Domaine de Nerleux Crémant de Loire La Folie des Loups NV

Domaine de Nerleux is aptly named as such (“the House of the Black Wolves”) for the thick, dark forests that dominated the land here centuries ago, where large game and larger predators, like the Canis lycaon (or Eastern wolf), roamed freely. Today, however, the land is dominated by grapevines and widely foraging goats, with little fear from farmers of being picked off by packs of wolves. The Neau family has been on the land since 1870, in a largely unchanged Le Tuffeau limestone house, which is not only the material used for Loire’s most fairytale-esque castles, but also one of the championed soil types that allows Loire grapes like Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc to thrive.

This storied property is set near Nantes on the Loire river, in northwest France, plopped between two impressive terrains, the vineyards of Brézé and Chacé. This western edge of the Loire Valley has a cool maritime climate that happens to be ideal for pristine and bright bubbles. The house’s stones were excavated from the estate’s whopping, nearly 200 kilometers of underground caves, where the team performs all of its winemaking, plus vast barrel and bottle storage. That’s nearly the distance from this estate all the way to Paris (a three-plus-hour drive), all tucked beneath the grounds!

This Crémant d’Loire is sparkling wine at an extremely high quality – with complexity, dryness, and seriousness not often found in Loire Crémant (or, indeed, many other sparkling wines) under $20. Organically grown Chenin Blanc (70%), Cabernet Franc (15%), and Chardonnay (15%) grapes made in the same method as Champagne, with nearly two years on the lees, this is bone-dry, vinous stuff that is begging for a spot at your table, backyard BBQs, and trips to the coast for oysters.

Considered to be among the greatest values from the Loire Valley, this newest release is simply packed with rich, toasty aromas… reminiscent of walking into a bakery in France and being greeted by the delights of fresh-baked bread, croissants, heady scents of butter, and toasted almonds. Oooh, la la! The palate shines with white peach and nectarine, mandarin blossoms, honeydew melon, and the delicate, fine, tiny bubbles that are the hallmark of a well-crafted sparkling wine. Amelie Neau, the ninth generation winemaker and first woman winemaker at Domaine de Nerleux, has created something magical here, and it is only a matter of time before the rest of the world finds out about it. We’re the only spot in the USA to snag this, so don’t miss out!