Top-rated Crémant from France

A great value alternative to Champagne, crémants offer characterful regional sparkle from all over France. Sue Style recommends her favourite bottles...

Without the deep pockets required to drink grande marque or grower Champagne, I’m always on the lookout for well-made sparkling wine from other regions of France.

There are, of course, many Champagnes available at relatively modest prices. They find a market because there’s something magical about the brand, but they can be deeply disappointing. Decent crémant is often a far better bet.

Scroll down to see Sue’s top 18 Crémants from France

It comes from all around France, from Alsace in the northeast down through the Jura and Burgundy, into Savoie and Die, across to Limoux sheltering beneath the Pyrenees and back up into the Loire Valley. (Bordeaux also does crémant, but I’ve yet to find one that has convinced me.)

All crémant is made using the Champagne method, where the second fermentation takes place in bottle.

This method (known as méthode traditionelle since the ever-vigilant Champagne growers outlawed use of the term méthode champenoise save for their own sparkling wine) is one of the things that sets crémant apart from Prosecco, whose second fermentation takes place in tanks.

Know your grapes

To get the best bang for your bubbles, focus on the originality and difference that each region can offer in its crémant. The main differences lie with the grape varieties.

While Champagne is based on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, in Alsace – where Julien Dopff pioneered sparkling wine in the early 1900s – it’s the Pinot family plus Riesling and Chardonnay.

In the Jura, which is responsible for some of the most exciting crémants around today, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir will star, with the occasional intrusion of Savagnin (of vin jaune fame), Poulsard or Trousseau.

Crémant de Bourgogne, now a notable player in the quality bubbly field, uses Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay in varying combinations and proportions; while in sub-alpine Savoie – France’s most recent crémant appellation – Jacquère, Roussette and Chardonnay will often come together.

Further south in the Rhône, the chief player for Crémant de Die is Clairette, with additions of Aligoté and even Muscat.

Over in the southwest of France in Limoux, a region with its own centuries-old tradition of sparkling wine, the distinctive local Mauzac grape will lend seasoning to a Chardonnay-Chenin blend.

While finally, up in the cool climate of the Loire – another region which has a solid reputation for sparklers – Chenin Blanc shares the stage with Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay.

Just as in Champagne, great value is placed on extended lees-ageing after the second fermentation in bottle, which gives an extra dimension to the wines.

There are slight variations according to the region, but at the very least nine months are required (versus 15 months for Champagne). In practice though, the best crémants will have spent considerably longer on the lees. Price, as ever, will be an indicator of a crémant with aspirations, but it’s rare to find a bottle costing more than £20. Here are some of my favourites.

Sue’s picks of Crémant from France

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