It’s a sparkling Torrontés made using the ancestral method, in a limited edition of 9,264 bottles

To close out a year full of celebrations, Bodega Dante Robino is launching its first Pétillant Naturel (Pet Nat), a sparkling wine made from Torrontés and produced using the ancestral method. It is a limited edition of 9,264 bottles.

“We are a winery that has always focused on sparkling wines, and in this constant search to innovate, the idea of making a Pet Nat came up,” said Soledad Buenanueva, head winemaker at Dante Robino, adding that they chose Torrontés for the base wine because “it is Argentina’s flagship white variety and it produces very aromatic, fresh wines, which is exactly what we were looking for.”

The so-called “ancestral method” is the oldest way of making sparkling wines and, according to history, it was born by accident in the 16th century in Limoux, France. It consists of obtaining a sparkling wine with just one fermentation, unlike the traditional (champenoise) method, which requires two. The must is fermented at low temperatures without additives, and while it is still fermenting, it is bottled and sealed with a crown cap so it can finish fermenting at low temperatures. Afterwards, the bottles are left to rest on the lees for about one month, and a disgorgement is carried out to remove part of the sediment by decantation. Finally, the bottle is sealed again with a crown cap, resulting in a delicately cloudy product.

“From an oenological point of view, this method respects the natural process of turning grapes into sparkling wine; it’s genuine, playful, fresh, and bubbly,” explains Soledad Buenanueva. The result is cloudy wines, with low alcohol and marked acidity, which makes them very easy to drink.

Dante Pet Nat is designed for adventurous consumers, with bold palates, and it’s ideal as an aperitif, or to pair with seafood, fish, and soft cheeses. It also goes beautifully with classic French desserts like macarons.