Marie Thibault Gamay Pet Nat 2017

Marie Thibault's 'La Roue Qui Tourne' is a petillant naturel rose made from 100% old-vine Gamay grown on her single contiguous parcel in Touraine-Azay-le-Rideau. The vines are approximately 50 years old, planted in white clay and silex (flint) soils over Tuffeau limestone bedrock at 40-80 meters elevation. Farming has been certified organic by Ecocert since 2014.

The wine is made in the methode ancestrale: fermentation begins in tank, and the wine is bottled before it finishes. The remaining sugars ferment in bottle, creating a gentle, natural effervescence with no added CO2. No sulfur is added at any stage.

The result is a deeply colored rose pet nat that reads more like a red wine in a fizzy format. It is dry, earthy, and mineral, with red fruit character driven by the Gamay grape rather than winemaking additives. Expect cranberry, raspberry, and cherry against a backbone of wet stone and flint.

Thibault operates a 3.5-hectare estate in Lignières-de-Touraine, within the Azay-le-Rideau appellation. She also works with partner Frantz Saumon on a negociant project called Un Saumon dans la Loire, sourcing certified organic fruit from neighboring growers in the region.