2022 Caber-Nat
100% Elkhorn Peak Estate Grown Sparkling Cabernet Sauvignon
Bright ruby in color with notes of raspberry, ripe strawberry, black cherry and rose.
Napa Valley AVA, organically farmed vineyard (non-certified)
Clone: 337
pH: 3.52
TA: 5.45
RS: 12 g/L (Brut/Extra Dry)
Alcohol: 14%
Production: 65 cases
Winemaker Notes:
Our vineyard is located along the base of South Napa’s Elkhorn Peak Mountain range. The four-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard has South facing views of the San Pablo Bay and San Francisco Bay. Proximity to the Bay bring early morning fog and breezy, afternoon sun. Heavy influences from the marine environment drove the clonal selection for this vineyard.
We hand-harvested the Cabernet Sauvignon on September 29, 2022 at 24 brix. The fruit was brought to the winery, destemmed and pumped into tank to begin a 24-hour maceration on skins and seeds. After that, we saignéed 150 gallons of free run Cabernet Sauvignon juice into a small tank and inoculated with champagne yeast. The tank is kept at 60 degrees throughout fermentation. After 23-days in tank, the wine was bottled while still actively fermenting with 27 g/l RS. The wine continued to ferment in bottle and age sur-lie for six months before being disgorged. No dosage.
The finished wine is 12 g/L RS, which means this sparkling wine rides the line between being a brut and extra dry wine. The residual sugar is detectable and it provides a fabulous counterbalance to the detectable tannins and naturally low acidity in this wine. My favorite physical attribute of this wine is its pretty pink mousse.
2022 marks our fourth consecutive vintage of producing Pét Nat wine.
Food Pairings: This wine is well matched with strong flavors: BBQ ribs, smoked brisket, and spicy noodles. For lighter fare, try alongside a fig and arugula salad with an aged balsamic vinegar. For cheese, look for hard, aged cheese served with a fruit compote. For desserts, this wine is a fabulous pairing with olive oil cake with a citrus marmalade.
More on Pet Nats, how they differ from champagne, and the story behind the crazy label art on our blog.
Join the Elkhorn Peak Wine Club and enjoy savings on Elkhorn Peak purchases.
Club Price: $32.30
Club Case Price (12 bottles): $387.60