Top 100 wines of Crémant de Loire - Page 5

Discover the top 100 best wines of Crémant de Loire of Crémant de Loire as well as the best winemakers in the region. Explore the varietals of the wines that are popular of Crémant de Loire and the best vintages to taste in this region.

Discovering the wine region of Crémant de Loire

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.

News from the vineyard of Crémant de Loire

Hugh Johnson: ‘What can irritate me is change for change’s sake’

‘New’ is the second most popular word in any sales catalogue. (The first is ‘Free’.) We scribblers can’t resist it: it guarantees copy of one sort or another. Even in the slowly evolving world of wine, where the main ethos of the product is historical continuity, ‘new’ sells. To someone like me with a strong sense of history, not to mention conservative tastes, it can be a bit unsettling. It’s not really change that bothers me. There is always room for improvement. What can irritate me is change ...

Bordeaux winemaker turns north to make Breton Chardonnay

Lamballe, CEO of window manufacturer FenêtréA, purchased the 25-hectare property Kerfraval in the village of Baden, near the natural harbour of the Gulf of Morbihan, in March 2022. Sallaud will transform Kerfraval into a wine estate, named Domaine Lamballe, comprising a winery – where he will make still and sparkling wine – a visitor centre and six gites. ‘We will plant 10ha of Chardonnay in April this year to make still and sparkling wines,’ Sallaud told Decanter. ‘Mr Lamballe loves Chablis, he ...

Decanter at Home masterclass: Tasting the La Las with Philippe Guigal

Last chance: You can still buy tickets to watch this E Guigal LaLas virtual masterclass and taste the wines, via the Decanter at Home series – book here A so-called ‘vertical’ tasting is of the same wine, but over multiple vintages. A ‘horizontal’ tasting is of different wines, but in the same vintage. That’s what makes the Decanter at Home tasting particularly special – it’s both horizontal and vertical. Not only do we taste the three jewels in Guigal’s Côte-Rôtie crown; La Mouline, La Tu ...