Uncorked with Henry Butler: Pét Nat - is it all that?
Pét Nat is an abbreviation for Pétillant Naturel, which translates as naturally sparkling. Méthode Ancestrale is also often associated with Pet Nat and this term – referring to one of the oldest ways of making sparkling wine – is often found on the wine label.
Whilst being a sparkling wine, Pét Nat isn’t made in the same way as a Champagne or typical English sparkling wine. These traditional method wines gain their full sparkle with a second fermentation.
Pét Nat begins fermenting like a still wine. It’s then bottled before the fermentation is finished so the wine still has yeast and sugar in the bottle. The wine finishes fermenting in the bottle, creating carbon dioxide which is retained in the bottle, typically with a beer bottle style crown cap.
Twenty or thirty years ago selling Pét Nat wine was tricky. The reason? They’re often cloudy in appearance as they’re generally sold unfiltered, so you will spot a sand-like sediment at the bottom of the bottle which is the dead yeast cells.
It’s harmless but if you have a car journey home after purchasing a bottle the wine will be shaken up and look like a hipster hazy beer.
Generally a Pét Nat wine tends to have a gentle fizz, with flavours of pear and apple and notes of fresh citrus running through it. Because of the way it’s made, Pét Nat can also have a wonderfully fresh, slightly rustic character. Some examples can show yeasty or savoury notes, although they tend to be less overtly toasty and biscuity than traditionally made sparkling wines.
Dakishvili Kisi The Fox Mtsvane Pet Nat 2023, Georgia (£29.95)
Dakishvili Winery is a family-owned business based in a small village near Telavi in Georgia's Kakheti region. Led by father-and-son duo Giorgi and Temuri Dakishvili – both expert oenologists – the winery benefits from generational knowledge handed down from Giorgi’s great-grandfather. Together, they produce an outstanding range of distinctly Georgian wines.
Their wines come exclusively from family-owned vineyards in the Tsinandali PDO along the Alazani River. At an altitude of 400 meters, these vineyards grow a variety of native Georgian grapes, including the renowned Saperavi, Mtsvane and the expressive Kisi.
This wine has been disgorged, so it doesn’t have any sediment. It’s peachy with citrus and herb notes and a long finish.
MAMA Pét-Nat 2024, Austria (£31.50)
This is a sparkling wine from Austria which celebrates the tension and aromatics of Riesling, together with the texture unique to the Roter Veltliner. It is widely considered to be one of the best Pét Nats on the market.
The wine is bottled before primary fermentation is complete so the excess CO2 it retained and dissolved into the wine giving a softly sparkling, creamy white wine. It then spends a period of maturation Sur Lattes – adding gorgeous texture and mouthfeel – before each bottle is carefully hand-disgorged.
Notes of wildflower and herbs on the nose are enhanced by a palate packed with citrus peel, green apples and ripe orchard fruits. A beautifully made Pét Nat with a clean and refreshing finish.
Butlers Wine Cellar, 88 St George's Road, Brighton BN2 1EE
01273 621 638 • www.butlers-winecellar.co.uk
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