France: Domaine des Vaublins - Crémant de Loire (Haute Valeur Environnementale)

Grape varieties: Chenin Blanc (80%) and Chardonnay (20%). 11% alcohol.

Owned by the Deniau family, Vaublins has been a family winery for several generations, with the domaine now in the hands of the current generation Nicolas and Alexandrine who - together with Cedric Allion - are making some excellent wines under his watchful eye. 

Their 16 hectares (40 acres) of vines are located on the clay and limestone hillsides on the banks of the river Cher near the city of Tours. The 227-mile long Cher is a tributary of the Loire.

Their Crémant spends as much as 60 months in the underground tuffeau caves before it is released for sale, an extensive underground network of caves in the Loire Valley. These were created by quarrying soft tuffeau limestone which was used for centuries to build the famous local châteaux, while they now offer ideal conditions for ageing wine.

Crémant is made in the same way as Champagne using only the traditional method (with the bubbles created from a second fermentation in each individual bottle), and is the name adopted by sparkling producers in eight regions across France, these being Alsace, Bourgogne, Jura, Loire, Savoie, Die, Limoux, and Bordeaux. 

Quality does vary widely but there are fantastic examples, in the main from smaller producers, this wine being one of them. 

In the grand scheme of things, Domaine des Vaublins is a tiny family producer with quality being their sole focus.

They hold the "Issu d'Une Exploitation Haute Valeur Environnementale" - meaning they are certified as an agricultural estate of having high environmental value. 

A fine-textured, clean, poised wine, yet it's somehow effortless and a joy to drink. It isn't overly complex but it's so precise, balanced, refined and fine-bubbled!

At a recent tasting, someone said how "mellow" it was - an apt word for it! 

This wine sells for around £80+ in restaurants, so drinking it at home is worthwhile.... 

Food Pairing:

On its own or with smoked fish such as mackerel, sushi, lobster, crab, salmon or trout, or with soft cheeses. Wonderful too with Eggs Benedict!