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Richard G Peterson Brut Rosé Napa Valley 2014 Wine - Last Bottle

Richard G Peterson Brut Rosé Napa Valley 2014

That’s only a small fraction of his achievements, but we’re here to focus on that rare pinot noir clone. The two acres Dick Peterson propagated stands as the only acreage in North America today and is the only fruit source for this amazing sparkling wine. 93 points from Vinous, at a crazy steal over 30%% off?! This is a micro-production of a mere 300 cases, aged for 6 years on the lees, and just boggles the mind with how complex, tasty, and unique a thing this is!

Dick discovered this rare clone of pinot noir in the village of Wrotham, Kent in southeastern England. There, in the 1950s, a single 200-year-old wild vine was traced back to the Roman Empire, who had brought the vines to England over 2000 years ago. That vine was used to create an acre vineyard in the region and kickstarted the now booming sparkling wine industry in England. Upon tasting a Kent “blanc de noir” made from this ancient, unknown clone, Dick loved the wine so much that he brought the Wrotham cuttings to California in 1980. After years of quarantine, he began propagating a vineyard from the Wrotham bud wood on his family’s Christmas tree farm in Yountville. After careful years of growing the vineyard, Dick reached out to UC Davis’ Carole Meredith to investigate the “wooly grapevine” that had grapes like pinot on a vine that looked entirely unique. Carole confirmed the grape was, in fact, pinot noir. Better still, over the centuries of evolution in the harsh, perpetually damp climate of England, the clone had become resistant to powdery mildew. As a happy result, he never has to spray sulfur or chemical fungicides or insecticides in the vineyard (though he adamantly refuses to apply for organic certification, the vineyards certainly would qualify).

This delightfully dry, creamy, complex, and ageable sparkling wine is made under the same exacting conditions as vintage champagne. Dick extends aging to 6 years on the yeast prior to disgorging to create an offering that Antonio Galloni calls “easily one of the best sparkling wines in the United States.” The nose is reminiscent of unbaked bread, with green almonds and cardamom. On the palate, the wine is weighty, with a tempering brightness that brings sensations of strawberry, raspberry, toasty brioche, lemon meringue, and Valencia orange. The finish is spicy and smooth, with a cleansing swipe of acidity to prepare you for your next sip.

We’re so over the moon on this wine, but consider yourself warned… There isn’t much to go around. A rarity to find even at full retail, but at 32% off, this is just a must-have!


$85
$125

Retail

32
Flavor Profile: Cardamom, green almonds, raspberry, toasty brioche
Time on Lees: 6 years
Dosage: 7 g/L
Farming Method: Practicing Organic
Score: 93

Why We Love It...

Dr. Richard Grant Peterson is so much more to the wine industry than the dad of winemaker Heidi Peterson Barrett… but his unwavering humility has stolen much of the glory he is so rightly owed. He invented the wine cooler, was chosen by the legendary André Tchelistcheff as his successor at BV, invented the steel barrel rack used in virtually every winery in the world today, and discovered, identified, and propagated a 2000-year-old rare clone of pinot noir on a 2-acre parcel in the heart of Napa Valley…

That’s only a small fraction of his achievements, but we’re here to focus on that rare pinot noir clone. The two acres Dick Peterson propagated stands as the only acreage in North America today and is the only fruit source for this amazing sparkling wine. 93 points from Vinous, at a crazy steal over 30%% off?! This is a micro-production of a mere 300 cases, aged for 6 years on the lees, and just boggles the mind with how complex, tasty, and unique a thing this is!

Dick discovered this rare clone of pinot noir in the village of Wrotham, Kent in southeastern England. There, in the 1950s, a single 200-year-old wild vine was traced back to the Roman Empire, who had brought the vines to England over 2000 years ago. That vine was used to create an acre vineyard in the region and kickstarted the now booming sparkling wine industry in England. Upon tasting a Kent “blanc de noir” made from this ancient, unknown clone, Dick loved the wine so much that he brought the Wrotham cuttings to California in 1980. After years of quarantine, he began propagating a vineyard from the Wrotham bud wood on his family’s Christmas tree farm in Yountville. After careful years of growing the vineyard, Dick reached out to UC Davis’ Carole Meredith to investigate the “wooly grapevine” that had grapes like pinot on a vine that looked entirely unique. Carole confirmed the grape was, in fact, pinot noir. Better still, over the centuries of evolution in the harsh, perpetually damp climate of England, the clone had become resistant to powdery mildew. As a happy result, he never has to spray sulfur or chemical fungicides or insecticides in the vineyard (though he adamantly refuses to apply for organic certification, the vineyards certainly would qualify).

This delightfully dry, creamy, complex, and ageable sparkling wine is made under the same exacting conditions as vintage champagne. Dick extends aging to 6 years on the yeast prior to disgorging to create an offering that Antonio Galloni calls “easily one of the best sparkling wines in the United States.” The nose is reminiscent of unbaked bread, with green almonds and cardamom. On the palate, the wine is weighty, with a tempering brightness that brings sensations of strawberry, raspberry, toasty brioche, lemon meringue, and Valencia orange. The finish is spicy and smooth, with a cleansing swipe of acidity to prepare you for your next sip.

We’re so over the moon on this wine, but consider yourself warned… There isn’t much to go around. A rarity to find even at full retail, but at 32% off, this is just a must-have!


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Technical Details

Country: United States
Region: California
Appellation: Napa Valley
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Winemaker: Richard Peterson
Farming Method: Practicing Organic
Alcohol: 12.00%
Production: 300
Pair it with: Crab cakes with spicy remoulade

About the Producer

Since 1820, Ameztoi has been the most respected producer in the region of Getariako Txakolina. They produce both traditional wines in large barrels and they were the inventor of rosé txakolina and one of the first to do méthode traditionnelle sparkling wines in the region. They own 20 hectares of vineyards planted high on the seaside cliffs of the village of Getaria. Ignacio Ameztoi is fifth generation and has played an important role in the development and innovation in Getariako Txakolina over the last 10 years.

Richard G Peterson Brut Rosé Napa Valley 2014

$85
$125

Retail

32

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