Crémant de Loire is the regional appellation for Sparkling wines from Anjou, Saumur and Touraine - the heart of France's Loire Valley wine region. Chenin Blanc is the main ingredient. A wide range of other traditional Loire grape varieties can be used. These include the obvious choices of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but also Cabernet Franc, Pineau d'Aunis, Grolleau Noir and even Cabernet Sauvignon.
The star grape of the upper Loire, Sauvignon Blanc, is a notable (and intentional) omission here. Despite its high Acidity, Loire Sauvignon is not considered well-suited to sparkling wine production. It is interesting to note, however, that this grape variety is not excluded from Bordeaux sparkling wines. A good Crémant de Loire has a tight, persistent effervescence that denotes a traditional method rather than Tank production, and a Complex, nutty, slightly honeyed Nose.
As its name suggests, the folle blanche is a white grape variety. Originally from the west of France, it was used to make Cognac and Armagnac brandies as early as the 17th century and was renowned for its finesse and fragrant nose. Replaced by Ugni Blanc following the phylloxera invasion, the folle blanche is now grown in small quantities. It is a grape variety with juicy, sweet, medium-sized bunches and berries with a white/green skin. Its worst enemy is grey rot. As it is an early variety and its buds come out early, it is particularly afraid of spring frosts. It likes short pruning, a method that limits the production of grapes but increases their quality. It also prefers mineral-rich soils, and its vineyards cover about 3,000 hectares. It is used in the production of the AOC Gros-plant du Pays nantais to produce a lively white wine with little alcohol but marked acidity.
sparkling wines from the region of Crémant de Loire go well with generally quite well with dishes of shellfish, poultry or appetizers and snacks such as recipes of grilled lobster with tarragon cream sauce, fricadella or biscuits for dogs.
On the nose in the region of Crémant de Loire often reveals types of flavors of apples, green apple or minerality and sometimes also flavors of white peach, toasty or yeast. In the mouth in the region of Crémant de Loire is a powerful with a nice vivacity and a fine and pleasant bubble.
