2021 Bryterlater Petina Pétillant Naturel
WINEMAKER: James Graves Opie
VARIETAL: Pinot Noir
REGION: North Canterbury, NZ
VITICULTURE: Organic
Handpicked Pinot Noir was destemmed & crushed for short maceration on skins before pressing to old oak to begin wild fermentation. When desired residual sugar was achieved, racked to bottle by gravity with zero additions. Fermentation completing in bottle resulting in carbonation as per the Pét-Nat method. The resulting wine remained on lees in bottle before eventual riddling and disgorgement. Unfined, unfiltered & preservative free. Blood orange. Raspberry cheesecake. Aperol. Sea mist. Mouthfilling.
Formerly of Valmont Wines, Bryterlater is the brainchild of James Graves Opie, a former sommelier turned winemaker originally from Victoria who now resides in North Canterbury, New Zealand - more specifically here, in the Waipara Valley.
"The concept for the label came to me whilst listening to 'Bryter Layter' by Nick Drake, winding through the Tasmanian countryside in my big ol' Volvo during harvest. The album is very ethereal & whimsical, it still transports me back to that place today. This is the feeling a wine can achieve with patience and poise, thus leaving the drinker feeling brighter and more content on imbibing...
"...Our vineyards in North Canterbury are farmed organically. Working with what different seasons and sites deliver each year guides our process. We use manual methods and work with small volumes.
Our winemaking is about bottling something that is the truest statement of itself and the place it comes from - however long that takes. We focus on capturing the energy of the vineyard, work thoughtfully in the winery, and move with the vibration of the emerging wine, then release it when it’s ready."