Crémant Flashcards
Definition
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
Location
Alsace Bordeaux Burgundy Loire Limoux
Climate: Alsace
dry continental
risk of frost and winter freeze
Climate: Bordeaux
moderate maritime
risk of rain throughout growing season
Climate: Burgundy
cool continental
risk of frost and winter freeze
risk of rain during the growing season
Vineyard
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
Grape Varieties: Alsace
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
Grape Varieties: Bourgogne
White and Rose
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Blanc
- Pinot Gris
- Pinot Noir (min. 30%)
- Aligote
- Melon
- Sacy
- Gamay (max 20%)
Grape Varieties: Bordeaux
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
Winery
- 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
Cremant: styles
- Zero dosage to sweet
- BdB, BdN, Rose, NV, Vintage, single village
- grape varieties based on local apes, though Char/PN popular
Cremant d’Alsace: history
- 1976 AOC status
- half of total French cremant production
- 520 producers
Cremant d’Alsace: wine styles
- 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
Cremant d’ Alsace: Producers
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
Cremant de Bordeaux: history
- AOC since 1990
- anywhere in AOC Bordeaux
- made by over 100 producers
Cremant de Bordeaux: style
- 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
Cremant de Bordeaux: Producers
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
Cremant de Bourgogne: History
- 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
Cremant de Bourgogne: styles
principally made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir - Blanc de Bancs - Blanc de Noirs - Rose typically Brut
Cremant de Bourgogne: producers
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
