Description

A blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gamay, it offers a fruity, vibrant and full flavoured drink with a hint of sweetness. Raspberries, red currant, rose petals and white flowers. The palate is generous full and lightly sweet. Great for drinking now, this wine would pair well with blinis with smoked salmon and creme fraiche.

An estate that dates back to 1877. The Nuits St Georges based Bouillots were always focussed on making Crémant styles from Burgundy (even though they pre-dated the appellation by 100 years). They make 13 cuvees from Crémant de Bourgogne and they are all charming and affable wines at a very agreeable price.

Burgundy

The classic part of Burgundy known as the Cote D’Or (the slope of gold) is essentially one vineyard that is 60km long and maybe 5km at its widest. From this limestone ridge some of the most complex, long-lived and aromatic wines are produced from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The Cistercian monks who owned the land codified the entire region and so each small plot has a name.

Crémant de Bourgogne

Sparkling wine appellation in Burgundy that was given AOC status in 1975. It comprises of hand harvested grapes that are crafted into sparkling wines using the methode traditionelle. Made from a minimum of 30% Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay or Pinot Gris. Aligoté is often added to fill out the blend. Quality and styles vary greatly. The best are very good replacements for Champagne!

Pinot Noir

This is the most elusive grape. It is relatively early ripening and extremely sensitive to terroir. Its perfect place on earth is the Cote d’Or in Burgundy. So haunting are great red Burgundy’s charms that growers everywhere try to emulate them. Pinot Noir is not just a one trick pony, it can make great reds, rosé, sparkling and even sweet wines, whites on occasion and I’ve tasted a decent fortified Pinot Noir too.

Chardonnay

The grape that you can plant anywhere, in any climate and do anything to and it will still taste like an OK wine. When people hit the sweet spot of site, climate, cropping and winemaking, Chardonnay becomes a magical wine that will age gracefully but charm you at any age. Chardonnays can range from cool climate lean and citrusy to warmer climate tropical and overt. Oak and lees can add flavouring as can malolactic fermentation.

Gamay

Grown in the French regions of Beaujolais and Loire Valley. It is early budding, high cropping, aromatic and high acid. It was outlawed from Burgundy by Duke Philippe the Bold for being disloyal but has no doubt made up for that with honourable service. The best wines from Gamay can be Burgundian in flavour and well worth seeking out. Often they are exceptionally good value too.