The Secret to Drinking Good, Cheap Sparkling Wine
Crémants shine in a line-up of French sparkling wine.
We should all be drinking more sparkling wine. In particular, we should all be drinking more Crémant—wines made in the style of Champagne, without the Champagne prices.
That’s my big takeaway from this tasting of six French sparklers from the state store. All were under $20, and a few even landed under $15. That’s a far cry from the soaring heights of quality and price you’d find in vintage Champagne. Yet it’s hard to describe the amount of pleasure sampling these wines brought us.
Bubbles just do something to you. A gold-hued wine glass frothing with a thick, rolling head of fizz is a mesmerizing sight. It says: pay attention here. The bottles themselves—cold to the touch with a dull sheen of condensation, the metal foil crinkling like gift wrapping—are lovely to look at and handle.
The holidays are basically the Olympics of sparkling wine—suddenly, everyone tunes in. But even these value-priced bottles convinced me that I should keep more bubbly around in general, for everyday drinking and to have something fun to welcome guests with. Pick up the good bottles now, because within a few days of NYE, the sparkling shelves will be ransacked.
Two of the top three wines were Crémants—a style Food & Wine has called “the unsung hero of French sparkling wine.” There’s eight different AOCs in France that make Crémant—including commonly seen ones like Loire and and Bourgogne.
What distinguishes the style is a production process also used in Champagne—variously called méthode champenoise or méthode traditionnelle—in which secondary fermentation happens in the bottle as opposed to occurring in a large vat or tank. Secondary fermentation is how bubbles are added to the wine, and by occurring in bottle, little oxygen is introduced, and the wine can age on the lees, leading to a rounded, creamier texture and greater overall complexity.
In terms of the tasting set-up, I saved Proseccos, Cavas, and domestic sparkling wines for future newsletters. Sticking to an affordable price range, I was left with an assortment of non-Champagne French sparkling wines, which a few family members joined me in trying on a drizzly Sunday afternoon.
Shout out to Phil at the Flourtown FW&GS store, who helped me wrangle these wines while my daughter Margot casually bumped into Veuve Clicquot bottles and scattered oyster crackers around the floor.
The Best French Sparkling Wines (Not Including Champagne)
It took a while, but three bottles emerged as the clear group favorites. There wasn’t a conclusive #1 bottle, but the NV Andre Delorme Blanc de Blanc Brut Reserve came closest—a coup, considering the $12.99 price tag. This is a Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs, meaning it is made in Burgundy and only from white grapes (in this case, 100% Chardonnay)—a style this estate excels at. Rich and flavorful with a complex floral nose, showing accents of intense green apple, quinine, and orange blossom water. Everyone wanted more.
Vying for the overall favorite as well was the 2019 Château de Cossé Réserve du Marquis Brut Crémant de Loire, just $17.99. Super crisp, clean, and classic, it’s made from Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc grapes. Wine Enthusiast: “a bright, refreshing wine. Freshness gives a scintillating aftertaste and lively finish.” My mom: “I wouldn’t let this glass get away from me.”
The first wine we drank, the NV Victoire Lafayette Brut Blanc de Blancs Vin de France ($14.99), was also a consensus favorite. I found the nose—brightly decorated with notes of melon, tangerine, brioche, and caramel—to be showier than the palate, which was mainly clean and lemony. But we all instantly took to it, and there’s no question this will do the trick for most occasions where affordable bubbly is called for. Pretty bottle design too.
The NV Domaine de Martinolles Le Bercueau Blanquette de Limoux Brut ($16.99) was a 2nd favorite of some. Broad and full-bodied with a nice bit of tartness, it also had a few detractors at the table.
The NV Varichon et Clerc Privelege Blanc de Blanc Savoie Brut ($13.99) was found by everyone to be pretty dull. Not bad, just middle of the road, leaving little impression on the mind or palate.
The NV Domaine des Trottieres La Pierre Couverte Brut Crémant de Loire ($17.99) was unfortunately corked. It’s a shame, as this is a sparkling wine with a good reputation, but in this case we weren’t able to compare it effectively to the other bottles.
I don’t think it’d be a terrible idea to always have a sparkling wine in the fridge, let alone during the holidays. Consider it a bet that there’s always something worth celebrating around the corner.