"Au Commencement" is a brand-new wine from Renardat in the 2020 vintage. As for their Cerdon wines, the certified-organic Poulsard is harvested by hand, spontaneously fermented in vat and bottled while still fermenting; no sulfur is added at any point. The wine finished at 11.5% with 17 grams of residual sugar. Not only it is drier and higher in alcohol than the two Cerdon wines--it also had zero sulfur added at any point and was not disgorged before its recent release. The wine is classified as a Vin de France because the Cerdon AOC does not permit pure Poulsard wines. The production is miniscule.  Pure fruited, candied blood orange, grapefruit & accompanied by a welcome sweetness.  

Pairing: Apertif, blood orange sorbet, Gâteau-de St-Genix (Brioche topped with white sugar coated almonds).

Grape: Poulsard 

Viticulture: organic, no sulfur added, natural