Crémant
Crémant is French sparkling wine from outside the Champagne region, made using exactly the same second fermentation in the bottle. Which regions it comes from, why it may not be called champagne and which glass goes with it.
Bubbly and wine by type
Crémant sits among the better-known bubbly wines. Here you can read what we say about the other three and about the region where the best-known crémant comes from.
Champagne
The same second fermentation in the bottle, but only wine from the Champagne region may be called that.
About Champagne →Prosecco
The Italian bubbly undergoes its second fermentation in a tank and is made from a single grape, glera.
About Prosecco →
Cava
Like crémant, the Spanish bubbly undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle, made from macabeo, parellada and xarel-lo.
About Cava →
Burgundy
The region behind crémant de Bourgogne, with chardonnay, gamay and pinot noir as its familiar grape varieties.
About Burgundy →The same bubbles, a different address
Crémant is a refined, fresh sparkling wine from France that resembles champagne but may not be called champagne. This is not about quality but about origin: sparkling wine may only be called champagne if it comes from the region of the same name. If the bottle comes from Alsace, Burgundy or the Loire, it is labelled crémant. An interesting detail is that the name itself comes from the Champagne region, where crémant referred to wine that fermented in the bottle. Most crémants are white, but there are also rosé versions, and together they make up the French bubbly selection for a drink or a party.
The bubbles form in the same way as they do in champagne. The grapes are hand-picked, and the wine gets its mousse through the méthode traditionnelle, which means that the second fermentation takes place in the bottle. That is where the fine, persistent bubbles you see rising in the glass come from. For crémant de Bourgogne, the rest is also laid down by law: the grapes must come from the AOC Bourgogne appellation, and the wine must age for at least nine months. Which grapes are in the bottle varies by region, because each region uses its own varieties.
In brief
Six bottles, from Burgundy to Bordeaux
Each region makes crémant from its own grapes, and you can taste it. These six range from classic Burgundy through Alsace and the Loire to Bordeaux, with a rosé and a demi-sec as the standouts.
Charles de Fère Crémant de Bourgogne
Made exclusively from grapes from AOC Bourgogne, here chardonnay, pinot noir, gamay and aligoté. Soft in taste, with a refreshing finish of green apples.
Adam Crémant d'Alsace Brut
From Alsace and made entirely from pinot blanc, whereas that region more often works with a blend of grapes. Rich, creamy and soft, making it the roundest of the bunch.
De Chanceny Crémant de Loire
Chardonnay and chenin blanc from the Loire Valley, the region of citrus and floral notes. In the glass, toasted bread, wild peach and pineapple, with spices, liquorice and white flowers running through it.
Terres Douches Crémant de Bordeaux
The odd one out, from Bordeaux and made from 80% merlot and 20% sémillon. Fresh fruit such as citrus and apple, with a certain floral character.
Langlois-Chateau Brut Rosé
The pink version, made from cabernet franc and pinot noir from the Loire. Fresh, fruity and sparkling, with aromas of wild strawberries and berries.
Veuve Amiot Demi-Sec
The sweeter option on this shelf, from Saumur in the Loire Valley, made from chenin, cabernet and chardonnay. Floral, with apple and a slightly sweet taste, and, according to the label, best served chilled in a flute glass.
If the bottle comes from the Champagne region, it is called champagne. The method does not change: there too, the wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle.
Fresh, refined and finely bubbly
White fruit and flowers
White and yellow fruit such as apple and pear, with citrus and white flowers. The Loire is known for its citrus and floral notes, while in Alsace the profile is lighter and fruitier.
Fresh and refined
The second fermentation in the bottle creates fine, persistent bubbles and a fresh, refined taste. A brut is dry; the exact character of the bottle mainly depends on the region and the grapes.
Refreshing
The Bourgogne from Charles de Fère finishes with a refreshing green-apple finish. The demi-sec from Saumur, on the other hand, leaves a floral, lightly sweet note lingering.
Flavor profile of an average brut crémant. A demi-sec such as the one from Saumur scores clearly higher on sweetness, while a rosé is somewhat fruitier.
How to serve crémant
Treat a crémant like any sparkling wine that has fermented in the bottle: chilled, opened gently and poured at an angle.
Chilled, not ice-cold
A French sparkling wine is usually served at 8 to 10 degrees. If you have more than four hours, the refrigerator is enough; if you need to chill it faster, place the bottle in a cooler with cold water and ice for half an hour. Colder than that is not very useful, as you will barely taste any of the delicate fruit.
The right glass →Open without a bang
Remove the foil from the bottle and loosen the muselet, the wire cage around the cork. Hold the bottom of the bottle at an angle of about 45 degrees, then turn the bottle, not the cork, and let the pressure slowly push the cork out. Keep your glass tilted while pouring, and you will lose the fewest bubbles.
More about serving →In a spritz or cocktail
Anywhere a dry sparkling wine is used, you can use a brut crémant. In a Kir Royal or a Mimosa, the liqueur or juice sets the tone anyway, so a simple bottle is perfectly adequate.
To the cocktails →Cocktails with crémant
Crémant does not feature as a fixed base in any classic recipe. These four call for a dry sparkling wine, and a brut crémant is a perfect fit.
Kir Royal
Crème de cassis in a champagne glass, topped up with sparkling wine.
Mimosa
Fresh orange juice with bubbles, finished with a splash of Cointreau on top.
Bellini
Two tablespoons of chilled peach purée in the bottom of the glass, then top up very slowly.
Hugo Spritz
A spritz with bubbles and sparkling water over plenty of ice, light and easy to drink.The right glass for crémant
One of these bottles literally says: serve chilled from a flute glass. The long stem keeps your hand away from the wine, a more spacious bowl gives the aromas more room to breathe, while in a wide coupe the wine quickly loses its bubbles. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything you still wanted to know about crémant
Can't find your question here? Check out our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
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