UPDATED 13/9/19
I’ve been reading about wine and its complex, ridiculous and too much of a “hobby” to get into. I figured instead of the bigger picture I’d just get into very local stuff, and repeatedly the same wineries, and particularly less common styles if possible.
The wines I got are local, a less common style, but it seems top be a style that is “blowing up” right now.
Pet Nat, short for Pétillant-Naturel, and also known as Méthode Ancestrale. An old way of making a natural sparkling wine, a precursor to Champagne/Méthode Champenoise aka The Traditional Method.
Basically, its wine fermented in the bottle (like beer), so theres haze and sediment, the fizz is lighter, and the taste is more “wild” and funky.
The two three wines I got (from the Re Store) are ones I had been reading about and was really excited to find on sale somewhere local.
La Violetta – Patio Nat: ” Hand harvested Muscat …skin contact overnight in the press, before sending to tank and barrels to ferment slow and wild over nearly 7 weeks, then to bottle without fining or filtration” Some Riesling was added before bottling for balance.
La Violetta – Zibbo Nat: Zibibbo and Riesling grapes. Zibibbo grapes are also called Muscat of Alexandria explained here This seems to have been a limited release and I can find no info about it online, just that it exists and was released in late June or July 2019. One of the hashtags on the only advert I can find for it (on their official instagram) is #breakfastjuice, so who knows.
Dormilona – House Pet: Made from organic dry-grown grenache, hand harvested and whole bunch pressed (no sulphur)
How does it taste…
La Violetta – Patio Nat: As far as wine, I can only compare this to an Aussie Chardonnay? Riesling and some rando kind of Champagne. This is more like a farmhouse/wild fruit beer, but then boom its a wine. Aroma is very Champagne, white wine, theres not much else but thats my lack of experience. Obviously the colour is abnormal, like pink grapefruit juice. Taste? Its very Champagne, Chardonnay/Riesling character, I assume Muscat as it is the base? (I have no experience with Muscat./Moscato). Its not a fizzy as Champagne, its lighter like a farmhouse beers, this actually foamed up quite a bit on opening. Not as boring as an Australian Riesling, its rougher. Theres a lot of citrus, pink grapefruit, cider, a minerallness, it still keeps a certain sweetness. Obviously that big “white wine” character, white wine skin, big oak dryness. Its very dry but I cant say its crisp, it has a long dry finish. Its weird and Its so much more enjoyable than any straight wines or styles mentioned above. Oh there was a lot of sediment in this bottle, too.
La Violetta – Zibbo Nat: Massive white wine grape aroma, champagne yeast, slightly sweet, pear? Visually it looks like cloudy ginger beer or scrumpy cider. The taste is big white wine grapes, theres a big dry finish but that fades. There is quite a bit of sweetness which is supposedly characteristic of Zibibbo grapes. Hints of pear cider. Hints of, yes, #breakfast juice, so fruity. Yeasty, tart, wild, rough, complex in a natural kinda way. This is nice, sweeter, not as crisp and sharp as the Patio Nat. Not as carbonated either, certainly didn’t foam up like the Pet Nat.
Dormilona – House Pet: The colour is as per the bottle, its a ochre red, cloudy but very nice, The aroma is more red wine grape obviously, less champagne, still yeasty, theres a white wine, possibly skins aroma, still dry, not as sweet as the Zibbo. The carbonation is quite high similar to the Pet Nat. The taste is bracing, tart, dry, kinda all at once then a red wine oak dryness. This is very much more intense white wine and say Riesling initially, but it then moves into a red wine taste and mouthfeel. Confusing as heck but Another lovely wine. Mouthfeel white, swallow red.
