NV Domaine des Sablonnettes Trempette

Domaine des Sablonnettes — Christine and Joël Ménard, now with son Jérémy — farms 13 biodynamic hectares in Rablay-sur-Layon, in the heart of sweet-wine country, and has quietly become famous for making dry wines with more life in them than almost anything else in the Loire.

Trempette ("to take a dip") is their skin-contact white: Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc, whole clusters steeped in their own pressed juice for a week or two, then bottled unfined, unfiltered, with no added sulfur. The result is amber-hued and textured — delicate tannins, a rounded mouthfeel, and a crisp finish that keeps it firmly in the refreshing camp rather than the funky one. If you think you don't like orange wine, this is the bottle that will change your mind.