# Le Naturel

- **Producer:** Domaine Sébastien Brunet
- **Colour:** white
- **Type:** sparkling
- **Grapes:** 100% Chenin Blanc
- **Region:** Loire, France
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.0%
- **Average price:** €21
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 6–8 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** pear, apple, grapefruit, lemon, apricot, melon, pineapple, biscuit, brioche, bread, yeast, honey, ginger

## About this wine

Le Naturel is a Pétillant Naturel sparkling white wine from Domaine Sébastien Brunet in Vouvray, Loire Valley, France. It is made exclusively from 100% Chenin Blanc using the 'méthode ancestrale', an ancient technique where the wine is bottled before its primary fermentation is complete, allowing natural carbonation to develop. Sébastien Brunet, who took over his family's estate, practices organic viticulture and minimal intervention winemaking. The grapes are hand-harvested from vines around 35 years old. The wine is typically unfiltered and unfined, and may receive a minimal addition of sulfur dioxide at bottling. It is aged on its lees in the bottle before release. The domaine's vineyards are situated along the Brenne river valley, and the wines are matured in historic 16th-century tuffeau limestone cellars.

## Interesting facts

- Made using the 'méthode ancestrale', the oldest way to make sparkling wine.
- Bottled directly from the fermentation, capturing natural bubbles.
- Aged in 16th-century underground limestone cellars.
- Unfiltered and unfined for a pure expression of the grape.

## Food pairing

The wine's vivacious acidity cuts through richness and fat, cleansing the palate. Its subtle yeasty notes complement seafood and charcuterie, while its dry profile makes it a versatile aperitif that doesn't overpower delicate flavors.

## Wine making process

Le Naturel is crafted using the 'méthode ancestrale', an ancient technique for producing sparkling wine. Sébastien Brunet practices organic viticulture in Vouvray, harvesting Chenin Blanc grapes by hand from vines averaging 35 years old. The grapes undergo direct pressing, and fermentation begins with indigenous yeasts. The wine is bottled before the primary fermentation is finished, allowing natural carbonation to develop in the bottle. It is typically unfiltered and unfined, preserving its natural character, with a minimal amount of sulfur dioxide potentially added at bottling. The wine is then aged on its lees in the bottle ('sur lattes') before its release. Winemaking is conducted in historic 16th-century tuffeau limestone cellars.