Marie Thibault Chenin Blanc Pet Nat 2017

Marie Thibault's 'La Roue Qui Tourne' is a pétillant naturel made from 100% Chenin Blanc grown on her single 3.5-hectare parcel in Lignières-de-Touraine, within the Touraine-Azay-le-Rideau appellation. The vines are approximately 50 years old, rooted in white clay and silex soils over a Tuffeau limestone bedrock, on a south-facing slope that is windier and drier than the plateau vineyards nearby.

The wine is made by the ancestral method: fermentation begins in 600-liter barrels, then the wine is bottled before fermentation finishes, completing it in the bottle with no additions. The result is a fine, persistent mousse with no disgorgement, no fining, no filtration, and no added sulphites.

The name translates to 'The Wheel Turns' — a reference to the cycles of farming and winemaking that shape each vintage. At 13% ABV, the wine is dry and substantive for a pet nat, with real structure behind the bubbles.

The estate has been farmed organically since Marie purchased it in 2010 and received Ecocert certification in 2014. Production across the entire domaine is small, around 10,000 bottles annually across all cuvées.