Damien and Ingrid Pinon are at the helm of a third-generation,  22-hectare family estate in the Loire Valley situated within the commune of  Vouvray. They took over for Damien’s father just over a decade ago and remain focused solely on chenin blanc, and exclusively from their holdings within Vouvray. Their soils are Vouvray’s emblematic Tuffeau – a sandy, fine-grained micaceous limestone, enriched with fossilized seashells, and believed to impart the region’s singular minerality into the wines.

Chenin blanc is THE grape of Vouvray, and simply perfect for sparkling wine production. High in acid, resistant to oxidation, with complex flavors that run the gamut from mineral to citrine, to orchard and stone fruits – in the right hands, the grape can make some serious, and seriously fantastic sparkling wines.

That is truly the case here, and this wine drinks exactly as one would expect – like a dry Vouvray infused with a delicate yet persistent bubbly. Orchard fruits of golden apples and Bartlett pears lead the way, soon followed by lemon balm, honeysuckle, and chipped river rocks. The finish has a tang of saltwater taffy and a lemon zest and acacia flower brightness on the finish. Nearly 50% off just sweetens the deal on this dry and zesty bubbly. Perfectly quaffable as an aperitif, but this beauty will also excel with BBQ oysters and a lookout picnic on an ocean bluff. Hmm...looks like I just locked in my plan for Sunday, how ‘bout you?