With above average temperatures and a dry fall, our 2016 was a near perfect growing season in Maine. At only 26 cases, we flipped the script on our Bulles Rose and produced a limited-edition wines that leads with the Frontenac blanc and gris grapes rather than Marquette.
Like the Bulles Rose, this wine did not see any skin contact as its color is derived from the uncommonly red Marquette juice. To reduce the natural high acidity in both the Frontenacs and Marquette, we followed primary fermentation with a partial malolactic fermentation. Upon finding the right balance and mouthfeel, we chose to age the blend in stainless steel rather than oak prior to triage.
After bottling the base with with years and usage for a Traditional Method bottle fermentation, we aged the wine for an additional 32 months before disgorging the yeast and corking. Since we did not add a final dosage to the wine, it is a brut nature.