Richard G. Peterson

2014 Richard G. Peterson Brut Rosé

Crafted in the Méthode Champenoise style, the 2014 Richard G. Peterson Brut Rosé is produced from 100% estate grown Pinot Noir from our two-acre parcel in Yountville, Napa Valley. Our Méthode Champenoise was aged for 6 years on the yeast, en tirage, prior to disgorging. Richard G. Peterson is crisp and dry, with firm acidity boasting flavors of citrus, strawberry, brioche toast and a hint of cardamon spice. Excellent to enjoy now or cellar for twenty years from vintage date.

The Wine

This delicate sparkling wine sets the tone for a wonderful evening of luxury. Its exquisite taste never overwhelms yet prepares the palate with elegance. Made from a Napa Valley Pinot Noir clone which traces its nobility to the finest Pinots of the ancient Romans. All the vines in the vineyard were grown from a single vine growing wild in the village of Wrotham, Kent, England.

The Winemaker

Dick Peterson has been an innovator in the California wine industry since the 1960s. As a young man, he produced novel products such as the first wine cooler for Seagrams and Gallo's Hearty Burgundy. He was pivotal to the success of a portfolio of wineries, including Beaulieu Vineyards with Andre Tchelistcheff, the Monterey Vineyard, Atlas Peak Vineyards and Folie à Deux Winery. Dick invented many techniques still in use today, such as the "bung-and-roll," the practice of rolling a barrel to prevent the wood bung from drying. Scientist Peterson proved that winemakers do not need to "top off" barrels of wine, because the space between the wine and the barrel is, in fact, a vacuum rather than air, so the wine cannot oxidize as feared. Perhaps his greatest invention was the steel barrel pallet, which allowed barrels to be stacked higher and more securely. In response to a relatively recent threat to our vineyards, Dick developed the "DP Screw," which delivers antibiotics to vines stricken with Pierce's disease. It's no wonder that Dick Peterson's hero is Ben Franklin: "I've read everything about him!"

We are thrilled to celebrate Dick Peterson's contributions to the California wine industry with this effervescent, limited production project; and we are committed to creating a truly remarkable vintage sparkling wine for years to come.