The Mousseux is on the loose

Petillant naturel, mais naturellement!

The Mosses make their fizzy Moussamoussettes with Grolleau Gris (ker-ching, grape variety 190 and counting), Gamay and Cabernet Franc.  Most pet nats are made by picking the grapes ripe, starting the fermentation and then slowing it to an eventual stop leaving some residual sugar. As the cellar warms up the residual sugar (aided by the undigested wild yeasts) begins to ferment again. Often we find the wines change over the months, starting off-dry but ending brut-ish. Lovely brutish! Moussamoussettes has undergone the transformation from fluffy duckling to graceful swan.

The wine is verve-vacious with inviting aromas currants and appleskin leading into watermelon and orange zest raciness allied to firm yeastiness. There is an underlying cool earthiness; the first bottle I tried was high on the scrumpy funk, this second was the finished article, with all the yeasts dissolved, the wine, as a consequence, drier, fuller and more mineral. I look forward to renewing its acquaintance with extreme positive prejudice.