“The feeling of friendship is like that of being comfortably filled
with roast beef; love, like being enlivened with champagne.” ....
Samuel Johnson
It’s just my hunch, but I’m
betting that we consume less “Champagne” per capita in the U.S. than most
European countries. And here’s my second hunch: I’m also guessing that most of
us first chill the “Champagne,” then open it right out of the fridge, giggle at the pop of the cork and then most
of us pour it into a glass and – while it’s still foaming – lift the glass and make
a toast. We view champagne as befitting
special occasions. That’s what we've been told and what we have been sold. But
I don’t think we much like it. Not really. And that’s too bad.
And here’s my last hunch: the
reason we don’t like it is because of the chilling-popping-pouring-drinking
scenario. Whether it’s Champagne, sparking wine, Cava or Cremant d’Alsace,
bubbly is wine. And there are enough styles within that family of
bubblies to make them much more enjoyable if we just treat them as such.
HERE’S HOW
First, most bubblies are kept
too cold. That’s OK. If it wasn't, your refrigerator would not be a safe place
to store your food. But sparkling wine really is best appreciated at 45 (F) degrees,
much warmer than your refrigerator setting.
So just take the wine out and let it sit a while. Second, open the
bottle (aside from not using a corkscrew) as your would other fine wine – be it
true Champagne, or a sparkling wine from any country made in the traditional method
such as Crement d’ Alsace, or labeled as Metodo Classico from Italy. By that, I
mean let it breathe a while. Doing this
will allow the aroma and flavors to develop. Use an appropriate glass (I prefer
the flute) but then allow the wine to sit in the glass. Enjoy the color. Look at the bubbles (mousse), and allow them
to settle a bit before consuming. The mousse provides a texture and that’s
enjoyable. But all that aggressive fizzing when it’s first poured into the
glass interferes with TASTING the wine.
Some time ago, I was invited
to participate in tasting four sparkling wines from France’s Alsace region.
Since Alsace is not within the boundaries of the region of Champagne, these
bubblies cannot properly be labeled Champagne, so they are referred to as
Cremant d’Alsace (roughly “sparkling wine of Alsace”). Credit goes to France for practicing what they
preach. And bargains go to everyone because these wines are traditionally made
(twice fermented) and offer excellence in taste but also terrific value price
wise.
The four Cremants I tasted
were:
1. Lucien
Albrecht Cremant d’Alsace Blanc de Blanc Brut, imported by Pasternak Wine
Imports
2. Gustave
Lorentz Cremant d’Alsace Brut, imported by Quintessential
3. Dopff
& Irion Cremant d’Alsace Brut Rose
4. Charles
Baur Cremant d’Alsce Brut Rose, imported by Grape News Importing
The first thing I noticed was
that, for each wine, the corks removed easily and produced only a soft “pop” –
a sign of quality. Lucien Albrecht is a
blend of 80% Pinot Auxerrois (a cross of Gouais Blanc & Pinot Noir), 10%
Pinot Blanc and 10% Chardonnay. In the glass, it is beautiful and classic with
its pale straw color. The nose offers
yeasty, fresh baked bread and is floral and elegant. The mousse (bubbles) are
small – another sign of quality – and the mouthfeel is silky and glycerol. There was taste of crisp apple and a hint of
almond with honeydew melon in the back taste as the wine warmed. The finish was
elegant, the mouthfeel creamy. I enjoyed immensely the wine’s toasty, autolytic
character. O.K., full disclosure here: I’m a “sucker” for Blanc de Blancs, but
at retail prices between $16 and $23, this sparkling wine tastes much higher
than it is priced.
On to Gustave Lorentz. The wine is a blend of 33% Chardonnay, 33%
Pinot Blanc and 33% Pinot Noir. As with the other Cremants d’Alsace, it is made
according to the “Method Champenoise” (traditional method with the second
fermentation in bottle). Aging is done “sur lattes” with daily bottle rotation
in order for the yeast deposit to accumulate in the neck of the bottle for
disgorgement. As with all “Methode Champenoise,” that’s a lot of work and one
wonders how it can be retailed for a SRP of $25. But who am I to argue? The wine offers a seductive floral nose and a
chalky whisper of minerality. It presents a citrusy taste of lemon-lime which I
hadn’t expected but enjoyed and a bright finish that softened somewhat yet
remained crisp with citrus.
The color of Dopff & Irion was pale rose-amber
and absolutely beautiful in the glass. Wisps of strawberry were present in the
clean and very light nose of this 100% Pinot Noir wine. The mousse was
exceptionally long lasting and brought tastes of faint strawberry and white
chocolate to the palette. The finish offered candied strawberry and the mid
palette was (for me) a touch sweet which would be a plus for those preferring
something less austere than a Blanc de Blanc Brut. Since that isn’t me, I swirled the wine
(heretically, I know) in the glass and preferred the result of that toning down
the perceived sweetness.
Charles Baur, also 100%
Pinot Noir, it finished the tasting and although I lean to the Chardonnays, I
found this wine captivating and was taken in by its layers of flavor. At an ARP
of $18, I was also taken in by its thriftiness. The wine is a pale, muted pink
in the glass. Though its floral noise is touted, I wasn’t able to appreciate it
until the wine got some air. Fortunately, it was last in the tasting and as
things progressed, that’s exactly what developed. Its nose was enticing. I tasted tart rose
petal and bitter orange and, as the wine aired even more, strawberry. Layers of flavor indeed! The taste sits on the mid palette and develop
a long finish. A great summertime party
wine.
Cremant d’Alsace offers great quality and
value and enough variety to suit most every taste. They are wonderful with a variety of foods
offering cleansing and crisp finishes as they do. If your experience with
“sparkling wine” has been of the “popping-pouring-drinking” scenario, I’m not
surprised you limit (if you do) that experience to celebrations. May I suggest
you celebrate instead the joie de vin (joy of wine)? Take your time; sip, savor
and enjoy!
Sante!
…………………. Jim
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