Cros des Calades 'Pavon’ Pét Nat 2022

A natural sparkling wine of Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier from vines of an average age of 30 years. The wine is made from direct pressing followed by a fermentation with indigenous yeast. A subtle freshness in the mouth with aromatique notes of fresh fruits. Perfect for festive drinks and aperitif moments, to be drank at 8 to 10 degrees it will be a big hit.

Cros des Calades is a new project from Benoit and Florence of Château de la Selve in Ardèche, France, both are farmed organically, and the wines are made naturally. Benoît, who is a charming fast-talker, headed straight into the vines waxing poetically in Franglais about this wild Ardechois terroir, arguably one of the least-tamed in France, planted to rocky, rolling hillsides and peppered between national parks featuring steep, swimmable river gorges where French adventure-seekers come for their summer holidays. In terms of wine, the Ardèche is akin to the Cotes du Rhone, but more fun. There’s far less pressure here to hit certain marks of ‘typicity’, so the region has fostered winemakers like Benoit and Florence who make something fundamentally new out of Grenache and Syrah.