This charming pét-nat rosé is 100 percent Gamay grown in the glorious southern Pierres Dorées or “Golden Stones” region of Beaujolais. Although it is an estate wine sourced from an 8-hectare parcel, Beaujolais appellation laws forbid sparkling wine, so this bottle’s label sports a humble Vin de France.
Fourth-generation winemaker Raphael Saint-Cyr farms his family’s 25 HA estate organically, uses ambient yeast fermentations, and sticks to low sulfite additions. For this wine, the Gamay is direct-pressed, cold-fermented, then bottled with 15 g/L of sugar for a second fermentation “sûr point” — upside down on its crown cap — to earn its sparkle. The wine was disgorged after five months in bottle and was released un-sulfured.
It’s a pretty light pink color with an active foamy mousse that spirits aromas of strawberry, raspberry, and fresh laundry-on-the-line. The flavors are fruit-driven, with friendly pink berries fringed by a sense of grassy herbs and salt. It’s a terrific wine to serve as a plein-air apéritif, the low alcohol and fruit on-point for a summer day. Pair it with young milky cheeses, crispy snacks, grilled shrimp or chicken. Also terrific with spicy, piquant cuisines.
Domaine Saint-Cyr Pét-Nat Rosé Vin de France
12% abv | About $24; Imported by Paris Wine Co.
