completing its first fermentation, allowing carbon dioxide to be produced by the metabolization of the sugars found in the grapes by yeast cells and carbonating the wine. The méthode ancestrale was originally used in Limoux in the south of France in the early 16th century by winemaking monks. This production method is contrary to the method champenoise, the way in which Champagne is produced, where the base wine is fully fermented, then undergoes a secondary fermentation in bottle with the addition of yeast and sugar. And unlike Champagne, Pét-Nats contain solids and tartrates in the bottle.
Tasting Notes: With a light carbonation that instantly brings cantaloupe and oyster shells to the nose, this 100% Grenache Blanc is perfect for sipping on a warm, spring day. The secondary hints of green apple, candied ginger, and dried apricot play perfectly off of the austere acid that gives this wine a great backbone. We’re really pleased with this wine and can’t wait for you to try it.
Vineyard: The fruit for this wine comes from out friends, the Mounts Family and their meticulously farmed 130 acres in the heart of the Dry Creek Valley, northern Sonoma County. The Grenache Blanc, that was planted in 2010, comes from a block that is planted on an old creek bed, where the soil has been stripped away and replaced by stone and sand. The perfect spot for this Southern Rhone varietal.
Winemaking: The fruit was picked the night of September 22nd and arrived at the winery early were it was whole cluster pressed into a stainless steel tank, allowing it to be cold settled for two days. After the grape solids had fallen out and settled out of solution, We moved a small portion to a tank and the juice was allowed to ferment down to 12 grams per liter of sugar. We then shilled the tank to 40° to arrest fermentation and moved it into bottles with crown caps to finish fermentation under pressure. Three months later I disgorged every bottle by hand to remove some of the solids and retopped each bottle with the same pét-nat. This wine is unfined and unfiltered as well as not being cold stable. So there is both yeast sediment and wine tartrates in the bottle. It is a natural product and so is the sediment. No need to worry, it’s part of the goodness!
$36
2019 Dry Creek Valley Grenache Noir Pet Nat
Pet Nat Or Pétillant Naturel, is produced in the method ancestral. Long story short, the wine is bottled prior to fully completing its first fermentation, allowing carbon dioxide to be produced by the fermentation of the natural sugars found in the grapes. Winemaking monks originally used the méthode ancestrale in Limoux in the south of France in the early 16th century. This production method is contrary to the method champenoise the way in which Champagne is produced, where the base wine is fully fermented, then undergoes a secondary fermentation in bottle with the addition of yeast and sugar. Our Pét-Nat and may contain solids and tartrates in the bottle.
Tasting Notes: A light carbonation that instantly brings strawberry and oyster shells to the nose, this 100% Grenache Noir is perfect for sipping on a warm, spring day. The secondary hints of rasberries, candied ginger, and dried cranberries play perfectly off of the austere acid that gives this wine a great backbone. We’re really pleased with this wine and can’t wait for you to try it.
Vineyard: The fruit for this wine comes from our friends, the Mounts Family and their meticulously farmed 130 acres in the heart of the Dry Creek Valley, northern Sonoma County. The Grenache Noir that was planted in 2010 comes from a block that is grown on an old creek bed, where the soil has been stripped away and replaced by stone and sand. The perfect spot for this Southern Rhone varietal
Winemaking: The fruit was picked the night of September 6th and arrived at the winery bright and early were it was desteemed and allowed to sit on it’s skins for 24 hours and then pressed into a stainless steel tank, allowing it to be cold settled for two days. After the grape solids had fallen out and settled out of solution, We moved the juice to a small tank and the must was allowed to ferment with native yeast down to 12 grams per liter of sugar. This is the tricky part as you have to bottle the juice at exactly the right time to achieve the perfect amount of pressure in the bottle. So hourly brix checks and sleepless nights are all part of making good Pét-Nats. We then chilled the tank to 40° to arrest fermentation and moved it into bottles with crown caps to finish fermentation under pressure. After three months we cracked our first bottle and we had bubbles! This wine is unfined and unfiltered as well as not being cold stable. So there is both yeast sediment and wine tartrates in the bottle. It is a natural product and so is the sediment. No need to worry, it’s part of the goodness!
