2020 Ricochet Wine Company, Le Ressort, Pétillant Naturel, Sparkling Wine, Willamette Valley, Oregon.
This Le Ressort Pet-Nat, made from Pinot Blanc and a small amount of Pinot Noir, by Ricochet is a fresh and delightful little sparkler that is more complex and textural that first impressions and I was left very impressed and happily pleased by the second glass, its dry crisp nature and energy make it wonderfully food friendly as well as being highly quaffable. I had never heard of or had these Ricochet Wines before coming across this bottling, and I have found out winemaker Erich Berg has some solid background in Oregon wine and has worked for Domaine Serene and the lesser known, but really cool Illahe Vineyards and is now serving as the assistant winemaker to Brianne Day at Day Wines, who has become one of the state’s leaders in natural styled and terroir driven wines. Not only are Berg’s wines good, he is doing good beyond crafting his wines by donating 5% of sales to local and regional non-profit organizations that specialize in areas that help people bounce back from difficult situations, hence the name Ricochet, which means to bounce back.
The small lot and handcrafted 2020 Ricochet Le Ressort Pétillant Naturel, which is slightly pinkish, almost Rosé like, was made from 95% Pinot Blanc and just 5% Pinot Noir from grapes sourced from a site in McMinnville in the Willamette Valley. The soda cap, pop top, Le Ressort was naturally fermented and saw just a few months of lees aging before bottled with some cloudy sediment presence in the glass, but the flavors are bright and clear with a surprising sense of richness and body with an impactful palate of Fuji apple, melon, peach and a delicate sense of cherry and strawberry fruits along with hints of herbs, mineral, brioche, verbena and subtle florals. Ricochet, which started really in 2018, is a micro winery and according to Berg is now up to 12 tons per vintage of grapes processed, which is tiny, and they do a little Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Mourvedre Rosé, Pinot Blanc, Gruner Veltliner, and this fun bubbly Pet-Nat. I look forward to trying more of these Ricochet Wines, with the Gruner and Tempranillo being high on my list to try and while this Le Ressort is already sold out on their website I highly recommend chasing a few bottles down in the wild!
($22 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive