2020 Subject to Change 'Twin Pyramids' Ancestral Sparkling

Grape: Chardonnay

Region: Hopland < Mendocino County < CA

Vineyard/cellar stats: Chardonnay from the organic Open Hand Vineyard, planted in the 80s on a Hillside; fruit is foot tread, soaked on the skins for a day, pressed off, settled for a day in tank then racked to another tank for fermentation. The tank gets chilled around 15 g/L of sugar to stop fermentation. The wine stays chilled for a month and then is racked and bottled under crown cap, unfined, unfiltered and untouched. No sulfur is harmed in the making of this wine; zero-zero; 12.8% ABV; 120 cases

Winemaker: Alex Pomerantz 

We've been working with the Cali-natty wines from our friend Alex Pomerantz since he started Subject to Change a few years ago.  We love his commitment to using only organic or biodynamic fruit (something not all “natural” winemakers insist on) and eschewing all additives, including added sulfites, in the wines.  For him, it’s all about the pristine quality of the fruit, in this case an organic site outside of Hopland farmed by hand, by real people -- Mark Roggero and his foreman Jose.

Alex says: “We made twin pyramids as a richer, rounder style.  Most Pet'Nat is super zippy, this has more texture and richness and tastes like a serious still wine with some bubbles.

We agree -- the lush character of the Chardonnay comes through loud and clear here, unlike in many sparkling wines where you taste mostly the additions of yeast and sugar used to kick-start a second fermentation.  Lightly bubbly, with lush tropical fruit and ripe Golden Delicious apple, it feels exotic and hedonistic, just right to reward yourself for surviving 2020.   Pop some this month and drink with abandon as you count down to 2021.