Obsidian Pezsgő Sparkling Pinot Noir
WHY WE LOVE IT
- Obsidian Wine Company, located at the confluence of Carneros Creek and the Napa River, was originally planted in 1973 by the Molnar Family to the Burgundian varietals: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
- The maritime environment of the Carneros grape-growing season delivers cool, foggy mornings followed by warm days that slowly nurture ripening.
- The name “Pezsgö” captures the playful essence of this Hungarian sparkling wine. Obsidian Wine Company has nearly 50 years of experience with California’s top sparkling wines.
- Pezsgö embodies exceptional quality with minimal intervention. The wine captures the essence of the vineyard, made without additions or manipulation.
Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Elaboration: The Martini clone Pinot Noir is destemmed and cold-soaked for 24 hours. After pressing into a chilled stainless-steel tank for 48 hours, the clean juice is racked into a fermentation vessel, where it warms slightly for native fermentation. Temperature is carefully controlled for a slow fermentation to enhance fruity notes. Before fermentation finishes and while retaining some sugar, the wine is bottled without sulfur or filtering, allowing fermentation to create natural bubbles.
Tasting Notes: This Pinot Noir Pét-Nat opens with yeasty burst of cranberry compote with an underpinning of fresh, ripe strawberries. Throw some granny smiths and peary, gritty goodness that follows into the effervescent and alive palate. There’s a creamy aspect to the bright acid that makes this a particularly lovely wine for warm evenings or as an aperitif. Pezsgo is fresh and informal, simple and elegant. Both clean & raw. This natural wine contains sediment–let it settle before serving, or invert to serve slightly cloudy.
PRESS
2021 – 91 Wine Enthusiast
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Obsidian Wine Company was founded in 1973 on land once used for grazing in Napa Carneros. This area was thought to be too cool for wine grapes at the time. The winery sits at the meeting point of Carneros Creek and the Napa River. Here, Pacific winds and fog help balance the California sun. The soil is clay and gravel, providing excellent drainage. They use barrels made from Tokaj oak by Kádár Hungary. This oak species, Quercus Petraea, is valued for its aromas. Over the years, Obsidian Ridge has crafted unique California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.