Cremant is a Lesser Known Wine, But Still Delicious

Cremant is a lesser-known French sparkling wine produced by the champenoise method in eight French appellations. Although relatively unknown or ignored by American consumers, these wines represent a racy alternative to the more common Spanish cavas and Italian proseccos.

The term “cremant” was once meant to denote champagne made with less fizz, but that definition disappeared over time. After a lot of litigation, only wines made in Champagne can be champagne. Thus, all other sparkling wine made in France is cremant. Grape varieties in cremants also can extend beyond champagne’s traditional varieties.

While cremants cost less than champagne, at $20 to $30 a bottle, they are more expensive than cavas and proseccos. However, they have higher quality and deserve something more than playing a role in mimosas and bellinis. Cremant is produced as a white and rosé.

The most widely known French cremants are cremant d’Alsace, cremant de Bourgogne, cremant de Limoux, and cremant de Loire. Each appellation contributes its own grape varietals to their bubbly, although winemaking is almost identical to champagnes practices.

Our two favorite cremants are cremant de Bourgogne and cremant d’Alsace. Many cremants de Bourgogne are almost indistinguishable from French champagne, most likely due to their similar terroir and grapes (cooler climate, mostly pinot noir and chardonnay).

We recently tasted a group of cremants d’Alsace. The predominant grapes used in many of these wines are the most common grapes in Alsace: pinot blanc, pinot gris, pinot noir, riesling, chardonnay and auxerrois.

The quality of these non-vintage wines was outstanding, as our tasting notes reveal. Two of our sampled wines were made exclusively from pinot noir, while the other two were blends of several grapes.

Willm Cremant d’Alsace Blanc de Noir Brut ($16-$18). All pinot noir, this bargain sparkler displays a very pale color despite having a high red grape parentage. Clean, fresh, apple notes and a clean, rich, creamy presence in the mouth. Very refreshing.
Gustave Lorentz Cremant d’Alsace Brut ($30). An equal blend of pinot noir, pinot blanc and chardonnay, this wine displays apple, pear and a bit of citrus with a delicious, round, creamy finish. Complex and satisfying.
Jean Baptiste Adam Emotion Cremant d’Alsace Brut ($30). A lopsided blend of 95 percent chardonnay and 5 percent pinot noir, this wine was the leanest of this group. Very ripe pear flavors with a hint of toast developed into a creamy finish.
Lucien Albrecht Cremant d’Alsace Rosé Brut ($25). Our favorite of this limited tasting, the bold fruit exhibited exuberant cherry and strawberry notes over a broad,creamy background. It is entirely pinot noir and it shows. Delicious!