Our Brut Prestige de Cuvee combines the Pinot Noir from our Carneros Vineyards in Sonoma County with our Chardonnay from our Carneros Vineyards in Napa Valley.   The Carneros AVA is the perfect terroir for growing both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay which prefer a cooler climate. The cooling fog from the San Pablo Bay covers our vineyards in the early mornings and evenings allowing both varietals to thrive.

After harvesting the grapes in the cool of the night the grapes clusters are gently pressed and fermented.  The initial process is very similar to still wine.  But the press that is used only allows a thin layer of the grapes to be pressed so the juice does not come into significant contact with the skins and no color is imparted.  The first pressed lots are called the cuvee and are considered the best juice.  Only the first pressed lots are used for Thorn Hill’s Brut de Prestige Cuvee sparkling wine. After the wine is completely dry (no residual sugar remains) it undergoes a second fermentation. Of all the steps, this is the most essential to making method champagnoise style sparkling wine. Once the wine is blended, it is combined with the liqueur de triage that precipitates the second fermentation that makes méthode champagnoise wines effervescent.

After aging, the wine is naturally clarified by riddling, a process which moves the yeast sediment

gradually into the neck of the bottle. This is done in small steps where the bottle orientation gradually changes. The wine is aged for three years in the bottle before disgorgement, a process where the necks are frozen so the yeast can be expelled and a cork is inserted into the bottle.