Enjoyed a bubbly glass of Crémant last night. My oh my it was tasty, refreshing and thoroughly delicious. No reason, no celebration, simply a quiet night in with my loved ones. Well, that is reason enough, isn’t it?
What’s in a Name
You may well ask what Crémant is. Essentially, it’s a sparkling wine. Or if I had had the delight to offer you to join me, you would have probably thought Champagne. But this is France, and there are rules. Not on whether you can drink a glass of bubbles, but rather what you can call it.
There is something in France called AOC (more understanding of that here), or AOP sometimes, that denotes a criteria set out to guarantee quality. But it also guarantees where it is from. Champagne is a region in France, so sparkling wines that come from this area can be called Champagne. However, sparkling wines from other regions of France can not be called this. They are known as Crémant.
It goes a step further in that you can then denote a sparkling wine by which region you are drinking it from. Crémant de Bourgogne is from Bourgogne, or Burgundy. Crémant de Loire, from the Loire valley. You’re getting the idea?
One of These is Not Like the Other
Each region, even each village area, is different in so many ways. But when it comes to wine making, the soil in particular, but also the weather, showcase these differences, known as Terroir. So therefore although the grape variety might be the same, the wine could taste completely different based on these differences.
If you have never put this to the test, I recommend trying a taste comparison. Pick a region or town in France you wish to test. Let’s say Chablis, but it could be Beaujolais or Vouvray, or… . Visit your local wine store, or supermarket, and choose 3 or 4 wines from this region, eg all are Chablis or Beaujolais, as long as they are the same type (colour/grape variety). Now taste test them to compare. Bet you they all taste very different from each other. And yet, they will have all been made from the same area, with the same grape variety.
Confusing Crémant
Champagne is made from a classic triad of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes. But Crémants are more confusing. Because they can come from different areas, they are not always made from the same grape varieties. A Crémant de Bourgogne, for example, uses Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but not Pinot Meunier. A Crémant de Loire is typically made from Chenin Blanc grapes.
But just to add even more confusion, a Crémant de Loire can also contain other grape varieties, such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Pinot d’Aunis. In essence, a Crémant tends to showcase the grape varieties typically grown in that area.
Clear yet? Well, not quite. Because, naturally, it isn’t simply a case of deciding which grapes you fancy putting into the bottle. There are rules. Of course there are rules. This is France, after all.
The Rules of Crémant
Each Crémant has its own set of AOC/AOP regulations, which specify things such as where the grapes can be grown, which grape varieties can be used, how the wine must be made, and how long it must be aged before it can be released.
So while Crémant is the name given to a particular style of French sparkling wine made outside Champagne, Crémant de Bourgogne isn’t made according to exactly the same rules as Crémant de Loire. Each region has its own identity, and the rules are designed to reflect that.
Take the grapes, in example. Each region has its own traditional grape varieties, so the rules for each Crémant appellation allow grapes that are typically grown and used for still wines in that particular area. Burgundy has its Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, while the Loire has Chenin Blanc at its heart, along with many other permitted varieties. This means that even though both wines are called Crémant, they can taste remarkably different, because they are starting with different grapes, grown in different places, under different conditions.
And it isn’t just about the grapes. The rules can also cover the geographical area where the grapes are grown, permitted yields, production methods and minimum ageing times. The common thread is that Crémant is made using the traditional method, where the second fermentation takes place in the bottle.
So Crémant isn’t really one wine. It’s more like a family name. Think of it as the French equivalent of saying, “Yes, we’re all related, but please don’t assume we’re the same person.”
The Devil is in the Details
There are currently several Crémant appellations, including Crémant de Bourgogne, Crémant de Loire, but also Crémant d’Alsace, Crémant de Limoux, Crémant de Die, Crémant du Jura, Crémant de Bordeaux and Crémant de Savoie. Each has its own permitted grapes and production rules. And these rules go rather further than simply deciding which grapes you can use. Here’s a taste…
Crémant de Loire — No machines, please
Here in the Loire, the grapes have to be harvested by hand. But which grapes? Well, this is where things get interesting. For white Crémant de Loire, the main players are Chenin, Chardonnay and Orbois, with Chenin very much the Loire’s star. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grolleau, Grolleau Gris, Pineau d’Aunis and Pinot Noir can also be used provided the juice is pressed off the skins so that the resulting wine remains white. For rosé, there is a specific rule: Cabernet Franc, Grolleau Noir and Pinot Noir must together make up more than 50% of the blend.
Once picked, the grapes are pressed and eventually bottled for their second fermentation. Then comes the waiting. The bottles must spend at least nine months lying horizontally on their lees, or sur lattes, before they can be released. So, essentially: pick by hand, choose your Loire grapes, put them in bottle, lie down for nine months and don’t get up until you’re ready.
Crémant d’Alsace — Handle with care
Alsace takes the gentle approach too. The grapes must be picked by hand, transported in small containers and placed whole into the press. There are even restrictions on the type of pressing equipment that can be used. Once bottled, the wine must also spend at least nine months on its lees. For white Crémant d’Alsace, the permitted grapes are Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and there is no fixed percentage for each. It can be a single variety or a blend, with Pinot Blanc being the main one used. And if you’re making a rosé Crémant d’Alsace, there’s another rule. It must be made exclusively from Pinot Noir. So Alsace is basically saying: Be gentle with the grapes. And if you’re making pink, we know exactly which grape you are using.
