NV Lucien Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace Brut

NV Lucien Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace Brut 

Vintage: NV
Region: Alsace, France
Winery: Lucien Albrecht
Varieties: Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Auxerrois
Price: $15
Rating: 91 Points
My Rating: 90 Points

The Review: Hopefully everyone had a nice weekend and was able to properly celebrate "Open that bottle of Virginia wine night." I hosted a small tasting with my roommates, and we had the 2018 Barboursville Cabernet Franc as well as the 2017 White Hall Viognier- both were great! Now it's back to your regularly scheduled programming.

A couple of weeks ago, my mom opened this bottle for me at dinner at the suggestion of one of the people at a store we shop at. I was intrigued because Cremant d'Alsace is always a great option (it's a great way to get Champagne quality sparklers, made in the Champagne method, for a fraction of the price), but it's not usually something a whole lot of people will suggest! Just as a quick refresher- "Cremant" is French sparkling wine that's from somewhere other than Champagne. So, Cremant de Bourgogne is sparkling wine from Burgundy, and Cremant d'Alsace is sparkling wine from Alsace, etc. Shame on me for not knowing about this wine from Lucien Albrecht though, because it's racked up some accolades over the years. It ranked 71st on Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 of 2018 list and has picked up quite a few great ratings- all rightfully so.

When I've touched on the wines of Alsace in the past, I was pretty much exclusively talking about Riesling. This is the pride and joy of the region, but they also grow other cool-climate grapes such as Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, and even some Pinot Noir. The commonality is that these wines all allow for maximum expressivity, which can make for a really interesting sparkler. The Lucien Albrecht Cremant d'Alsace Brut is a great example of a high-caliber sparkling wine from Alsace that can be found almost everywhere. It presented classic aromas of white peach, green apple, and some zesty lemon/lime. There was a delicate hint of orange blossom and the slightest bit of toast. The taste was really where things got interesting. There was a big punch of crisp and tart citrus, as well as some green apple, that quickly moved into some white pepper and a gorgeous honeyed and toasty finish. If I had to guess, I would say that this wine's dosage was on the higher side, which really provides a creamy mouthfeel and that honeyed finish (dosage being the sugar that allows the wine to ferment a second time in the bottle, thus giving it its bubbles).

This wine is another great every-night option for sparkling wine. It's accessible, delicious, and has a cool opportunity to explain the difference between Champagne and Cremant to your friends. Enjoy your weeks and drink something cool.

drink what you like,

db

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