OK, François Labet’s Crémant de Bourgogne is not champagne. But if it were from the Champagne region, it would not fit in the cheap wino’s budget.

This is a great sparkling wine from the Burgandy appelation made in the champagne method (methode champenoise). It is made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay (2 of the 3 champagne grapes, the third is Pinot Meuneir). The two varietals make up the essential, and essentially are, the two grapes found in the Bourgogne region of France. In fact, Burgandy is the birthplace for both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  So, it’s safe to say these folks know what they are doing with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

This sparkling wine is produced using the champagne method—a second fermentation to the wine in the bottle, thereby creating this joyous effervescence. This process involves adding a mixture of yeast and sugar to each bottle and then capping it like a coke or beer bottle. As the yeast acts on the sugar it creates carbon dioxide naturally and voila–bubbles. The natural entrapment of carbon dioxide makes champagne bubbles much smaller than beverages infused with carbon dioxide, like soda for example. The longer the second fermentation is left in the bottle and the cooler the wine cellar, the smaller the bubbles.

Adding the yeast and sugar (liqueur de tirage) creates sediment in the bottle. This sediment is why champagne flutes came into existence. The tall, slender goblets made it easier for the remains of the second fermentation to settle to the bottom of the glass and more easily avoid being consumed.  Today’s champagne and sparkling wines made with the champagne method are quite at home in a typical white wine glass.  In fact, tasting from a rounder and more shallow stem-ware will enable you to pick up more of the aroma of the wine.

Champagne producers came up with an ingenious process for effectively removing the second fermentation sediment from the bottles. It starts with storing the bottles neck down at a 45 degree angle in A-frame racks called pupitres.   Through periodic turning and slightly shaking of the bottles, or “riddling” them as it is known, the sediment works its way to the top of the neck of the bottles. It would be cute to call these professionals “riddlers,” but they are known as remueurs. These prime carpel-tunnel syndrome candidates riddle these bottles every few days. A good remueur will rotate tens of thousands of bottles a day. As champagne spends at least one year in the bottle, producers make use of large, warehouse sized cellars carved out of the region’s chalky earth.

So when it’s time to package the sparkling wine or champagne for the market, the wine undergoes the removal of the sediments, or dégorgement.  The neck of the wine is frozen, the bottle cap is popped and the yeast sediment shoots out. Straight away, wine held in reserve is added to the bottle to top it off. This liqueur d’expédition is typically made up of wines reserved from previous years. The wine is then corked, the cage and wrapper added and off to market it goes.

You’ll note that there is NOT a vintage on the Crémant. Just as with champagne, wine makers use wine from multiple years to replace the wine that is lost through the second fermentation process. It also helps provide consistency in their product from year to year. Only in particularly amazing years, will wine makers assign a vintage to a champagne or sparkling wine.

Champagne, while associated with celebrations and special occasions, really can be for more frequent enjoyment. Champagne is a great complement with fruit, fried chicken or other fried/greasy foods, and salads. Wine super-store, Specs, carries the Labet Crémant for less than $16 and at that price point, this is a really nice way to enjoy a quality French crémant.

 

Composition: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay

Producer: François Labet

Appellation: France – Bourgogne (Vougeot, Côte-D’or)

Appearance: Pale honey with brimming gold around the edges

Aroma:   Bright and crisp with citrus notes

Taste: Magnificent! Hints of green apples. Creamy in the mouth without feeling heavy thanks to a well-balanced acidity. Classified as Brut, so it’s pretty dry with less than 1.5% sugar.