Baron de Chanteclerc

The Pugibets have spent years developing their dealcoholisation technique, which uses reverse osmosis and vacuum distillation to strip the alcohol while preserving as much of the original wine character as possible. It is a painstaking process, and the results read more clearly in the glass than many comparable products. The rosé is made entirely from Grenache and pours a clean salmon pink. It drinks dry, with red berry notes and a faint spice on the finish, and the bubbles are fine enough that it doesn't feel like the forced carbonation common in cheaper alternatives. The white sparkling follows a similar philosophy: restrained, dry, and built to work alongside food.

In the UK, the label is stocked by Adnams and a handful of specialist online retailers, which puts it in reach but keeps it away from supermarket shelves. Prices typically sit around £8 a bottle, making it one of the more honestly priced options in the premium AF sparkling category.

The Languedoc doesn't carry the same cachet as Champagne or Prosecco, but that works in the domaine's favour here. The Pugibets are not trying to replicate a famous style or lean on regional prestige. They are working with the grapes they know well, applying a technique they have refined over decades, and producing a sparkling wine that is genuinely pleasant to drink rather than merely functional. For a category still finding its footing, that matters more than provenance.