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Vouvray Brut
Champalou
The Champalou family—Catherine, Didier, and their daughter, Céline—are Chenin Blanc specialists: from the vineyards around their home in the heart of the Vouvray appellation, they make wines in every style from the noble Pineau de la Loire, as the grape is also known. Their Vouvray pétillant is crafted in the méthode traditionelle: the secondary fermentation takes place in bottle, and then the wine is aged extensively on its lees—in this case, two years—before being disgorged and recorked. From clay and limestone vineyards, they are able to obtain remarkable complexity in their Brut, while the texture shows both a creamy richness and an austere minerality. For this reason, this wine makes a great bargain alternative to Champagne, but it is important not to overlook the fact that it comes from a terroir and grape variety of its own. The Champalous like to serve it at the end of a meal, but this dry sparkler works well from the apéritif all the way through dessert.
—Anthony Lynch
Wine Type: | sparkling |
Vintage: | NV |
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: | 13% |
More from this Producer or Region

2023 Vouvray “Pierres Rousses”
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From clay and limestone vineyards, they are able to obtain remarkable complexity in their Brut, while the texture shows both a creamy richness and an austere minerality.

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2024 Vouvray “Les Fondraux”
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The contrast of ripe, succulent Chenin Blanc fruit with a spike of flinty minerality is like licking honey off an arrowhead.

2021 Vin de France Rosé Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Les Arceaux”
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2016 Jasnières “Chant de Vigne”
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2023 Reuilly Pinot Noir
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2024 Vouvray
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Gentle and refreshing on the palate, it boasts a delightful balance of stony minerality with luscious, almost honeyed fruit and flowery notes.
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
2020 Chinon “Clos de la Dioterie”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2023 Reuilly Pinot Gris Rosé
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2022 Quincy “Château de Quincy”
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
2024 Coteaux du Loir Rouge “Cuvée du Rosier”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
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2022 Chinon Blanc
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2019 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
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2024 Sancerre
Domaine Roger Neveu France | Loire
2024 Chardonnay
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2022 Chinon “Les Petites Roches”
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2024 Vouvray
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2022 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray”
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2020 Chinon “Clos de la Dioterie”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2023 Reuilly Pinot Gris Rosé
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2022 Quincy “Château de Quincy”
Domaine Trotereau France | Loire
2024 Coteaux du Loir Rouge “Cuvée du Rosier”
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2020 Chinon “Clos du Chêne Vert”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2022 Chinon Blanc
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2019 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2024 Sancerre
Domaine Roger Neveu France | Loire
2024 Chardonnay
Eric Chevalier France | Loire
2022 Chinon “Les Petites Roches”
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2024 Vouvray
Champalou France | Loire
2022 Vin de France Rouge “Le Martray”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
A good doctor prescribed the wine of Nuits-Saint-Georges to the Sun King, Louis XIV, when he suffered an unknown maladie. When the king’s health was restored the tasty remedy enjoyed a vogue at court. Lord, send me a doctor like that!
Inspiring Thirst, page 117