Truly, under $20 for a bubbly of this prestige and caliber should be illegal. Philippe de Valois was also known as “the Fortunate,” reigning from 1328 until he died in 1350. He held several plots of land and vineyards in his home region, the Loire Valley, and remains one of the country’s most revered monarchs – in no small part because of his efforts helping to preserve and protect the terroirs throughout France’s many radiant wine regions.

This wine is a blend of 70% Chenin Blanc, 20% Chardonnay, and 10% Cabernet Franc from the appellation of Crémant de Loire. The wide territory sits along the Loire River, spanning from the Anjou to the Touraine regions. The vineyards here are known for their tuffeau chalk, sand, and flinty clay soils – lending a superb, zippy minerality and acidity to the wines that allow them to stand brilliantly bright and fresh. The team utilizes traditional Champagne winemaking methods, with manual harvests, careful grape selection, and aging for 12 months on the lees in their tuffeau cellars. A Brut level dosage further enhances the vivaciousness and splendid melding of explosive fruit and floral notes – while still leaving this zippy, bright, and dry as a Napa Valley summer!

For a mere $19, you’re getting a whole lot on your end of the bargain – starting with a lush, lightly golden hue in the glass that stirs up aromas of of jasmine, and wisteria, with juicy summer peaches, a hint of lemon rind, some raspberry, and toasted and buttered brioche buns. Golden apples and crunchy pears coat the mouth soon after, with waves of toasted nuts, croissants fresh from the ovens, and zesty key limes squeezed over all. The finish is mineral and intense, with a piquant river rock sensation that cleanses the palate and carries you to the next sip. Absolutely divine, and we see why it’s a wine representative of one of France’s most valiant kings. We urge you to lock down a case of this for all your spring and summer bubbly requirements – or at least a 6-pack, to snag complimentary shipping. It’s what the royals would do!