Pétillant naturel is the oldest method of making sparkling wine. It is also known as the méthode ancestrale or ancestral method. This winemaking technique involves bottling wine that is still fermenting to trap carbon dioxide gas in the bottle, creating a gentle carbonation. Pét-nat wines (as they’re called) are becoming more popular as part of the general trend toward natural wine.
2022 Chenin Blanc - Chen Vineyard, Adelaida District Retail: $45 Wine Club $36
The nose has a certain richness, displaying ripe pear and lychee, perhaps some pineapple; there is a tickle of garden herbs, as always, the ever-present limestone minerality underlies all. The palate shows a delicate pineapple core and soft lemon pith with hints of grassiness, and the richness of the nose shows a glycerin texture on the palate. Classic.