Enkidu Sparkling Brut Sonoma County NV

Enkidu is a small, Sonoma-based winery whose name comes from the Epic of Gilgamesh – one of the oldest recorded stories written in Sumerian cuneiform nearly 4,500 years ago. It goes that Enkidu – a wild man created by the gods to bring wisdom and respect for nature – befriends the ruthless king Gilgamesh and teaches him to live more holistically. Winemaker Phil Staehle latched onto the character after his psychologist wife introduced him to the epic during her studies and chose this narrative to shape his boutique winery. In winemaking, this obsession translates into minimalism: native yeast fermentation, no filtering, small productions, sustainability in the fields, and a fully devoted stance to the ethos of “natural harmony.” The team is small but deeply land and relationship focused, with a foundational respect for people and nature that can be felt in the harmonious expressions of the wines. The Brut sparkling wine is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, made in the traditional method and disgorged in 2023 after two years aging on the lees. With now more than three years in bottle, all the flavors have collided and fused into a rich, elegant, balanced, nicely crisp cuvée. It opens with creamy lemon curd and strawberry flowers, with crunchy, salty oyster shell salinity in the backdrop. Then this breezy mountain air sense of pine needles and lemongrass dance across the tongue, finishing with a crunch of wheat crackers. A true delight in every sense of the word, and impeccably made for the price. The winery has no more in stock, and our price is the best (and from what we can see, only) anywhere else!