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BURGUNDY
– STYLE –
Vineyard management techniques are specific to Crémant de Bourgogne.
The vines are pruned longer for sparkling wines
GRAPE VARIETIES WITH AN INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION
Hence, Pinot noir and Chardonnay must account for at least 30% of the
blends. However, downgrading wines destined for still appellations to
make sparkling wines is out of the question: vineyard areas earmarked
for Crémant must be declared by the spring. “In any case, the vines
require different management techniques”, comments Martinand. “For
still wines, we manage Pinot noir in such a way that it produces colour
and tannins. For a Crémant, we aim primarily for fruitiness”. The
reputation of the kings of Burgundy grape varieties is firmly established
but winegrowers willingly blend them with more under-the-radar
grapes. In Marcenay, in the Châtillon area, Fabien Guilleman gets his
creative juices flowing with Pinot gris and Aligoté to make successful
wines. Sylvain Martinand is focusing instead on the imminent revival of
Sacy, which was traditionally planted in Yonne. “It is a very productive
and very late-ripening variety, which should make a comeback in
decades to come due to global warming and late frosts that make the
earlier varieties challenging to work with...»
THE SEARCH FOR QUALITY,
OUTSIDE THE SPECIFICATIONS BOX
From Auxerre to Côte Chalonnaise and the Châtillon area, Crémant de
Bourgogne producers are not shy when it comes to going beyond the
basic AOC requirements in a bid to constantly ramp up quality, using a
different varietal range, increasing sourcing options or focusing on single
vineyards, and lengthening ageing time. The proof that the strategy is
28 SUMMER 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE