Crémant Flashcards

1
Q

Definition

A

traditional method sparkling wine made in France outside of Champagne
- 1985 - EU banned term Methode Champenois to stop Cava producers from using the term when they joined the EU in 1986

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2
Q

Location

A
Alsace
Bordeaux
Burgundy
Loire
Limoux
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3
Q

Climate: Alsace

A

dry continental

risk of frost and winter freeze

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4
Q

Climate: Bordeaux

A

moderate maritime

risk of rain throughout growing season

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5
Q

Climate: Burgundy

A

cool continental
risk of frost and winter freeze
risk of rain during the growing season

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6
Q

Vineyard

A

Generally, grapes for Crémant are picked earlier than grapes for still wine in these regions
- Sometimes made from declassified still wines (yields, quality)

Hand Harvesting Required

Minimum 9% abv

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7
Q

Grape Varieties: Alsace

A

White

  • Pinot Blanc
      • mostly alluvial plain early ripening Pinot Blanc (not noble Grape of Alsace)
  • Pinot Noir
  • Chardonnay
  • Riesling
  • Pinot Gris
  • Auxerrois

Rose
- 100% Pinot Noir

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8
Q

Grape Varieties: Bourgogne

A

White and Rose

  • Chardonnay
  • Pinot Blanc
  • Pinot Gris
  • Pinot Noir (min. 30%)
  • Aligote
  • Melon
  • Sacy
  • Gamay (max 20%)
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9
Q

Grape Varieties: Bordeaux

A
White
- Cab Franc
- Cab Sauv
- Carmenère
- Malbec
- Merlot
- Muscadelle
- Petit Verdot
- Sémillon
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Sauvignon Gris 
(in total minimum 70%)
- Colombard
- Merlot Blanc
- Ugni Blanc
(in total 30% maximum)

Rose

  • Cab Franc
  • Can Sauv
  • Carmenère
  • Malbec
  • Merlot
  • Petit Verdot
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10
Q

Winery

A
  • Traditional Method
  • Max juice yield cannot exceed 100 L/150 kg grapes
  • 3.5 bar min bordeaux, 4 bar min Alsace and Burgundy
  • Min 9 mo on lees
  • finished sugar after dosage less than 50 g/L
  • transfer only allowed for 37.5 or smaller or 150cl or bigger
  • Min 12 mo between tirage and release from domaine
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11
Q

Cremant: styles

A
  • Zero dosage to sweet
  • BdB, BdN, Rose, NV, Vintage, single village
  • grape varieties based on local apes, though Char/PN popular
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12
Q

Cremant d’Alsace: history

A
  • 1976 AOC status
  • half of total French cremant production
  • 520 producers
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13
Q

Cremant d’Alsace: wine styles

A
  • single variety or blend
  • Blanc des blancs
    • mainly Pinot Blanc
  • – pale gold, white fowers, pear, peach, and brioche
    • pinot gris adds richness and body
    • chardonnay for elegance and aging potential
    • reisling for freshness and liveliness

Rose

  • 100% pinot noir
    • maceration or saignee
    • lightly coloured, delicate red berry

Emotion

  • regional prestinge cuvee
  • 2009
  • stricter quality control (lees, higher natural sugar content, 75% min Pinot Blanc/Char/and/orPN.
  • slender, taller, silver capped bottle with e symbol on label
  • 50 producers, commands higher retail price
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14
Q

Cremant d’ Alsace: Producers

A

Oldest
- Dopff au Moulin, 1574, first to make cremant in Alsace

Quality

  • Joseph Cattin
  • Edgard Schaller& Fils

Largest Cooperatives (top 3 1/3 of CdA’s volume)

  • Bestheim and Cave d’Obernai Divinal
  • MaisonArhtur Metz
  • Cave d’Eguishaeim
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15
Q

Cremant de Bordeaux: history

A
  • AOC since 1990
  • anywhere in AOC Bordeaux
  • made by over 100 producers
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16
Q

Cremant de Bordeaux: style

A
  • wide range of grapes and flavour profiles
  • base wines typically downgraded from still wine production
  • principally made from Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc
    • tight, nutty, light honey, highlighted with lees contact
    • Sauvignon Blanc - aromatic, consume young and fresh

Rose

  • maceration or saignee
  • Cab Sauv and Merlot
17
Q

Cremant de Bordeaux: Producers

A

Oldest
- Les Cordieliers in Saint-Emilion, 1892, tourist attraction

Largest
- Jaillance launched in 2000, 500,00 bottles/yr

Cooperatives

  • Vignerons de Saint Pey Genissac, 2009
    • makes base wine
    • 120 members, 110 ha dedicated cremant vines
  • 430,000 bottles/yr
  • Jean-Louis Ballarin in Haux
  • Vignobles Herve David in Monprimblanc
18
Q

Cremant de Bourgogne: History

A
  • 1975, oldest Cremant AOC
  • ideal for coltivation: Auxerre, Rully, Chatillon-sur Seine
  • excellent value for the money: reflective of Champ, but lower land costs
  • 1,800 producers
    • most make base wine and send them to contract facilities for second ferm in Beaune, Nuits-Saint-Georges, and Rully
19
Q

Cremant de Bourgogne: styles

A
principally made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
- Blanc de Bancs
- Blanc de Noirs
- Rose
typically Brut
20
Q

Cremant de Bourgogne: producers

A

Quality:

  • Michel Prunier, Auxey Duresses
  • Paul Chollet, Savigny les Beaune
  • Albert Bichot, Beaune/Nuits St. George
  • Simonnet Febvre, Chitry

Cooperatives

  • Caves de Bailly Lapierre, Saint Bris le Vineaux
  • Cave de Lugny
  • Caves de Vire

Contract Producers (some have vineyards and produce wine under their own name)

  • Andrew Delorme, Rully
  • Louis Picamelot, Rully
  • Vitteaut, Rully

Largest Negociants:

  • Veuve Ambal, Montagny les Beaunes
  • Maison Louis Bouillot (Boisset Group) , Nuit St Georges