Lacheteau, Crémant de Loire Brut

Crémant comes in all shapes and sizes, and this one comes from the Loire valley's most complex white grape, Chenin Blanc. It also got two stars in the prestigious Guide Hachette.

Fully sparkling and vibrant with fresh cooking apple and citrus acidity, this is a delightful wine that is classy and classic. Ideal as an aperitif, it is also excellent with salads, seafood and desserts that aren't too sweet. Like a gooseberry fool.

Crémant is a style of wine rather than a region and is found in most of the major wine regions in France (and Luxembourg) and is more than just a Champagne-like option: it's made in a different climates, and often from different grapes that give differing ripeness of flavours on the palate. True, Champagne's magical terroir and the typical ageing process in the chalky caves make for the most spectacular wines of their style in the world, but this isn't Champagne! Enjoy a French sparkling wine that has its own regional typicity. Then people will think you drink Champagne all the time and you'll get loads more friends...

Specialising in the production of both rosé and sparkling wine, this negociant makes wines that are more than worthy of representing the appellation. Planted with vines in the central and western parts of the Loire, they harvest mostly white varieties (Chenin, Sauvingnon Blanc and Chardonnay) but also Cabernet Franc, keeping it very much of the region. The winery was established in 1987 by André Lacheteau and is very much a business focused on the wines of the region and run entirely by his family.

In fact, all other Crémants from around France are not really trying to copy Champagne, it is simply that as a colossus of a wine style, all other sparkling wines that are similar will always tend to be compared to it. This is different, but it looks quite similar.