We were excited for Open That Bottle Night #OTBN, a night dedicated to declaring, “This night is special enough. I’m gonna open that bottle I have been saving.”  We had a bottle of Chenin Blanc from Savennieres. Chenin Blanc has the longest list we have seen of  possible aromatics and flavors and this grape can be made into still, sparkling, or dessert wines. It is the multiple personality of the wine grape world.  It is most expressive when yields are low and hangtime is long.

Savennieres is an appellation in Anjou-Saumur in France’s Loire Valley.  Here Chenin Blanc is held to very low maximum yields.    Savennieres is not that far away from the land of Chenin’s sweet botrytized self – Coteaux du Layon, Bonnezeaux and Quarts de Chaume.  Botrytis is a type of “beneficial” rot that develops in humid conditions and causes the grapes to shrivel resulting in sweeter wines. Savennieres is a dry version of Chenin Blanc.  There is a lot of air circulation in this appellation so  Chenin Blanc has a long hangtime without developing botrytis.  Chenin Blanc is also known for having high acidity – a vital component to bottle aging.

So we had done our homework.  Our bottle of 2005 should have been a symphony of flavors – mineral, fruit, herbs, savory, maybe even some honey and toast.  It was even getting great comments on cellar tracker.  Did we mention lanolin and sheep’s wool are two possible Chenin flavors?  Sounds weird but as an undertone to brighter fruits these can lend an organic earthiness like the “barnyard” in good Burgundy Pinot noir.  It is not, I repeat NOT, supposed to smell and taste like “OMG did a sheep maybe die in this bottle?” OR “Is this what spoiled sheep’s milk tastes like?”  Needless to say we had a bad bottle and there were no warning signs. It can happen to even the best wineries.

Surprises happen, even to wine writers.  This is why we always have a chilled bottle of inexpensive but delicious sparkling wine. Cava from Segura Viudas definitely saved the day.  Cava is sparkling wine from Spain.  It is made in the traditional method of Champagne but with mostly different grapes.  Chardonnay can be used but Cava gets its distinctive flavors from Parellada, Macabeo, and Xarel-lo..  These deliver a wine with enough earthy flavor and crisp acid to enjoy alone at a price that allows mixing up your favorite sparkling cocktail.  Perfect for saving the night or for unexpected guests. Our bottle cost ~$8 at Safeway and we were as happy as clams.

But we served crab.  The plan for a our special bottle was making crab cakes for the first time.  New to the Pacific Northwest, the availability of local Dungeness crab is a rare treat.  Tip: Depending on the supply in a given year the price of Dungeness crab may increase for a couple of weeks following Chinese New Year.

Cava from Spain

Cap Classique from South Africa

Sekt from Germany

Cremant – French sparkling wine from anywhere other than Champagne.

All of these, with the exception of most Sekt, are made using the traditional method. There are some differences though.  Grapes, climate, and time on lees vary and affect the flavors.

Chenin Blanc is a popular grape in Cap Classique and Cremant from the Loire Valley. These wines have more floral notes and body.  Cava uses three indigenous grapes: Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Paralleda.  Chardonnay has been allowed in Cava only in recent years. Cava is known for an earthy, rubbery flavor.

There are New World examples as well.  One of our favorites, Gloria Ferrer, is from California.  We especially enjoy the fuller body of Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noir.  Gruet is from New Mexico and we found their Blanc de Blanc Gruet to be bready and yeasty with a lot of body and pronounced lemon flavor.

Nine months on lees are required and most are not aged as long as champagne.  These wines will therefore have less yeast and attic flavors and in some cases more fruit.

There is a little variation from the traditional method that is sometimes used.  It is called the transfer method.  It is cheaper and eliminates the need for riddling.  At the disgorgement step the bottles are emptied – lees, wine and all- into a pressurized tank.  Lees are filtered out and the wine is dispensed into a new bottle.  Critics claim the bubbles are less fine and the filtering process removes character. Bottles cannot say “traditional method” or “fermented in this bottle”.  They can say “bottle fermented.”

Interesting tidbit.  Moet & Chandon recently began making sparkling wine in India. Have you tried a sparkling wine from an unusual place?  Tell us about it. Next post we’ll tell you about some sparklers from the Pacific Northwest plus share recommendations from our wine friends.