Crémant de Bordeaux (France)
Crémant wines are produced the same way as Champagne, but often with other grapes.
The primary grapes used in Crémant de Bordeaux are Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.
Typical Flavors
 Citrus |
 Apple |
 Pear |
 Strawberry |
Fermentation Flavors
 Butter |
 Yeast |
 Bread |
 Almonds |
Oak Added Flavors
 Oak |
 Vanilla |
 Toast |
 Nuts |
Citrus, Apple, Pear, and Strawberry are typical Crémant flavors.
Fermentation added notes of Vanilla, Yeast and Almonds.
Oak added notes of Vanilla, Yeast, and Nuts.
Profile
Crémant wines have much the same profile as Champagne:
| SUGAR | Dry | ||
| BODY | Medium | ||
| FRUIT | Medium | ||
| ACIDITY | High | ||
| |||
Food Pairing
You can drink Sparkling Wines to almost everything.
Whether it is French Champagne, Spanish Cava, or Italian Prosecco.
 Aperitif |
 Salads |
 Tapas |
 Sandwitch |
 Seafood |
 Oysters |
 Salmon |
 Sushi |
 Fries |
 Chicken |
 Turkey |
 Pork |
 Egg Dishes |
 Pasta |
 Risotto |
 Soft Cheese |
Sparkling Wines pair well with salt, because the bubbles break up the salt in the mouth.
Acidity and bubbles also pair well with rich food and creamy and oily dishes.
Pairing Suggestions
Excellent pairings:
Caesar Salad. Seafood Salad.
Hors-d'œuvre. Sandwich. Focaccia.
Tapas. Ham. Serrano. Prosciutto.
Seafood. Oysters. Clams.
Crab. Lobster. Caviar.
Cod. Tuna. Smoked Salmon.
Fried Chicken. Turkey. Pork.
Egg Dishes. Omelettte. Risotto.
Pasta. Ravioli. Macaroni with Cheese.
Asian Food. Springrolls.
Sushi. Sashimi.
Cheese:
Soft and Fresh Cheeses.
Brie. Camembert.
Feta. Chèvre. Fontina. Creamy Blue.
Washed-Rind. Chaource. Robiola.
French Spesialities:
Reims Ham in Reims Mustard.
Poulet au champagne (Chicken with Champagne).
Italian Specialities:
Fritto Misto di Pesce (Deep Fried Fish).
Risotto ai Frutti di Mare (Risooto with Seafood).
Risotto with Asparagus.
White Fish (Sea Bass) with Polenta.
Lasagne with White Sauce.
French Crémant
The production method of Crémant is he same as Champagne, but often with other grapes.
n France, there are 8 Crémant appellations:
Crémant d'Alsace
The Primary grapes used in Crémant d'Alsace are:
Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir.
Crémant de Bordeaux
The Primary grapes used in Crémant de Bordeaux are:
Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle,
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.
Crémant de Bourgogne
The Primary grapes used in Crémant de Bourgogne are the same as used in Champagne:
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Crémant de Die
The primary grapes used in Crémant de Die are:
Clairette, Aligoté, and Muscat.
Crémant de Jura
The primary grapes used in Crémant de Jura are:
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Trousseau.
Crémant de Limoux
The primary grapes used in Crémant de Limoux are:
Mauzac, Chardonnay, and Chenin Blanc.
Crémant de Loire
The primary grapes used in Crémant de Loire are:
Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir.
Crémant de Savoie
The primary grapes used in Crémant de Savoie are:
Jacquère, Altesse, and Chardonnay.
Méthode Champenoise
Méthode Champenoise is the method used to produce French Champagne.
With Méthode Champenoise (the production method of Champagne), the first fermentation takes place in a tank, and a second fermentation takes place in the bottle.
Adding CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) is not allowed.
The second fermentation starts by adding yeast (Saccharomyces Cerevisiae) and sugar to the bottle, and after about 1 year, the bubbles are completely developed.
The legend credit a Benedictine monk, Dom Pérignon (1639-1715), for inventing sparkling wine when he bottled a wine before fermentation, but the oldest recorded sparkling wine is Blanquette de Limoux from 1531.
The method is used for:
- French Champagne
- French Crémant
- Spanish Cava
- Italian Franciacorta
- German Sekt
- Portuguese Espumante
Méthode Champenoise is now reserved (by EU) for wines produced in Champagne:
| Country | Must Use |
|---|---|
| England | Traditional Method |
| France | Méthode Traditionnelle |
| Spain | Método Tradicional |
| Portugal | Método Tradicional |
| Italy | Metodo Classico Metodo Tradizionale |
| Germany | Klassische Flaschengärung |
Sugar Levels
| Regulation EC 607/2009 |
Sugar gram/litre |
Calories /glass |
|---|---|---|
| Brut Nature (Brut Zero) | 0-3 | 3 |
| Extra Brut | 0-6 | 5 |
| Brut | 0-12 | 7 |
| Extra Dry (Extra Sec, Extra Seco) | 12-17 | 10 |
| Dry (Sec, Seco) | 17-32 | 20 |
| Demi (Semi) | 32-50 | 30 |
| Doux (Sweet, Dulce) | 50+ | 30+ |
 |
Blanc de BlancBlanc de Blanc means "White from Whites". Only White grapes are used in the production. The typically grape is Chardonnay. It can also be another grape like Pinot Blanc, or a blend. In Spain they use Spanish grapes like Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarel-lo. In Germany they often use Riesling. |
 |
Blanc de NoirBlanc de Noir meanis "White from Blacks". Only Red grapes are used in the production. The typical grape is Pinot Noir. It can also be another grape like Pinot Meunier, or a blend. In Spain they often use Monastrell. |
The river Gironde splits the area in the famous Left Bank (Southwest) and the Right Bank (Northeast), where two very different famous blends are produced.
On the Left Bank, Cabernet Sauvignon is the primary grape, on the Right Bank, Merlot is the primary grape.
Bordeaux Blanc
Bordeaux Blanc
Pessac Léognan
Entre-Deux-Mers
Sémillon
Sweet Wines
Sauternes (Sweet)