Stagiaire - 'Let's Get Fizzical' - Pinot Noir - Santa Cruz Mountains, CA - 2021

Pinot Noir from my more coastal Santa Cruz Mountains vines. Blanc de Noir ancestralle methode. Aged on the lees in bottle for 2.5 years before disgorging. In 2021 I decided that since I was using incredibly high quality fruit for the sparkling wines, I should do everything possible to make them as seriously as I would the still wines. Extended lees aging. Careful riddling and disgorging. Releasing when they are mature and delicious. Enjoy This bottling is from Bob Biggs’ vineyard outside of Corralitos. very delicately pressed. Extracting as little color and phenolics as possible. bottled with just a bit of sugar left. Aged on the lees in bottle for 2.5 years before disgorging. A labor of love.

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‘STAGIAIRE’ The French word for apprentice and what the winemaker I worked for in Jura called me when other local vigneron asked who the hell the guy speaking really bad French was. The name encapsulates humility, impermanence, and the pursuit of knowledge. I work with vineyards that are organic at a minimum, actively seeking thoughtfull and regenerative practices instead of recipe farming. Most importantly I want to work with good people that are trying to farm with nature instead of against it. Starting in 2020 I am farming a few parcels of my own. If we have good grapes, why add anything to them in the cellar?