Damien Moyer is likely the best vigneron in Montlouis that you’ve never heard of. His family estate dates back to 1850, when it was established around a hunting lodge of a destroyed castle. Damian’s family plots are some of the best in the village, and his skill in the vineyards and cellar is exceptional? So why have you, and up until recently us, never heard of him? It’s partially because his immediate neighbors, Jacky Blot and François Chidaine, are both much more gregarious and as such have long garnered the lion’s share of international press and attention. It’s true, great wines speak for themselves, but in a sleep village in the French countryside it sometimes helps to speak a little louder. But, Moyer’s wines are finally hitting our shores and that’s a win for everyone who loves classic expressions of Loire Valley Chenin Blanc.

The “L’Extra” Brut is a classically built sparkling wine, with precision, depth, and way more elegance than you’d expect for the money. Made from 100% Chenin Blanc, it is fermented and aged in steel tanks before undergoing a secondary fermentation in bottle, including aging on the fine lees, before being disgorged and bottled with a very low dosage. This is not a Champagne look-a-like, but rather a lateral sparkling wine of equal quality. Serve chilled, around 45 to 48 degrees, in an all-purpose stem, and enjoy the crispy, crunchy orchard fruit, lemon verbena, honeysuckle, orange blossom, and fleur de sel that ends with a very clean, sea-shell laden, mineral finish.