Angels & Cowboys has released their second sparkling wine, Angels & Cowboys Brut NV, joining stablemate Brut Rosé NV, which came out in December 2020.
Following similar production protocols as its sibling wine, this Brut NV employs the traditional method of secondary fermentation, and also uses traditional Champagne grapes. Angels & Cowboys Brut NV is 56% pinot noir and 44% chardonnay, sourced from Northern California vineyards largely in Mendocino, Sonoma and Solano counties.
The wine contains 24% reserve wines sourced from a perpetual reserve (also known as réserve perpetuelle in Champagne). The reserve wines are approximately 50% chardonnay and 50% pinot noir, stored in tank, and range in age from about 4-10+ years. Angels & Cowboys Brut NV also aged on lees for 12 months, giving it a creamy mouthfeel, the company says.
The initial release is 5,000 9-L cases, with plans to expand the production of the Angels & Cowboys sparkling program later in the year.
“Our Brut Rosé NV was really well received, and we’ve doubled down in the $20+ sparkling wine category, which continues to grow at about 25% by value and volume,” says Founder Yoav Gilat.
“This release just happens to coincide with a truly celebratory moment around the world when family and friends are reuniting and rejoicing in being able to actually see one another again” Gilat adds. “I’ve always believed in celebrating the everyday, and as we raise our collective glasses, I hope that appreciation will carry forward into 2022 and beyond, let’s always be celebrating — both the big and small occasions.”
Angels & Cowboys marks the occasion by kicking off a give-back platform to benefit World Central Kitchen (WCK). Beginning June 1, for each bottle purchased of the entire Angels & Cowboys line, the brand will contribute funds for meals through WCK, including the Restaurants for the People program — up to $50,000 annually. The charity, founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, provides nourishment to communities in times of crisis.
Angels & Cowboys Brut NV is available in a 12-pack and ships from the winery as of May 1. The wine has a California AVA, and retails for a suggested price of $22.99 per 750-ml. bottle.
Launched in 2014, Angels & Cowboys is a collaboration between Gilat and Northern California graphic designer Michael Schwab. It’s the second brand from Gilat, after Cannonball, which first hit shelves in 2006. Angels & Cowboys now includes 4 SKUs, with the two sparkling wines joining Sonoma County Rosé and Proprietary Red. All hew to the brand’s ethos of taking inspiration from classic French wines and infusing them with a Californian style.
