Pétillant Naturel (or "Pét-Nat") is a method of producing sparkling wine, also referred to as “Methode Ancestrale”, where the carbonation occurs from bottling the wine during the primary, alcoholic fermentation – in order to capture the carbon dioxide that is being naturally released.
The goal behind our reserve bottling of Pinot Noir “Sapience” (formerly “Nils”) is to showcase the powerful expression of Pinot Noir on our site. Sapience is an old French word meaning “good taste, intelligence or wisdom”. This label highlights old oak trees on our property that evoke a kind of great wisdom and power over the property as it supports our farming endeavors.
Expect complex perfume and incense aromatics matched by tense acid and firm tannin on the palette. Built to age 12+ years, this wine will continue to stun so long as you keep yourself from drinking it!
The “Mariafeld” Pinot Noir bottling was created to highlight a particular clonal selection in our vineyard that has identified itself as an absolute stand-alone wine. The Mariafeld selection, originally from Switzerland, has long, loose clusters, with big berries and higher acidity and tannin. The complex character and nuance produce a truly individual wine all on its own.
The focus of our Chardonnay philosophy & approach lies in secondary and tertiary aromatic and textural development of this noble grape variety. With extended barrel aging prior to bottling, we see an increase in vineyard expression. The clonal diversity of this wine brings complexity and balance to the whole.
The estate Blaufränkisch shows a likeness to the sanguine and iron minerality that defines our Pinot Noir but with more nervy acidity and a darker, deeper fruit profile. Blaufränkisch also has a wonderful transparency and is highly sensitive to its environment. The goal is to find consistency in expression of the Johan terroir over multiple grape varieties from our site.
Savagnin is a grape that is native to the Jura region in eastern France. It is known to produce dry white wines, full of mineral-driven aromatics and loads of bright acidity. We find this grape to be reminiscent of the Chardonnay on the property, but with more minerality and a very long finish. We hope you enjoy our inaugural release of Savagnin!
The objective of our flagship Pinot Noir is to create a bottling that is a direct translation of the growing season and the most accurate representation of Johan Vineyards’ true terroir. We carefully select parcels of fruit from every rootstock/scion combination, aspect, vine age, and soil profile, creating a collage of the diverse expressions of our vineyard through the lens of Pinot Noir.
Originally hailing from Germany, and the offspring of the noble Riesling grape, Kerner is an aromatic white variety capable of producing compelling white wines with an intensely floral bouquet, bright acidity and plenty of citrus and balance on the palate. We foot-tread the grapes and allowed them to soak on skins for a few hours before pressing, and fermented and aged the wine in barrel on original lees for 11 months.
Our 2018 Meadow Bloom is the culmination of many years of experimentation with the goal of making a natural Traditional Method sparkling wine (without the addition of cultivated yeast or sugar). Meadow Bloom is a blend of 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay, aged en tirage on Chardonnay lees for an additional 2 years and disgorged this Fall.
