Weingut Weszeli Pét-Nat Rosé

The Weingut Weszeli Pét-Nat Rosé is made entirely from Zweigelt grapes, all of which grow in vineyards around Langenlois, Austria.

From the Winery: Pét Nat stands for pétillant naturel, which simply means “naturally bubbly” in German. Although a recent phenomenon, Pét Nats are actually the product of a traditional way of producing sparkling wine. In a few words, the must is fermented and then bottled, encapsulated, and fully fermented. Since the CO2 produced during fermentation can no longer escape, carbonic acid is formed naturally.

We harvested the Grüner Veltliner grapes by hand on September 12th and stomped the grapes by feet. The mash was pressed after about 24 hours and fermented spontaneously without being fined.

The Zweigelt grapes for the Rosé were harvested about 1 week earlier. We also left 50% of the grapes on the mash overnight and pressed the remaining 50% immediately. Fermentation was also started spontaneously for these batches.

Absolute sensitivity is required not only when harvesting but also when bottling. It is important to fill the still fermenting must with the appropriate residual sugar content. We filled the must with the corresponding residual sugar in the bottle. Unfined and unfiltered. From now on we take the “passenger seat” and can only watch how the residual sugar is converted into alcohol. Both Pét Nats are perfectly dry, as we hoped.

From the beginning, we wanted to make Pet Nats with a lot of CO2. The CO2 produced during the fermentation protects on the one hand against oxidation and on the other hand, is extremely fun to drink.

The Weingut Weszeli Pét-Nat Rosé is clear and precise, borne by cool red berry fruit and fine floral notes. Firm and straight on the palate. Dust dry, casual, and totally straight forward. Instead, mineral notes compliment the subtle fruit aromas. The acidity is gripping, the finish powerful and dynamic. Certainly looks great in two or three years.