Pinot Noir "Bulles"

Pinot Noir "Bulles" comes from Sophie Kreuter's small plot in Schaffhausen, the German-speaking Swiss canton so closely tied to this grape that it goes by the nickname Blauburgunderland. Her vines, roughly forty years old and covering just a quarter hectare, grow on the chalky, limestone-rich soils that give the region's Pinot Noir its characteristic finesse.

For this cuvée, Sophie turns her red grape into a natural sparkling wine using the pétillant naturel method, bottling the wine before primary fermentation finishes so that the remaining sugars convert into gentle, natural carbonation rather than being disgorged and dosed like traditional méthode champenoise sparklers. No additional yeasts, sugars or heavy intervention are involved, just the grape and time.

The result is fruity, off-dry and effervescent, built around fine, discreet bubbles and the bright red fruit character Pinot Noir carries even when handled this way. It sits comfortably among the more adventurous end of Sophie's small range, a wine for curious drinkers who already know her reds and whites and want to see what she can do with bubbles. Serve it chilled, ideally as an aperitif, and let its natural exuberance do the talking.