Apparently
talking about my best friend, Kye, never gets old for me (because, and I can’t
stress this enough, he is awesome and has always been there for me when I
needed him, even when we weren’t exactly on speaking terms). Thanks to him,
when I was first really starting to get into wine, we were invited into a study
group that really did me a lot of good. The first meeting had me a bit
skeptical based on the number of people who showed up, but as time went on it
dwindled down to just six or so of us who were really focused on furthering our
knowledge rather than just showing up for the free-ish booze. I still miss it
sometimes, mostly because it forced me to study (mainly so I didn’t come across
as a complete idiot to these people who were way more knowledgeable than me)
and with my Certified Specialist of Wine exam coming up on the 30th of
this month, I could use a little coercion as far as studying goes.
I hadn’t
really thought about the group too much since we all got too busy to keep up
with it over a year ago until I realized my store had a Crémant de Bordeaux randomly hidden among
its selection of sparkling wine, Jean-Louis Trocard to be exact. I remembered,
during an evening spent studying Bordeaux, Laura, the fantastic Advanced Sommelier of the
group (and one of the people I credit the most with helping me pass my certified), telling us that Crémants are
made in Bordeaux, but hard to find (at least in San Antonio). She told us if we
ever found one to definitely pick it up for the group, and seeing this on the
shelf made me nostalgic for nights spent blind tasting and studying. For those
who don’t know the term Crémant is
used to refer to French sparkling wine made using the méthode
champenoise and not from the Champagne region.
Since I don’t drink bubbly super often it took me a little while to pick
up a bottle for Kye and me to share, but we were both very glad when I finally
did. The blend is mostly Semillon with some Sauvignon Blanc, pale gold in color
with notes of green apple, lime zest and wet rocks on the nose. The palate is
dry and crisp with flavors of golden pear, citrus and a hint of lemongrass.
There’s a little bit of funk halfway through (which I personally enjoy), but
the bright acidity at the end leaves a refreshing, lingering mouthfeel. It’s
very affordable and incredibly enjoyable.
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