Troon Vineyard Piquette! Applegate Valley 2019

The Data

Country USA

Appellation Applegate Valley

Varietal Sparkling Blend

Retail Price $25

ABV 10.5%

Score 4.5 Stars/94 points

In the Glass

Appearance

Hazy, medium deep ruby color with light stream of fine bubbles.

Aromatics

The nose is moderately intense offering scents of white peach and raspberry with supporting notes of bees wax, citrus zest, and rhubarb.

Flavor

The palate echoes the nose delivering a red fruit-driven core with flavors of pomegranate, apricot, hibiscus flower, and lavender. The finish is tart with semisoft tannins redolent of rustic French cider.

Intensity & Texture

Medium-bodied and perfectly balanced with a vibrant texture.

Cool Factor

This is our first review of a Piquette at BevX and it can be no surprise that it's made by Troon Vineyard.

Value Grade

B+

Scarcity (fewer than 200 cases made), superb quality, and a modest price of just $25 add up to a great value in our book.

Analysis

What is Piquette? Piquette is a French term for a style of wine that was produced in most European farm wineries for centuries. In the spirit of never letting any good material go to waste winemakers would add water, and sometimes a bit of sugar, to pomace (grape solids left after pressing to extract the juice) to create a light and often fizzy wine. This was a drink intended for the farmhands. At Troon their Piquette! is a bit fancier as they very gently pressed both Marsanne and Vermentino, as well as Tinta Roriz, Primitivo, and Tannat used for their tasty Rosé (Check our review of Troon's Rosé here at BevX.). There was a good deal of juice remaining in the pomace so little water was used and no sugar was required. They bottled their Piquette! with a little sugar remaining allowing the fermentation to finish in the bottle thus creating a bit of fizz. They performed a light disgorgement removing the heavy solids while still leaving the wine with a light haze. The resulting wine is fun, delicious, and it disappears the moment it hits your glass.

How to Enjoy

Serve chilled and enjoy as the perfect aperitif sipped alone or with country ham, olives, or cheese and bread.