Old Westminster Come Together 2020

Come Together is a piquette-wine hybrid, not technically a wine in the conventional sense. Old Westminster takes the grape pomace left over after pressing Blaufränkisch and Chambourcin, rehydrates it with water, and allows a spontaneous second fermentation with the residual sugars and native yeast still present on the skins. The resulting blend is 40% Piquette Rouge, 35% Blaufränkisch, and 25% Chambourcin, acidulated to taste with verjus for balance.

The 2020 pours a dense ruby-purple and shows aromas of bramble and dark plum. On the palate it delivers underripe raspberry and tart berry jam with low tannin and refreshing acidity. Because piquette is made from pomace rather than fresh-pressed juice, it comes in well below standard wine ABV — typically in the 5–9% range — and carries a gentle natural spritz.

Old Westminster ferments with wild yeast and bottles without fining or filtration, and no sulfites are added. The verjus acidulation — a technique using the juice of unripe grapes — is the winery's way of stabilizing and brightening the blend without synthetic additions. This is a zero-waste format: pomace that would otherwise be composted is transformed into a drink.

Serve well-chilled, straight from the fridge. Drink now; piquette is not a wine to age.