07/29/2026
Making sparkling wine is an exercise in patience. After bottling, the wines age en tirage, resting on their sides upon the spent yeast cells, or lees, that provided the bubbles. Over time, the lees break down, releasing polysaccharides and mannoproteins, contributing creaminess and richness, and intoxicating aromas you might normally find in a bakery. The bubbles change, too, becoming pillowy and moussy, slower and more persistent.
We plan to age our sparkling wines en tirage for at least three years. It’s a long time to wait. When impatience gets the best of us, we pop a bottle to check on it. First, we riddle, slowly rocking and turning the bottle over a week or two until it’s upside down and the lees settle neatly in the neck. Then we disgorge, tipping the bottle up and popping the cap at just the right moment. The pressure in the bottle shoots the lees out and we’re left with clean, clear wine ready to drink.
At last year’s winemaker dinner we started the evening with an early look at the 2024 Vintage Brut. Just six months en tirage at that point, the wine was fresh and fruity, the bubbles sharp and eager to escape.
Last week, after a long day in the vineyard, we popped another bottle to taste with the team. Now 20 months en tirage, the wine has begun to develop the decadence and complexity that we’re hoping for. Promising and utterly delicious, but we must continue to wait. Patience will be rewarded.
Next month we host our first winemaker dinner of the year out in the vineyard. These dinners are fun and delicious, and a great opportunity to taste special treats like these from the cellar. Tickets for next month’s dinner will be available soon…unless you’re in the wine club, in which case check your inbox!!