Always Room for One (or Five) More
Tasting with a winemaker is rarely a linear affair. From the get, one simple question will lead to a tangent, and then a cellar issue demands attention, a tractor needs sorting. Or sometimes the interruption is simply more company — to which the only sensible answer is to grab a few more glasses and invite them in.
That's pretty much how it went during my visit to Domaine Pré Baron. Despite showing up late, Lionel Gausaume welcomed me without a second thought — he had phone calls and cellar issues to deal with anyway, no bother. We settled onto the benches along a big wooden table, he set out our glasses, and had barely begun discussing the first wine when a car pulled into the courtyard and a group of five unloaded, looking to buy some wine.
Lionel is one of those generous spirits for whom there is always room for one more — or five — at the table. Without missing a beat, he invited them to sit and join us, pulled out more glasses, and kept pouring. After all, isn't that what wine is for? A little refreshment and an excuse for conviviality.
Now here’s someone who’s got his priorities right. Lionel never seems in a hurry — he knows the things that need doing will get done — and when people are around, they deserve his full attention, so why not take a moment, set the table and settle in.
It helps, of course, that Lionel makes exactly the kind of wine suited to this sort of afternoon — a joyful, refreshing, sparkling wine. The type of bottle that makes fast friends out of strangers. Something to have around when people show up unexpectedly. Something that doesn't ask too much of anyone, but will always put a smile on your face.
Pré Baron
Crémant de Loire Brut
Crémant de Loire can be made from a number of grapes, but Lionel chooses to work with a blend of Orbois, a variety indigenous to the Loir-et-Cher, and round it out with Chardonnay. The Orbois brings a rich, round, generous texture that makes this dangerously easy to drink, while the Chardonnay layers in fresh bread, autumnal fruit and a bright citrus zestiness. Joyful and slurp-able, this is the bottle you open on a late afternoon with friends when you're debating whether to head out for dinner or just open another bottle and stay in. It pairs easily with salads, seafood and pasta — but honestly, it’s best with good company.