Crémant de Limoux — Take your time
Limoux has a particularly specific sense of place. The appellation is restricted to 41 communes around Limoux in the upper Aude valley. Its Crémant must undergo the second fermentation in the bottle and then spend at least a year ageing in bottle. And it has its own rather interesting grape mix, dominated by Chardonnay but accompanied by Chenin, Mauzac and Pinot Noir. So Limoux’s approach is essentially: Yes, you can have your bubbles. But you’re going to wait for them.
Crémant de Bourgogne — Burgundy has options
Now, Burgundy being Burgundy, it isn’t quite as simple as saying Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. There are actually eight permitted grape varieties for Crémant de Bourgogne: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Aligoté, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sacy and Melon. But that doesn’t mean they all end up in the bottle in equal measure. In practice, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay dominate, with the other varieties playing much smaller supporting roles. So Burgundy gives its winemakers a little more room to play than Champagne. But don’t imagine a bottle containing eight different grapes. Most Crémant de Bourgogne is built around the three big Burgundy varieties, though there is no rule about in what percentages.
Crémant du Jura — Jura does things its own way
The Jura has six permitted grapes for its Crémant: Chardonnay, Savagnin, Pinot Noir, Poulsard, Trousseau and Pinot Gris. But there is a little more to it than simply throwing them all into the bottle. For a white Crémant, at least 70% of the blend must be Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Trousseau. For a rosé, at least 50% must come from the black or grey grapes. And because this is the Jura, the grapes must also be hand harvested and pressed as whole bunches. The resulting wine then spends at least nine months on its lees before it can be sold. So even the Jura has its own way of doing bubbles: different grapes, different rules, same French obsession with doing things properly.
Crémant de Bordeaux — Even Bordeaux has bubbles
Bordeaux might be famous for its serious reds, but yes, it makes Crémant too. Crémant de Bordeaux can be white or rosé, made using the traditional method, with grapes picked by hand and at least nine months ageing on the lees. For the grapes, Bordeaux has plenty of choice. A sparking rosé focuses more on Merlot and Cabernet Franc. However, a white Crémant can be made from white varieties such as Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. But red grapes can also be used, including Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. There are other permitted varieties too, such as Malbec, Petit Verdot, Carménère, Colombard and Ugni Blanc. In other words, Bordeaux has brought pretty much its whole grape cupboard to the sparkling wine party.
Crémant de Die — Not the same as Clairette de Die
Then we have Crémant de Die, from the Drôme in southeastern France. It is a white Crémant only, made mainly from Clairette, with Aligoté and Muscat à petits grains also permitted. The blend has its own rules: Aligoté can make up 10–40%, while Muscat is limited to 5–10%.
It is also worth remembering that Crémant de Die isn’t the same thing as Clairette de Die. They come from the same 31 communes in the Drôme, but they are different appellations made in very different ways. Crémant de Die is a dry, traditional-method sparkling Crémant authorised wine, while Clairette de Die does make a sparkling wine, but it isn’t a Crémant. (It is a separate AOP, traditionally made using the méthode ancestrale, with Muscat at its heart.)
So, in the Drôme, you can have two sparkling wines from the same patch of mountains: different grapes, different methods, and apparently two names just to keep everyone on their toes.
Crémant de Savoie — Bubbles in the mountains
And finally, Crémant de Savoie, from the Alpine vineyards of Savoie. This one is only white sparkling also, and the local grapes are very much in charge. At least 60% of the blend must come from Jacquère and Altesse, with Jacquère making up at least 40% on its own. Chardonnay, Aligoté and other permitted varieties can make up the remainder, while red grapes such as Pinot Noir, Gamay and Mondeuse are allowed but cannot exceed 20%. The grapes must be hand harvested and the wine is made using the traditional method, with at least 12 months of ageing after bottling. And, unsurprisingly for a wine made among the Alps, the combination of altitude, mountain slopes and local varieties gives it a distinctly fresh and mineral character.
So Savoie has its own formula for bubbles: plenty of Jacquère, a good dose of Altesse, a little room for everyone else, and absolutely no forgetting where it comes from.
Why all this fuss?
Well, the rules are intended to protect the character and quality associated with each appelation. And, as you might expect, the exact rules can differ from one Crémant region to another. So while they all share the traditional method of making sparkling wine, the grapes, harvest, production requirements and ageing can vary depending on where the bottle comes from.
Which brings us back to the point about terroir. The whole idea is that the place matters. The soil, climate, grapes and traditions of each region all contribute to the character of the wine. So when you pick up a bottle labelled Crémant de Loire, you aren’t simply buying a French sparkling wine. You’re getting a wine that has to follow the rules of the Loire appellation and, ideally, gives you a little taste of where it came from.
In other words, even the bubbles have a sense of place.
And apparently, in France, they need paperwork to prove it.
More Wine
Understanding French wine isn’t about being snooty. It’s just really quite complicated, and thus fascinating to some. Including me. I am always learning. Always. And so I hope to impart some of my learnings to you in my Wine 101 writings.
Here’s a sample of what you can imbibe:
The most important thing to understand about French wine – Understanding Terroir
Understanding French Wine Labels
Do Wine Glass Shapes Actually Matter?
What’s a Grape Harvest Like? (enjoy the back breaking work from the comfort of home)
Or, if I’ve wetted your appetite and you would like to know more about Crémant, Decanter offers a really good article.
Shop Wine Lover Gifts
As someone involved in wine, I am always on the search for interesting and unique and particularly French wine items for my vintage and antiques shop. Here’s a taste of some of the things I have found:
Simply click on an image to see more.
If you would like to nourish my passion and sharing of wine, please check out my Nourish Pumpjack & Piddlewick page.