Gruet, Méthode Champenoise Brut, New Mexico

About the Wine:

This new mexican blend of chardonnay and pinot noir grapes offers crisp apple and citrus fruit with fine toast and a touch of earth. Our Brut NV offers bright, crisp acidity complemented by a touch of yeast on the delightfully long finish. A classic house style!

About the Producer:

Gilbert Gruet, founder of Gruet Winery, was born in Bethon, France in 1931. He grew up in a poor family, and began working at a young age. In 1952, Gilbert Gruet, along with his wife Danielle, dreamt of producing fine quality Champagne. Gilbert followed his heart and in 1967 created the U.V.C.B. (Union Vinicole des Coteaux de Bethon), a co-op in the village of Bethon.

In 1983, the Gruet Family was traveling through the southwestern part of the US, and while in New Mexico met a group of European winemakers who had successfully planted vineyards in Engle, near the town of Truth or Consequences, 170 miles south of the city of Albuquerque. After hearing of vineyards planted there as early as the 1600s, and learning about the specific climate and soil conditions of the region, the Gruet Family knew they had found what they were looking for. In 1984, Gilbert Gruet – whose Champagne house (Gruet et Fils) has produced fine Champagnes in Bethon, France since 1952 – made the decision to plant an experimental vineyard in Engle, NM. The plantings were exclusively Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. Two of his four children, Laurent and Nathalie Gruet then relocated to New Mexico to begin their American winemaking adventure.

Technical:

In order to ensure outstanding consistency year after year, Gruet sources its grapes from various vineyards in different regions of the United States: New Mexico, Washington, and California. In Washington, a significant resource for grapes, we are able to take advantage of Gruet’s sister wineries’ estate vineyards in the Columbia Valley.

Just as in Champagne, France, where the grapes are often selected from multiple vineyards in the region, sourcing from several states leads to a more complex wine. Different terroirs bring different components to the final blend. For example from New Mexico, Gruet gets rich fruit flavors and from Washington, Gruet achieves bright acidity. This cross-state blending truly establishes Gruet as the genuine American Sparkling Wine.

Varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

Soil: Sandy Loam

Elevation: 4,245 feet