Tag: Crémant

WSET Diploma

Kaolin – “Partons Vite”: NV Bailly Lapierre Crémant de Bourgogne Réserve Brut

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon-green, bubbles noted
Nose: clean, youthful, med intensity, green apple, mineral, white flowers, pear, citrus, flint, hint autolysis, white bread
Mouth: dry, med+ acid, med- alcohol, med- body, med+ flavour intensity, flint, apple, pear, mineral, hint autolysis, floral, med length, creamy mousse
All in all: Good quality: the moderately complex sparkling wine is balanced, but could benefit from more concentration and persistence. Drink now; not suitable for ageing. 
Identity Guess: Mid-priced Non-Vintage Crémant de Bourgogne from France.
Is really: Mid-priced Non-Vintage Crémant de Bourgogne from France.

NV Bailly Lapierre Crémant de Bourgogne Réserve Brut

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 2 – Week 1]

Crémant is practically the poor man’s Champagne – the French sparkling is made in the traditional method, with permitted grapes depending on the region.… read more

Quaffing

Karen Smith from “Mean Girls”: NV Cave de Lugny Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale orange, bubbles
Nose: clean, light intensity, youthful, mineral, citrus, light red fruit, hint yeastiness
Mouth: dry, med body, med acid, med- alcohol, med- flavour intensity, med length, mineral, citrus, light red fruit, savoury + stony finish
All in all: (Acceptable to) good quality: the wine is balanced in structure and mouthfeel, but there is a lack in fruit, concentration, and flavour intensity. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.

NV Cave de Lugny Crémant de Bourgogne Brut Rosé

(Disclaimer: after some thought, perhaps I am too hard on sparkling rosés…?)

I had to choose between this and cheap Cava tonight, and this won. I’ve been dying to retry wines that I’ve had further back in my wine education (especially if it was more than a year ago) just to see whether or not my palate is consistent, and whether or not I pick up on the same notes.… read more

WSET Advanced

NV Breton Vouvray “La Dilettante” Crémant de Loire

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Notes:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, developing, lots of mineral, reserved fruit, touch of yeast, bitter edge, green apple
Mouth: dry, med bodied, med+ acid, med length
All in all: Good to very good quality; drink now, but has potential for ageing.

[Retried in February 2014]

So basically everything that was tasted during the latter half of this day was rushed, which resulting in the shittiest, most rushed (and incomplete) tasting notes ever (so messy that I can’t even read them). All due to the fact that our exam was right after our sparklings, anyways. 

I’m slightly disappointed I didn’t write more about this wine! In theory it’s interesting:
1) Having the “Vouvray” sub-region designation, we know that it’s 100% Chenin Blanc, which is my favourite white grape (for now, anyways).… read more

Tasting

I NEED A BIGGER KNIFE. (UBC Wine Tasting Sesh #2)

Posted on by Josh

Long-ass day. Doesn’t seem so bad in retrospect, but I woke up early for a 9AM thing at UBC, took the 99 to the last stop for work, and then needed to travel all the way back to UBC to lead Part 2 of the sort-of-intro-to-wine themed tasting, all while wearing pants that weren’t jeans, one of those shirts you’d hate to spill wine on, and shoes that didn’t fit just enough to make my feet cry. The garb was fitting for all of the day’s events but for this day in particular, I would defs have lead a wine tasting wearing nothing but seven layers of random comfortable 7-foot-long linens, cinnamon-bun-Homer-Simpson style. I was that uncomfortable (ugh rain + sickness).… read more

WSET Advanced

NV Lugny Rosé Crémant de Bourgogne

Posted on by Josh

Tasting Notes:

Eyes: clear, pale orange, bubbles
Nose: clean, pronounced, youthful, yeastiness, light strawberry/watermelon notes
Mouth: dry, med body (delicate bubbles), med acid, med+ length, med- alcohol, med intensity
All in all: Very good quality; drink now.

Tasted against the NV Duval-Leroy Brut Rosé Champagne.

This taste comparison was obviously set up to show the differences between a rosé Crémant and a rosé Champagne. Disappointingly enough, it was hard to pick up those definitive toasty notes in one of these wines and not the other. Amusingly enough, what this comparison showed was the potential for great Crémants to exist, something which is apparently not a common thing. Plenty of delicate bubbles, and there was some stinky yeastiness on the nose, along with some light red fruit notes.… read more

Quaffing

2008 Cave de Lugny Crémant de Bourgogne

Posted on by Josh

Tasting notes:

Eyes: clear, med lemon, froth upon pouring but few bubbles in glass
Nose: clean, med- intensity, citrus, green apple, flint, slight autolytic (or none) – hard to pinpoint
Mouth: dry, persistent bubbles, med- body, high acidity, med+ length
All in all: Good quality; drink now.

So, I recently started a new job (and who knows when this post will be posted?), and I decided to celebrate that and the end of a mediocre exam period with some Crémant! I don’t recall ever trying one (let alone a vintage Champagne-style bubbly) so I thought I’d give it a go.

Basic stuff at first. Medium lemon, obvious froth upon pouring. I was disappointed in the fact that I detected little to no autolytic notes, though.… read more