Our vines set an ample crop in the spring of 2019 and we were delighted when a series of storms in mid-May delivered over five inches of rain. Our vineyards responded by growing a lush canopy that could easily ripen the crop without major thinning. The summer was relatively cool, so as harvest approached, the acidity in the grapes was high—perfect for sparkling wine. Pinot Noir was harvested in August, with clone 115 harvested first on August 22, followed by clone 667 on August 23. Since Chardonnay ripens later, it wasn't ready until September; clone 95 from the Hammer Olsen vineyard was harvested on September 6. Each lot of grapes was night harvested, then whole-cluster pressed using a sparkling wine program on our high-tech press. The juices were cool-fermented then aged for nine months in seasoned French oak puncheons and ovals. A cuvée was assembled and bottled in June 2020 with yeast and sugar to create the necessary bubbles, then cellar aged until disgorging, adding dosage and corking in August 2023.
Dorit Segev, who worked as an intern for Navarro in 2008, is now responsible for the sparkling program for Golan Heights winery in Israel. She had a difficult time with her 2022 tirage as the secondary bottle fermentation proceeded slowly. When Navarro's 2022 tirage kicked off a week after bottling, Jim teased her with a photo of our bottle with a pressure reading (left). She sent one of hers in return.
It took four years to produce this traditional sparkling wine but it will tickle your taste buds quickly: tart bright acidity is paired with a creamy, yeasty texture that will turn any gathering into a celebration.
Sparkling wine bottles with yeast—white sediment—near the sides. The bottles have been on their side for three years; we turn some bottles upright when creating dosage, disturbing the yeast noticeable near the neck of the bottles.
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Dorit Segev, who worked as an intern for Navarro in 2008, is now responsible for the sparkling program for Golan Heights winery in Israel. She had a difficult time with her 2022 tirage as the secondary bottle fermentation proceeded slowly. When Navarro's 2022 tirage kicked off a week after bottling, Jim teased her with a photo of our bottle with a pressure reading (left). She sent one of hers in return.
