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Vouvray Brut
Champalou
Made from Chenin Blanc in the Champagne method, this cuvée is the quintessential apéritif sparkling wine. Notes of apple and pear and a fine bead pair perfectly with Loire Valley chèvres, but if you would like to try a cheese from beyond the Loire, consider an aged Comté alongside roasted walnuts.
—Tom Wolf
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

2015 Vouvray “La Moelleuse”
France | Loire
Gently sweet yet retaining the mouthwatering acidity that Chenin from the great sites of the Loire can provide.

2023 Saumur Mousseux “Bulles de Roche”
France | Loire
This sparkling wine has decadently rich, honeyed fruit and a nice dollop of buttery brioche.

2022 Quincy “Vieilles Vignes”
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Pierre’s old-vine Quincy has a mouth-coating texture and charming notes of tangerine that are certain to earn this great appellation the following it deserves.

2023 Vouvray “Les Fondraux”
France | Loire
The contrast of ripe, succulent Chenin Blanc fruit with a spike of flinty minerality is like licking honey off an arrowhead.

2023 Vouvray
France | Loire
Gentle and refreshing on the palate, it boasts a delightful balance of stony minerality with luscious, almost honeyed fruit and flowery notes.

2021 Vin de France Blanc “Chenin Centenaire”
France | Loire
Fermented and aged in barrel and bottled unfiltered, it features a delightful kiss of oak on the long, bracing, mouth-watering finish.

2022 Bourgueil “Franc de Pied”
France | Loire
Serve it with a slight chill, and you’ll have a satisfyingly fresh red with medium fruit and a light dusting of herbs and tannin.

2018 Saumur Blanc “L’Échelier”
France | Loire
This chiseled Chenin Blanc comes from 70-year-old vines planted on an ancient limestone slope. Burgundian-like in character from its time spent in barrel, the laser-like acidity will become even more enticing with some age.

2020 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
France | Loire
Even though all of the wines hail from Chinon, the soil, elevation, and exposition all combine to make Le Clos Guillot their cuvée with the most finesse.

Vouvray Brut
France | Loire
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.
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 Kimmderidgian 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 Jasnières
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
Vouvray Brut
Champalou France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2019 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2022 Sancerre Blanc “Pierre François Xavier Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Roger Neveu France | Loire
2023 Reuilly “Les Pierres Plates”
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2023 Saumur Mousseux “Bulles de Roche”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Chinon Rosé
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2023 Chinon Rosé
Charles Joguet France | Loire
2023 Jasnières
Pascal Janvier France | Loire
2020 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
Grange Saint Sauveur France | Loire
Vouvray Brut
Champalou France | Loire
2020 Saumur Blanc “Clos Romans”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2021 Saumur Champigny “La Marginale”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2019 Vin de France Rouge Grolleau/Cabernet Franc “Clandestine”
Grange Saint-Sauveur France | Loire
2022 Sancerre Blanc “Pierre François Xavier Vieilles Vignes”
Domaine Roger Neveu France | Loire
2023 Reuilly “Les Pierres Plates”
Domaine de Reuilly France | Loire
2021 Chinon “Le Clos Guillot”
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2023 Saumur Mousseux “Bulles de Roche”
Thierry Germain France | Loire
2023 Chinon Rosé
Bernard Baudry France | Loire
2023 Chinon Rosé
Charles Joguet France | Loire
Kermit once said...

Kermit once said...
I want you to realize once and for all: Even the winemaker does not know what aging is going to do to a new vintage; Robert Parker does not know; I do not know. We all make educated (hopefully) guesses about what the future will bring, but guesses they are. And one of the pleasures of a wine cellar is the opportunity it provides for you to witness the evolution of your various selections. Living wines have ups and downs just as people do, periods of glory and dog days, too. If wine did not remind me of real life, I would not care about it so much.
Inspiring Thirst, page 171