SPARKLING WINE

Third generation vignerons, the Pinons have 25 hectares in Vernou-sur-Brenne. 50% of their production is sparkling and 50% still wine with nothing sold off to the négoce.

We have long loved the wines of Damien Pinon and when we first tried this little number we were pretty stoked. Great sparkling Loire is such a treat. It captures all that zingy, racy, pure goodness of chenin blanc while bringing the added dimension of bubbles into the equation. They seem like a perfect partnership and we absolutely love this wine.

Quince and granny smith, talcum powder, quartyz spice and a gently honeysuckle, floral element that floats deliciously around in the background. Its pure and precise but fills out across the palate with each sip. Sometimes, Loire Sparkling is a little too lean  but this deliver plenty of fruit at the same time to balance of the fine, minerally acidity.

A mid-gold hue, with abundant pastry notes, honeysuckle, orange balm and oatmeal accents, pointing toward a fuller-weighted, very ripe and ambitious Mountlouis fizz. A warm year. This is a commune that has strutted past Vouvray on the opposite side of the Loire, and is today responsible for a good swag of the most exciting white-wine producers in the region, if not the world. The wine finishes textural and bright, marked by chenin's lanolin, tarte tatin and dried hay, before a plume of dutiful freshness. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. NED GOODWINE MW, James Suckling


100% sparkling chenin blanc made in the Pétillant Naturel style from a single parcel in the  lieu-dit “Le Moulin”
Preserved lemon and citrus pith with chalky notes sprinkled throughout and a delicate lift and soft fruit profile. Dry and chalky with a savoury edge. Pure with a seam of mineral that runs the length. Only 5 producers making this wine in Montlouis - very cool. MYLES THOMSON, PWS

Xavier Weisskopf is based in Montlouis, across the Loire from Vouvray, and makes a variety of wines, often from old vines. This wine, labeled Vin de France, comes from old vines in a section of Montlouis that is scheduled to be reclassified as Touraine next year, so Mr. Weisskopf decided to simply call it Vin de France. Its dry and delicious, with aromas and flavors of lemon, honey and flowers, just right for scallops or other seafood dishes. ERIC ASIMOV, The New York Times

A very inviting style, with a supple texture to the apple and yellow plum flavors, underlined by spice and chalky mineral notes. Some nice lemon-edged acidity keeps this fresh. Drink now. WINE SPECTATOR