🍷 Brut nature

Brut nature is the driest category of sparkling wine. No sugar is added after ageing, meaning there is no dosage. Under EU rules it must have less than 3 g of sugar per litre. Labels may also say pas dosé, dosage zéro or zero dosage.

In the traditional method the wine ages on its lees in the bottle for a long time. The sediment is then removed and the bottle is topped up. Usually this is done with liqueur d'expédition, a mix of wine and sugar. For brut nature it is topped up with wine alone.

The neighbouring categories are extra brut (up to 6 g/l) and brut (up to 12 g/l). Brut nature shows the wine without make-up: acidity, minerality, notes of bread and nuts. That is why it needs very ripe, well-balanced grapes.

It is made in Champagne, in Spain as cava, in Italy as Franciacorta and elsewhere. It pairs well with oysters, seafood and salty snacks.