Crémant: style guide plus 120 tasted

<p>A complex nose, full of cirtrus fruits and wild flower honey. This has a gorgeous weight to it, immediately impactful but with a lightness of touch. Crisp green apples come in on the palate supported by lemon and lime juiciness. Good acidity levels keep this refreshing. Well-rounded and balanced. A more serious wine if you can call it that, giving more depth so this would be excellent with food but their regular methode traditionelle is also an excellent crowd-pleasing aperitif style. A blend of 60% Chardonnay, 30% Chenin Blanc and 5% Mauzac Blanc.&nbsp;Incredible value and a seriously delicious alternative to Champagne.&nbsp;</p>

Acacia, honeysuckle, white flowers and honeyed citrus fruit on the nose, tarte au citron and buttery pastry notes, really inviting. Well-rounded and succulent palate, juicy lemons and limes, crisp green apples and ripe pears. Good vibrancy and density with drive, refined and harmonious – incredibly moreish. An excellent time to drink this as a far superior alternative to cheap Champagne. Made by the highly-rated Cave de Lugny cooperative in southern Burgundy.

Expressive nose of brioche, hazelnuts, citrus fruits and white flowers. Delicate bubbles on the palate, elegant and refined with freshness and intensity of flavour, and the focus isn't so much on the fruit that underpins the wine but on the nuance of nuttiness, marzipan and buttery pastries. A really enjoyable organic fizz from an estate with a winemaking history dating back to 1795. The wine is aged on lees for 40 months before being disgorged.

55% Pinot Noir, 33% Aligoté, 12% Chardonnay. Smells concentrated and intense. From a family estate based in the heart of Chablis, this is enjoyable with honeyed, succulent lemon and lime flavours undercut by crisp green apple and some strawberry touches. Nice weight in the mouth – great balance means you can definitely enjoy it on its own, or equally it has the density to pair well with food.

Extremely expressive on the nose, a burst of flowers and orchard fruits. The texture is clean and precise, very crisp and dry with well-balanced acidity, overall a sense of elegance and harmony. Effortless and easy to drink, made from Pinot Noir which gives structure and about 10% Gamay bringing the fullness and elegance.

A blend of Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc, this has a lovely, light, appley fresh nose which leads into a palate with fine and delicate bubbles and intense flavours of lemon, lime, green apple and juicy peach. Well balanced with plenty of appeal, some mineral notes at the end – an excellent supermarket pick, sometimes on offer below £10. Ideal as an aperitif or with shellfish or soft cheeses.

A quality own-label fizz from the team behind the St John restaurant group in London. Apples and pears on the nose, good immediate weight in the mouth, lively bubbles and a delicious crunchy lemon and green apple tang. It's still light and delicate but with a good depth on the mid-palate and length from two years' ageing on the lees. With or without food – a great summer sparkler with a crisp finish leaving you wanting more.

A lively nose with elements of lemon, acacia, green apple and nutty notes. The palate is alive with tiny bubbles and a creamy mouse. Bright lemon comes through clearly, with crisp green apple washing over the palate leaving a dry, clean sensation. Bright and refreshing – it has the right level of zip for an aperitif, yet feels round and complete with fruit, intensity and drive. Serve with hard cheese or white meat dishes.

Inviting, white floral and softly fruited nose. Delicate but well defined, with green apple, elderflower and peach touches on the palate. Light and elegant style perfect as an aperitif, to catch the nuance and delicacy of flavour – a thirst-quenching, delicious summer fizz. The easiest-drinking in the producer's large and successful range of 12 crémants.

Fruit-salad, floral and tropical aromatics with floral tones. This has a lovely weight in the mouth, present but not too overpowering or high acid. Really fresh and finessed, delicate but juicy. Extremely drinkable, a Pinot Blanc with a lightness of touch that will work well as an aperitif – a genuine steal at the price.

Lemon and lime on the nose, aromas of freshly baked apple tart. This organic 100% Pinot Noir has an excellent structure and feels well balanced in the mouth, more serious and rich than many with a lovely weight on the tongue comprising flavours of caramelised peaches, lemon rind and apple flesh. Drink on its own to show off the nuance of aromatic intensity, or with white meats and cheese.

Patisserie and citrus aromas, excellent quality, feels well balanced and harmonious with delicate bubbles and delicious softly sweet lemon brioche, pastry flavours. A great choice to entertain guests for apero or with fish dishes, oysters or shellfish. Very moreish and a great alternative to non-vintage Champagne.

