Crémant de Loire

Fine, persistent bubbles rise through a pale-yellow colour. The bouquet combines Chenin freshness, Chardonnay flowers and Cabernet Franc fruit. A lively entry opens into a round structure with white-flower flavours, followed by a long finish of juicy pear and peach. The grapes are pressed gently and fermented cool. A second fermentation takes place in bottle, and the wine ages on its lees for at least twelve months in tuffeau cellars.

Chenin comes from a southeast-facing site with light, well-draining Turonian chalk and resurfacing limestone; Grolleau grows on heavier clay-rich marl. Whole clusters were pressed at low pressure, with first-press and end-of-press juice separated. Ambient yeasts drove fermentation, malolactic conversion was blocked, and the wine rested briefly in stainless steel. Bottling took place in spring, followed by thirty months on lattes and a low dosage.