We’re very excited to be releasing our first Pink Pet Nat this year - made with Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay macerated on skins for a long weekend. This is a an untamed and fruity affair with a palate of ripe red apple, raspberries and sherbet. It’s an easy drinker which is just as at home with oysters or chips as it is on its own. We’ve been enjoying it as an aperitif or with anything salty, potato-y and hearty.
Winemaker Adrian explains “The Pet Nats are real favourites at Westwell. The first to be released each year, they’re one of the first indications of the quality of a vintage. We now make three Pet Nats: The Petulant Nature is made with Ortega, the Naturally Petulant is made with Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, and the Nat Pet Pink which contains the same fruit, left on skins before pressing to get some rich pink colours into the juice. We bottle the Pet Nats three quarters of the way through fermentation so that it finishes in bottle, trapping the CO2 to become lightly sparkling. Because of the way that they are made, Pet Nats can be a little temperamental when opening - roughly disgorged with a speedy riddling. The idea is to remove the tartrates but not to leave a crystal clear wine - the customer then gets an easier opening experience with the full flavour of a Pet Nat.”
NATURALLY PETULANT PINK 2021
Grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir
Harvest: 23rd October 2021. Picked at 17 Brix
Winemaking: Macerated on skins for a long weekend, partially fermented in stainless steel tank with indigenous yeast. Bottled once desired density was reached and roughly disgorged.
Bottled: 6 November 2021. Manual gravity filler, no filtration or additions.
Colour: Rose Quartz
Nose: Wild strawberries, lemon zest
Palate: Rhubarb, raspberries, sherbet
Food Match: Fish and chips, oysters. Everything.
