Patrick-Bottex 'La Cueille' Bugey-Cerdon NV

Profile & Story

In La Cueille, one of seven high-altitude hamlets around the medieval town of Poncin, Patrick and Catherine Bottex — joined more recently by their son Carl — have farmed the rocky limestone slopes above the Ain River since 1991. Their five hectares sit in the Bugey, a small, geographically distinct wine region wedged between Savoie, the Jura, Burgundy, and the Rhône, which only received its own AOC in 2009. Within the Bugey, Cerdon is one of three crus and the only one devoted entirely to sparkling wine. La Cueille is a blend of 90% Gamay and 10% Poulsard, the Poulsard brought in from the neighboring Jura. Made using the méthode ancestrale — a technique that predates méthode champenoise — the wine is bottled part-way through fermentation under crown cap; a spontaneous secondary fermentation in bottle raises the pressure and consumes further sugar before the wine is disgorged, filtered, and re-corked. All the fruit comes from a single vintage, though the wine itself is not vintage-dated.

Pairing Recommendation

A classic aperitif or brunch pour; also pairs well with fresh fruit desserts or spicy dishes.