2020 “Numero Uno” Grenache Blanc Piquette
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
