Sparkling wine Petillant Naturel

Tour des Gendres, Bergerac, South-West France

Luc de Conti is a wonderful character and one of the finest wine-maker of his generation, he feels passionately for his wines, his 54-ha vineyard and his Bergerac region. Luc is looking for purity and intensity in his wines, relentlessly searching to reach the maximum potential of each vintage. Viticulture is biodynamic, the the soil is nourished with seaweed and silica treatments to encourage microbial activity. Naturally sparkling wine by ‘ancestral method’. Grapes crushed very gently. Partial fermentation in stainless steel vats with indigenous yeasts and then bottled. No disgorgement so naturally occurring sediment still in bottle. No sulphites added. A gentle fizz with freshness and fresh fruit gives this a light and refreshing mouth feel that’s thirst quenching,   yet sophisticated. Aromas and flavours of citrus zest and orchard fruit.

Unfiltered, so not disgorged. Has the natural sediment in the bottle, so best not to pout the bottom of the bottle! Sealed with a crown seal (remember all champagne ages under crown seal for years before the fancy and ‘double duty’ wire cage goes on! Ireland is the only country with double excise duty on any sparkling wine a wire cage!! So nothing at all wrong with a crown seal. We will see more and more white and red wines beginning to be sealed like this too. Think back to 10 years ago when everyone was talking about screwcaps!!