Ludovic’s pétillant originel (Montlouis AOC now allows what they call pétillant originel if made using Chenin Blanc, otherwise known as pétillant naturel). Made from young-vine Chenin. This is the serious stuff. Long, textured, and precise. It marries vivid fruit with intense minerality and verve. Beautiful bubbly wine.

The estate now covers 6.2 hectares, 5 of them planted to planted to Chenin Blanc, the rest planted to Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, on the plateau near the village of Husseau (about a five-minute drive outside of Montlouis). Soils here are very clay heavy with a deep limestone base; many of the parcels are littered with silex and flint. The average vine age is 40 years-old and the estate was converted to organic farming in 2006, before Ludovic took over, and he has since achieved organic certification. Harvesting is done by hand in small baskets in one pass for the Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, and multiple passes for the Chenin Blanc, depending on the cuvée for which the grapes are being picked.