Owners Ingrid and Damien Pinon run this third-generation, 22-hectare family estate, situated in the commune of Vouvray in the Loire Valley. Damien’s father passed the hat down a little over a decade ago, and the couple has remained loyal to the estate’s sole focus on chenin blanc from their vineyards in Vouvray. The soils on their land are classic tuffeau, a sandy and fine-grained micaceous limestone that’s enhanced with seashell fossils, all contributing to the region’s astounding and inimitable minerality in the wines made there.

That characteristic mineral edge is certainly apparent in this sparkling wine, although it still sings of rich, ripe, boisterous fruits, too. The grapes are picked and vinified by parcel, careful to separate the lots initially in order to preserve and analyze the personalities of each plot prior to the careful blending process. It then undergoes several rounds of batonnage, creating additional texture and mouthfeel, and it wisely skips any malolactic fermentation pre-bottling to preserve those bright and tingly fruit flavors. The next step in this “Le Brut de Brut” – translating loosely to “the driest of dry” – is aging in bottle on the lees for 26-plus months before disgorgement, and no added dosage, maintaining a scant 2 grams per liter of leftover sugar from the initial fermentation.

Dry and oh-so fleshy, the resulting bubbly is exuberant in nature, pulsing with scents of green apple, Bartlett pear, and accents of chipped limestone. The palate is lofty and round – brimming with bright lemon zest and pomelo notes, plus more orchard fruits, green plums, and quince. The finish is like a filled honeycomb, smooth and waxy, with an added complexity of phenolic bitterness from that signature Vouvray minerality carried throughout. This is a mouthful of freshness, overflowing with layers that make it a wine that is commanding and vinous. For well under $20…this is an amazing example of delectable sparkling chenin blanc – whatever you do, don’t order just one! It’s the perfect accent to many-a-meal and just about any daily-bubble-popping needs!