From a family-run estate dating back to 1898, this has a rounded and inviting nose and a really delicious palate with some pear drop sweetness offset by crisp green apple and lemon all harmoniously integrating. Delicate bubbles give an enjoyable sensation. Easy to drink, juicy, succulent, mouthwatering, softly sweet and with a lift at the end. Wonderful.

An evocative Chardonnay nose full of fruit and floral aromas with some pear, apple, lemon and peach. The palate is crisp but succulent with a juiciness that fills the mouth – mouthwatering but completely balanced. It has a touch of lemon meringue tarte about it: crunchy, zesty, refreshing. Totally delicious and excellent value from an estate with a winemaking history going back to 1816.

Fresh lime juice, grapefruit and green apple skin on the nose, fresh and inviting. Fruity and alive but so balanced and harmonious, giving fine bubbles, juicy flavours and crunch. Well rounded, with some chalky minerality coming through that adds an extra dimension. Easy-drinking and very enjoyable.

Made from 85% Jacquère and 15% Chardonnay by seventh-generation winemakers, this lovely fizz has a strong personality. A light nose with white peach, apricot and ripe pear/pear drop aromas. This has a really nice depth of flavour; still light overall but the fine bubbles coat the mouth with a lovely mix of fruit and floral flavours, with sweet, ripe pear standing out.

Lovely freshness offset by rich orchard fruit and gentle nuttiness in this enjoyable fizz that delivers a lot for its price tag. The blend is dominated by Chenin Blanc (10% of which from reserve wines) and the variety’s trademark woolly creaminess gives weight to the lifted linden, grapefruit and peach aromas. Textural and food-friendly.

With a wonderfully fresh and inviting nose, this has a lovely density with just the right level of fine bubbles, and rich citrus, apple and peach flavours. It's dry and leaves the mouth enlivened. Great as an aperitif – serve with little goats' cheese toasts or with a summer fruits pavlova.

A blend of 50% Chardonnay, 30% Chenin, 15% Pinot Noir and 5% Mauzac, this has a lovely fresh and fragrant nose – softly floral with white flower aromas as well as lime and lemon peel. It has immediate appeal: fine bubbles instantly effervesce on the tongue and it has a good balance and weight. Easy to drink, with a shot of citrus fruits through the palate giving an energetic finish.

Citrus freshness on the nose, soft and delicate on the palate, with white flowers, creamy lemon and peach fruit notes. A refined sparkling wine that isn't too mouthwatering, austere or high in acidity but still has freshness and definition. A most enjoyable wine from a family domaine in Rully that was instrumental in the creation of the Crémant de Bourgogne AP in 1975, now run by the granddaughter of the original owners.

This blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gamay and Aligoté has a really bright and zippy core of flavour on the palate, given texture and verve through the grippy bubbles that fill the mouth. Full of refreshing lemon with lime juice and mandarin skin, and a hint of almonds adding complexity and depth on the finish. Best appreciated with food. One of four in a range of rare, numbered wines made by French wine magnate Jean-Charles Boisset.

A standout supermarket fizz that is fresh and tangy, with lemon citrus flavours coming through strongly on the palate, tiny bubbles and an almost bitter, crunchy edge. The sculpted palate is structured and feels precise in terms of drive and flavour definition. Good quality, would pair well with fish dishes.

A refreshing crémant from sparkling specialist Dopff au Moulin, situated in Riquewihr, Alsace. A blend of Pinot Blanc and Auxerrois gives floral, pear and white peach aromas, with a bready, yeasty top note. I was won over by the pure lemony attack that melds into soft creamy bubbles.

Apricot, orange peel and lemon on the nose. This is instantly refreshing, with tiny bubbles that fill the mouth and offer some sherbet-like lemon succulence. Pinot Blanc, pure and precise with good balance and drive. The hint of bitterness and sweetness is well handled. Pair with a main meal to make the most of the complexity.

From 10th-generation winemakers based in Poligny, Jura. A rich, complex nose of honeyed toast, lemon rind and honeysuckle. Has a lovely presence on the tongue, with crisp green apple, lemon, lime, honey and orange rind. The combination of lively, refreshing citrus marries with enjoyable bitter lemon and toast flavours, giving complexity, roundness and interest, long and lingering on the finish. Seek out and pair with food.