Domaine du Landreau Crémant de Loire

Jun 21
3 min read

CDomaine du Landreau Crémant de Loire Morin Brut NV 12% ck

Chenin Blanc & Chardonnay

Chenin Blanc is the predominant variety in this blend. Chenin is native to the Loire Valley and has it’s greatest expression as one of many fantastic sweet wines made in the area such as Vouvray. It is often found in South Africa and in many other parts of the world too as a dry wine. Chenin is a high acid grape which makes it perfect for use in Sparkling wine. It lacks the depth of flavour of a Champagne but it makes wines which are delicate and pretty and offer great value for money. Chenin as a dry wine is often described as having a wet wool or lanolin aroma but don’t let that put you off trying them. They can be wonderful wines which lots of character and with some bubbles definitely a good choice for festive celebrations.

The Loire

The Loure Valley is spilt into 3 rough regions, the central Loire which makes Sancerre, Pouilly Fumé etc and is dominated by Sauvignon Blanc. Western Loire is famous for Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc and makes some great sweet wines too. And lastly the Muscadet area. The climate is wet and somewhat cold so the wines tend to all have a freshness and crisp acidity that makes for long lived wines. The Loire is home to some of France’s greatest wines such a Sancerre, Bonnezeaux, Quarts de Chaume, Vouvray and Chinon.

Champagne Method

This sparkling wine is made in the same way as Champagne but in a different area of France and with some different grape varieties. The base wine is low in alcohol and high in acidity and generally not very flavoursome. However, from this unpromising start rises a phoenix in the form of bubbles. When the base wine has finished its fermentation the winemaker adds some more yeast and a bit of sugar to the bottle and closes it with a crown cap (a beer cap). The yeast eat the sugar and turn it into alcohol releasing Carbon dioxide as a by-product. As the gas can’t escape due the crown cap the gas is absorbed into the wine to make small, fine bubbles (this is a contrast to sparkling wines made in other ways where the bubbles tend to be bigger and disappear more quickly). Once the yeast have finished they die and fall to the bottom of the bottle and are called lees. They stay in contact with the wine for as long as the wine is laid down to rest and impart flavour and texture as they go. The longer the wine is left to rest the more flavour is imparted. Before the bottle is sold the dead yeast are removed and a Champagne cork and cage are used to re-close the bottle.

Party Time!

Let's be fair, this wine doesn't actually need a food pairing, it's a great party wine, or for whenever you feel the occassion deserves bubbles. Any day ending in Y for me! But if you do want to eat alongside it then Crémant de Loire is fresh, crisp, and lightly creamy — so think salty, delicate, and not heavy. If you want to be posh then a Fromage Gougères would be lovely, or a pack of cheese puffs.