$36
Our Grenache Blanc from an amazing Provincial site in the Dry Creek Valley. This wine provoking aromatics of fresh lemon and green apples, tropical melon, sea salt, blood orange and fall pears with a hint of grated nutmeg, fennel and dill seed. It then expands to a broad palate filled with apricots, lemon curd and brioche. Maintaining our signature synthesis of honeyed stonefruits polarized by lively acidity and piercing minerality gaining momentum of richness and depth on the finish.
From the same meticulously farmed vineyard in the Dry Creek Valley as our Grenache Noir. The grapes come from a low spot in the vineyard where an old creek use to flow. Leaving the soil stripped and rocky. In fact it’s mostly gravel and rocks. Whole cluster pressed, native primary fermentation with no malolactic fermentation, aged sur lie with batonnage in neutral French cooperage for one year.
$26
91 Points. “There’s a fresh, pear and apple core here that makes for a savory style in all. The palate has freshness and attractively crisp, zesty acidity at the finish. ” – James Suckling
Sonoma Valley
The Grenache Noir grapes for this wine were picked on the morning of September 15th, 2018. I brought them into the winery and placed them into a small closed top tank without destemming. With the idea of doing a full carbonic fermentation, inert gas was then used to fill the headspace of the tank and the tank was sealed. I added nothing and walked away from the lot. Leaving it completely unmolested for 17 days. At which point, I drained and pressed the grapes directly into neutral French oak bbl’s. The must was still quite sweet at that point but the aroma’s and flavor profile were absolutely amazing! The wine finished it’s primary fermentation in barrels within a few weeks and the wine was then placed in the barrel room and allowed to go through malolatic fermentation spontaneously. After several months, once ML was complete, I racked the wine once, off it’s gross lees and then back into clean, neutral French oak barrels. The wine was then bottled in June of 2019, unfined and unfiltered.
$32
92 Points. “Really fresh with a vibrant array of ripe raspberries and a wildflower edge. The palate has a succulent and supple feel with layered tannins that carry intense pink fruit, adding blood oranges at the finish.” -James Suckling
Alder Springs
Our first vintage from this legend of a vineyard in the far northern reaches of Mendocino County. Just 12 miles from the Pacific at at 2400 feet in elevation, this is a cooler site. And it shows in the wine. Cranberry mixed with forest floor and bramble burst from the glass. Followed by hard cherry candy and ripe red raspberry. This is just a picture perfect showing of a cold climate Grenache Noir. Fermented 100% whole cluster and aged for two years in once used French oak barrels which give it just a touch of oak. And bottled unfined and unfiltered to preserve freshness and laser like focus.
$48
Double Gold, 2019 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
“Rose water, blueberry crumble and a touch of candied character are the main attractions on the nose. Full-bodied with chewy tannins and plenty of soft, sweet fruit. Drink now.” 90 Points – James Suckling
Mathis Vineyard
Concentrated presence of fresh strawberries and foraged wild berries, bing cherries, pomegranate, cinnamon, coriander, dried rose petal, exuberant yet disciplined, with a core of red currants, heady black cherry and minerality closing with piercing finesse. Sourced from the Peter Mathis’s vineyard, high above the east side of the Sonoma Valley above the small town of Boyes Hot Springs. This is one of our favorite spots. Small berry clones plus very tight vine spacing gives this vineyard some of the best concentration of Grenache around. We are incredibly honored to receive fruit from this 7 acre gem and this wine won’t disappoint.
“Blackcurrant tart, blueberry purée, sandalwood and spices. Medium to full body, succulent tannins and a round, spicy finish. Drink now.” 92 Points – James Suckling
$38
Our 4th vintage from the Dry Creek Valley vineyard owned and farmed by the Mounts family for the last 70 years. A combination of two French Entav clones: clone 513 and clone 362. Both clones originating from the Languedoc and Southern Rhone regions of France. These clones are ideal for creating a French-Rhone style wine from California fruit. Fremented 75% wholecluster and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Our best wine from this site yet!
$38
Gold Medal, 2018 San Francisco International Wine Competition
Gold Medal, 2019 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
“Love the freshness to this grenache with notes of thyme, peppermint, strawberries and red licorice. The palate is really well crafted with firm yet juicy tannins, loads of driven acidity and a long finish. Drink in 2021.” 93 Points – James Suckling