Domaine Arnaud Lambert Cremant de Loire Rose NV

Arnaud Lambert farms the chalkiest corner of the Clos du Midi organically, and this sparkling Cabernet Franc comes off vines planted in 1981, rooted in sand and silt over a full meter of soft Turonian limestone. Indigenous yeast, traditional method, 24 months on lattes, and a dosage of 6. Enough to round the edges without papering over the chalk that runs straight through the mid-palate. Loire limestone with bubbles, and nobody's hiding it under sugar.