Louise Chéreau Vices & Vertus Orgueil Méthode Traditionnelle Brut NV This is too cool for school! Melon de Bourgogne from Muscadet in the western Loire is a favorite – but made into a sparkling?! And under $20?! Yes, please!

Louise Chéreau is shaking things up in the western Loire in a big way – creating fresh new expressions of traditional grapes and terroirs in her Vices et Vertus portfolio. Her primary focus is still her family’s Chéreau Carré house – where she is the third generation vintner focusing on crafting world-class Muscadet from pristine sites throughout Sévre-et-Maine (so named for the two rivers that meet there). This little side project has allowed her to follow her passions and make wines with a twist – experimenting and pushing the envelope in a quest to redefine just what this region is capable of!

This stunning, 100% Melon de Bourgogne is made in the méthode traditionelle style – after primary fermentation in cement tanks in the underground cellars at the family’s Chasseloir Castle, secondary fermentation occurs in bottle, where the wine rests on the lees for nine months before disgorgement and dosage of 7 grams per liter. The dosage is provided by way of a liqueur de tirage made from their flagship Comte Leloup Muscadet – a wine made from 100+ year old estate vines that are the oldest in the region.

This nearly-dry sparkling wine pulses with the piquant minerality and zippy acidity that defines the still Muscadet wines. Aromas and flavors of myriad apples, are accented by tropical guava notes with brilliant Meyer lemons, and grassy, lemon verbena and pineapple sage notes. Like the peacock on the label, this is a wine that just loves to strut and is sure to become your new favorite accoutrement to any celebratory gathering. At under $20 a bottle, this is some card-carrying coolness that you simply must try!