Merlot Lagrein Petillant Naturel
⏳ Drinking Window
Best enjoyed fresh, typically within 1–2 years of the vintage release to appreciate its vibrant carbonation and youthful fruit profile.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
charcuterie boards, soft goat cheese, fried chicken
✨ Technical Specifications
Channing Daughters' Merlot Lagrein Pétillant Naturel is a vibrant testament to the winery's spirit of experimentation on Long Island's South Fork. Combining Merlot, a variety that has thrived in the maritime soils of the East End for decades, with Lagrein, a dark-skinned grape native to Italy's Trentino-Alto Adige region, this sparkling rosé is crafted using the ancient méthode ancestrale. The wine is bottled before primary fermentation completes, trapping the natural carbon dioxide to create a gentle, playful effervescence. Unfiltered and unfined, it captures the raw, energetic essence of the vineyard, showcasing yeasty complexity alongside bright red berry fruit and a refreshing, salty maritime breeze finish. This bottling highlights the estate's pioneering work in bringing alpine Italian varieties to the coastal terroir of New York.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1982 when venture capitalist and sculptor Walter Channing planted his first Chardonnay vines in Bridgehampton, Channing Daughters Winery has evolved into one of the most daring and innovative producers on Long Island's East End. Set on 28 estate acres within the maritime climate of the South Fork, the vineyards thrive in well-drained Bridgehampton silt loam cooled by Atlantic sea breezes and buffered by Peconic Bay. Helmed by partner and winemaker Christopher Tracy alongside partners Larry Perrine and Allison Dubin, the estate is a founding member of Long Island Sustainable Winegrowing. Channing Daughters is celebrated for its polycultural repertoire spanning over two dozen grape varieties and an avant-garde cellar program marked by native fermentations, extensive skin contact, and field blends. Benchmark bottlings include their pioneering Ramato skin-fermented Pinot Grigio, Friulian-inspired whites such as Tocai Friulano and Ribolla Gialla, and intricate cuvées like Meditazione and Envelope.
🍇 Grapes
Merlot, Lagrein