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N.V. Vouvray Brut “Méthode Traditionnelle”
Champalou
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | sparkling |
Vintage: | N.V. |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Chenin Blanc |
Appellation: | Vouvray |
Country: | France |
Region: | Loire |
Producer: | Champalou |
Winemaker: | Catherine & Didier Champalou |
Vineyard: | 20 years average, 3.5 ha |
Soil: | Clay, Limestone |
Farming: | Sustainable |
Alcohol: | 12.5% |
More from this Producer or Region

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2020 Saumur Champigny “Clos de l’Échelier”
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2020 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
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2023 Bourgueil “Trinch!”
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2021 Chinon Blanc “Les Charmes”
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2024 Bourgueil Rosé “La Ritournelle”
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Brisk red-fruited twang, some herbaceous zest, and an absolutely mouthwatering zingy finish.

2018 Saumur Blanc “Le Clos du Moulin”
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2021 Chinon “La Croix Boissée”
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2020 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
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Thierry’s Saumur Blancs are bone-dry, high-acid, mineral Chenin Blancs that drink like Chablis young and take on weight slowly over time.
About The Producer
Champalou
About The Region
Loire
The defining feature of the Loire Valley, not surprisingly, is the Loire River. As the longest river in France, spanning more than 600 miles, this river connects seemingly disparate wine regions. Why else would Sancerre, with its Kimmeridgian limestone terroir be connected to Muscadet, an appellation that is 250 miles away?
Secondary in relevance to the historical, climatic, environmental, and cultural importance of the river are the wines and châteaux of the Jardin de la France. The kings and nobility of France built many hundreds of châteaux in the Loire but wine preceded the arrival of the noblesse and has since out-lived them as well.
Diversity abounds in the Loire. The aforementioned Kimmeridgian limestone of Sancerre is also found in Chablis. Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saumur boast the presence of tuffeau, a type of limestone unique to the Loire that has a yellowish tinge and a chalky texture. Savennières has schist, while Muscadet has volcanic, granite, and serpentinite based soils. In addition to geologic diversity, many, grape varieties are grown there too: Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Melon de Bourgogne are most prevalent, but (to name a few) Pinot Gris, Grolleau, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, and Folle Blanche are also planted. These myriad of viticultural influences leads to the high quality production of every type of wine: red, white, rosé, sparkling, and dessert.
Like the Rhône and Provence, some of Kermit’s first imports came from the Loire, most notably the wines of Charles Joguet and Château d’Epiré—two producers who are featured in Kermit’s book Adventures on the Wine Route and with whom we still work today.
More from Loire or France
2023 Chinon Rosé
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2018 Saumur Blanc “Le Clos du Moulin”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Sancerre Rouge
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Chinon “La Croix Boissée”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2021 Saumur Champigny “Terres Chaudes”
Domaine des Roches Neuves France | Loire
2023 Sancerre
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Dyane”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
2023 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil “Franc de Pied”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2023 Val de Loire Rouge Grolleau
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2015 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
Charles Joguet France | Loire
Vouvray Brut
Champalou France | Loire
2023 Chinon Rosé
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2018 Saumur Blanc “Le Clos du Moulin”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Sancerre Rouge
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2021 Chinon “La Croix Boissée”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2021 Saumur Champigny “Terres Chaudes”
Domaine des Roches Neuves France | Loire
2023 Sancerre
Daniel Chotard France | Loire
2022 Jasnières “Dyane”
Christine de Mianville France | Loire
2023 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie
Domaine Michel Brégeon France | Loire
2022 Bourgueil “Franc de Pied”
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2023 Val de Loire Rouge Grolleau
Catherine & Pierre Breton France | Loire
2015 Chinon “Les Petites Roches” MAGNUM
Charles Joguet France | Loire
Vouvray Brut
Champalou France | Loire
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.