2016 La Paonnerie ‘Voila du Gros Lot’ Rosé Sans Soufre

Region: Pays Nantais < Loire Valley < France
Grapes: Grolleau Gris
Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Certified organic/biodynamic farming, 60-year old vines on granitic soils; grapes are hand harvested and whole bunch fermented, with 5-6 days on the skins; bottled unfined/unfiltered with ZERO added SO2; 12% ABV
Winemaker: Agnes and Jacques Carroget

Agnes and Jacques are passionate about producing wines that retain their life and vibrancy. They eschew the use of sulfur, and are biodynamic to the extreme, most recently adding some special friends to assist with vineyard management – two adorable pigs (who get fed baguettes!) now roam the vineyards, eating the weeds and turning over the soil without damaging the soil’s biome. The wine’s name, ‘Voila du Gros Lot’, which translates to “Here’s the jackpot”, and it is most definitely a jackpot for natural wine lovers, as there is nothing in the bottle except for the vivid, almost neon salmon-colored juice from the estate’s pristine Grolleau Gris (also called Groslot in the Loire). This is technically a rosé because there has been some skin contact, but because it has been done with white grapes it falls more into the Italian orange wine tradition. Dry and savory, with cantaloupe and Campari notes, this might be the most perfect Indian Summer sipper. It’s like drinking a sunset.