Sparkling — Crémant
Traditional-method French sparkling wine made outside Champagne under the Crémant AOCs — the same in-bottle method at a friendlier price.
About Crémant
Crémant is the quiet value corner of serious sparkling wine: made by the identical traditional method as Champagne — secondary fermentation in the bottle, lees ageing, riddling, disgorgement — but produced in eight other French regions under their own Crémant appellations, each with regulated hand-harvesting and whole-bunch pressing. Freed from Champagne's chalk terroir and grape rules, each region uses its own varieties: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Bourgogne, Chenin Blanc in the Loire, Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois in Alsace, Mauzac and Chardonnay in Limoux (whose Blanquette tradition arguably predates Champagne). The wines trade a little of Champagne's autolytic depth for immediacy, fruit, and a price often a third lower. Editorially, Crémant is the answer to 'traditional-method quality without the Champagne premium', and the category has risen sharply in quality and reputation over the past two decades.
Production process
Principal producers
- Various regional houses and growers
Editorial notes
Look for 'Crémant de [region]' on the label — it guarantees the traditional method and minimum lees ageing. Excellent aperitif value; serve well chilled.