# Invader Pét-Nat Chenin Blanc (2025)

- **Producer:** Matías Riccitelli
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** sparkling
- **Grapes:** Chenin Blanc
- **Region:** Patagonia, Argentina
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 11.0%
- **Average price:** €30
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 6–8 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** apple, peach, lemon, grapefruit, orange, brioche, bread

## About this wine

The Invader project was created by winemaker Matías Riccitelli to rescue historic, forgotten old vineyards across Argentina. Located on Isla Grande in Luis Beltrán within Patagonia's Río Negro Valley, this specific vineyard was originally planted in 1950 by Moët & Chandon to produce base wines for sparkling wine production. Riccitelli recovered the abandoned site, working with its ungrafted, 70-plus-year-old bush vines to showcase the unique heritage of Patagonian Chenin Blanc.

## Interesting facts

- Planted in 1950 by Moët & Chandon for base sparkling wine and later abandoned until rescued by Riccitelli.
- Sourced from 70+ year-old ungrafted bush vines located on an island in the Río Negro River.
- Fermented spontaneously in unlined concrete eggs and bottled without fining or filtration.

## Food pairing

High natural acidity and vibrant effervescence cut effortlessly through the richness of fried seafood and delicate fatty textures like goat cheese. The subtle savory lees texture complements delicate proteins without overwhelming them.

## Wine making process

Grapes are hand-harvested in small crates from low-yielding ungrafted vines. The fruit undergoes direct whole-cluster pneumatic pressing. Fermentation occurs spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in unlined concrete egg vessels. Following the ancestral method (Pétillant Naturel), the wine is bottled before primary fermentation completes to trap natural carbonation inside the bottle. It rests on fine lees for eight months before release without fining or filtration.