Light straw colour, mineral aromas with notes of apple & peach on the nose. Lemon, apple & pink grapefruit on the palate. The mousse is elegant & refined & there is plenty of crisp acidity. Crisp & refreshing, vibrant & delicate, this sparkling wine is worth going out of your way to try. The finish is long & dry with attractive biscuity notes. The Baumard approach to viticulture is a notable one, & it does make it easy to spot the Baumard vines in any given appellation. They are trained in a fashion Baumard describe as vignes hautes et larges (sometimes abbreviated to VHL); the larges refers to the distance between the vines, a remarkable 3 metres between the rows & 0.8 metres between each vine, whereas the hautes refers to the high trellising system employed, taking the vines to a height of more than 2 metres, the object being to obtain a large surface area of foliage. During the vegetative period they see limited leaf-thinning along their base, but otherwise there is little intervention at this time, not even topping-off of the upper shoots as they reach for the sky above. Between the rows, the soil is alternatively ploughed & grassed over, a methodology the Baumards have been following for well over 40 years. The harvest is manual, & the fruit transported in small plastic cages to minimise damage. The fruit is hand harvest to ensure that only the best quality is used. On arrival at the winery, it is placed in a pneumatic press but only the first press wine is used. The first fermentation is in temperature controlled tanks with Chenin, Cabernet Franc & Chardonnay being fermented separately. After blending re-fermentation takes place in the bottle & the wine is then aged on its lees for over a year. Grape varieties: Cabernet Franc 50%, Chenin Blanc 25%, Chardonnay 25%. ...

A very attractive honeyed nose, with lifted yellow fruits & more golden tropical elements such as mango, guava & pineapple. It has a particularly tropical character & a very fresh feel on the palate, with steely minerality & a zippy background acidity giving invigorating tartness to keep the wine luscious & buoyant. The rounded, approachable finish has good length. ...

Deliciously sweet & extremely complex this is a wine blended from 15 vintages ranging from 1966 to 1988. The usual lifted yellow fruits & more golden tropical elements such as mango, guava & pineapple are accentuated & very pronounced. The long & subtle mouth retains a beautiful freshness that distinguishes the sweet wines of the Loire from the great Sauternes. ...

A beautiful pink colour this is lively with floral aromas. Packed full of ripe red fruits such as strawberry & redcurrants. Hints of spiced cashews & dried fruit. The lees ageing is noticeable & gives it a woody toasty character which overlays the red fruit notes. ...

A very fine, pale pink hue, the nose is enticing, full of peachy fresh fruit, nuanced with early tinges of honeycomb, & some red fruits sprinkled with mint. Absolutely packed with vivacious fruits held up by lively acidity. Delicious hints of strawberry & cream sprinkled with notes of black pepper on the palate. Harmonious & polished, this beautifully crafted sparkling wine has a vibrant, lively mousse. ...

Aromas of pear, almond & white flowers greet us on the nose. The palate is rich with citrus, papaya & ripe exotic fruits. There is a touch of mango & tangerine zest alongside a stony minerality. An impressive concentration with a firm acid backbone give the wine perfect balance. ...

Intense aromas of green apple, honey, apricot & white flowers with a hint of gun smoke. The chenin fruit on the palate is clean & bright & combined with the minerality it's just perfect. Ripe fruit yet zesty acidity ensuring that there will be life in this bottle for many years to come. ...

Made from only the ripest berries, the nose offers a very attractive minerality with ripe & fresh citrus fruits to the fore. There is a tremendous weight & concentration to this wine, dense & oily but backed up with tingling, linear acidity. This is wine full of paradox, honeyed & yet dry, rounded & yet firm. The rich fruit spice & minerality on the palate ensure a thoroughly memorable experience. ...

A complex nose of sweet blackberries, red plums, roasted provenal herbs & macerated cherries. On the palate this is a medium to full bodied wine, with good structure, beautiful tannins & a clean finish. ...

Deep ruby in colour with a subtle nose of ripe black fruit, soft liquorice, plum & stone fruits. In the mouth, it is racy & elegant. Thanks to its long ageing period, it has surprinsingly smooth & and mellow tannins & will drink well over the next 15 years. ...