NV Gruet - Brut (750ml)

Gruet’s story starts in Bethon, a village in France’s Champagne region. There Gilbert Gruet began making Champagne in 1952 on land his father gave him. In the early 1980s, high vineyard prices at home sent him looking abroad, and after touring Texas and California he chose New Mexico. In 1984 the family planted an experimental vineyard of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Engle, near Truth or Consequences. Two of his children, Laurent and Nathalie, moved there to run the new winery. Gruet is now New Mexico’s largest wine producer and is widely credited with putting the state on the wine map.

The Brut was Gruet’s first release, in 1989. Laurent Gruet wanted it to show the finesse of Chardonnay, so Chardonnay leads the blend with Pinot Noir in support. New Mexico’s high-elevation vineyards have hot days, chilly nights and dry, windy air. These conditions extend the growing season and keep the grapes’ acidity fresh. The wine is made in the traditional Champagne method, with its second fermentation in bottle, and it ages twenty-four months on its lees before release.

This crisp sparkling wine shows ripe apple, pear and citrus with a hint of orchard blossom and minerality. Fine, persistent bubbles carry it to a toasty finish. It’s excellent as an aperitif or with sushi and tuna sashimi.