Les Capriades
Touraine, Loire, France
Pascal Potaire and Moses Gadouche are known in France as "Les Rois du Pét-Nat" - the Kings of Pét-Nat. Their project’s purpose is to bring the elegance of great Champagne to wines that are fermented naturally, without the addition of lab yeast and other chemicals. They have been recognized internationally as the benchmark for French Pet Nat wines for many years.
Pascal and Moses work out of a winery within the Touraine Appellation of the Loire Valley just outside the city of Tours near the Cher River. Almost their entire production is dedicated to sparkling wines made using the Pet Nat method, which in this case means that these sparkling wines are produced using only one natural occurring fermentation. The wines are bottled mid ferment to produce natural bubbles in the bottle. They refer to this technique as “Methode Ancestrale”
Pascal started the project in the early 2000s after working for Nicolas Renard in Vouvray and Noëlla Morantin in Touraine among others. His partner Moses joined in 2011 to help start a Negoce project where they purchase fruit from likeminded growers in their region. Currently they own and farm 3 Hectares of land. The vineyard soils they source from are dominated by silex, clay and limestone with vine age ranging across their different parcels. Some of the vines that they work are almost 90 years old. All of the fruit for their wines is farmed organically and they farm their own vineyards using biodynamic preps as well.
All fruit is hand picked then sorted meticulously before it enters the winery. The wines are fermented naturally and slowly in old barrels without temperature control then bottled with residual sugar so that fermentation finishes in a bottle sealed with a crown cap. The wines are aged in bottle on lees for varying amounts of time (some whites up to 36 months) then disgorged entirely by hand (sometimes twice because of the large deposits) and bottled with a resealable Zork closure made from recycled plastic
These are incredible wines, characterized by their racy acidity reminiscent of Champagne. They come in varying degrees of dryness although all of the cuvees have some residual sugar. Alcohols are low, typically around 10-11% and wines are dominated by bright, fresh floral and fruit aromas. The wines come with a strong mineral backbone and lovely freshness. There are no additives. No sugar, yeast, So2 or otherwise – only grapes are used. These are very stable sparkling wines, keeping their bubbles for 3,4 sometimes even 5 days.
Pascal and Moses also organize the famous French wine far Bulles Au Centre – a wine fair dedicated to Pet Nat wines. These wines have been given some very serious accolades, including Jone Bonne’s top 25 wines of 2017, features in Vogue Magazine and many others.
Pet Sec Blanc
The driest and most mineral driven of the range from Capriades, made from a majority of Chenin Blanc with a small percentage of Cabernet Franc. This is an oyster-appropriate wine with intense limestone minerality.
Pepin à Bulles Blanc
Chenin Blanc. This wine has a light sweetness and sees a minimum of three years of elevage. It is mostly bottled in magnums.
Piège à Filles Blanc
Mostly Chardonnay, occasionally with small percentages of other grapes such as Sauvignon or (at least in one case) Petit Meslier.
Pet Sec Rose
A blend of Pinot Noir, Grolleau, Cabernet Franc and classic Gamay. This wine sees a very short maceration before pressing off and fermenting as juice. Pink in colour, dominated by fresh, bright red fruit (cherry, berry) aromas. The wine is offdry, extremely crunchy and smashable. Very fun but serious. High acid. About 7 months on lees.
Piège à Filles Rosé
Mostly Gamay, with small additions of Côt, Cab Franc, and Pineau D’Aunis. Generally the sweetest of the lineup, it’s a wine that also offers deep savory notes.
La Bulle Rouge
50% Gamay (Gamay de Bouze, Gamay de Chaudenay and Gamay Fréaux, all Teinturier varieties) and 50% Côt (Malbec). This wine is red, dark red even but there is no maceration. The grapes are pressed directly to tank and the juice begins its fermentation naturally. The reason for the dark colour is because of the Teinturier varieties it is made from. Almost all grapes that produce wine are white fleshed regardless of the colour of their skin, a few very rare varieties actually produce coloured juice. The ancient varieties of Gamay this wine is made from do just that. Dominated by darker strawberry and cherry aromas. The wine is very fresh and bright with lovely green, savoury notes. Drinks like a rose, with added texture and depth. High acid. About 7 months on lees.
Retail
Ellement Wine & Spirits
Jones & Co. Wine Merchants
Kenaston Wine Market
