Bouvet 1851 Methode Traditionelle Brut

Bouvet Ladubay are the most awarded sparkling wine house in France outside of the Champagne region. When you’ve been producing high quality French fizz since 1851 (and were owned at one stage by one of the greatest Champagne producers on the planet) you’ve learnt a thing or two along the way.

Founded in 1851 in the beautiful town of Saumur in the heart of the Loire Valley by Etienne Bouvet and wife Celestine Ladubay. Then bought by the Monmousseau family in the 1930s before the world famous Champagne house Taittinger took ownership for over 30 years from the 1970s to the early 2000s. It’s now back in the hands of the Monmousseau family.

Bouvet produces their sparkling wines using the same process and techniques (aka Methode Traditionelle) as the grand marque Champagne houses – giving you the Champagne-style experience without the hefty price tag.

This is Bouvet’s 1851 Brut and it’s the signature style of the house produced with Loire Valley’s signature Chenin Blanc grape along with Chardonnay, initially aged in stainless steel before a secondary fermentation in the bottle (same as Champagne) and aged for a minimum of 9 months on lees for added creamy, richness, finer/softer bubbles and added complexity.

A dry, crisp and refreshing sparkling that really does offer so much bang for your buck. Packaged smartly this ticks all the boxes and then some for a Champagne-look-a-like at a fraction of the cost.

If you’re in the Loire Valley region make sure to visit the Bouvet Ladubay cellars. An UNESCO World Heritage Site and 8 kilometres in length – the cellars lie in a tuffeau cave excavated 1,000 years ago by Saint Florent monks and converted to an Underground Cathedral in 2002. Enjoy a flute or two and explore the cellar by le vélo (bicycle!).