North America | California | Hammerling Wines | Sunflower Sutra Brut Nature

Sunflower Sutra Brut Nature

VARIETALS
77% Chardonnay, 12% Pinot Noir, 11% Pinot Meunier

NOTES

VINEYARD: Massa Estate (Carmel Valley) and Manchester Ridge (Mendocino) for Chardonnay. Escolle Vineyard (Santa Lucia Highlands) for Pinot Noir. Dommen Vineyard (Russian River) for Pinot Meunier. The grapes from these cool climate sites retain their acidity amazingly well even at slightly higher ripeness levels (harvested at between 18.5-19.5 brix). All of these vineyards are organically- and dry-farmed.

VINIFICATION: The grapes were hand-harvested and fermented in a combination of stainless steel and neutral French oak barrels. The wines were aged separately for 5 months before blending and bottling for secondary fermentation. Fifty percent of the blend underwent malolactic fermentation to soften the acid profile and lend a savory component. Aged 12 months en tirage before being disgorged by hand at the winery. No part of the process is automated or outsourced to another facility. This sparkler has the pressure of a Cremant. No dosage was added. 20 barrels produced.

TASTING NOTES: The wine showcases the lean, mineral-driven quality of coastal Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and is rounded out by the more generous Pinot Meunier fruit character. Lemon zest, red apple skin, pear, marzipan, wet stone.
The name "Sunflower Sutra" comes from an Allen Ginsberg poem written down the road from the winery in the early 1950s. It seemed fitting to name the flagship urban winery blend after a little poem about human perseverance in the face of industrial blight.