The traditional method in Bordeaux
Created in 1990 — it was formerly called "Bordeaux mousseux" —, Crémant de Bordeaux can be made across the entire area of the Bordeaux appellation, that is, the whole of the Gironde. It is produced using the traditional method, as with champagne: a second fermentation in the bottle, the "prise de mousse", which creates the bubbles.
The wines are kept on lees for at least nine months, often in natural galleries, cool and damp, dug along the banks of the Garonne and Dordogne — ideal conditions for slow, steady ageing.
The style of the wines
Crémant de Bordeaux exists in white and rosé, from brut to sweet. The whites, based on sémillon, sauvignon and muscadelle, are fresh, lively and thirst-quenching; the rosés, driven by merlot and the cabernets, are fruity, elegant and refined. It is a wine for celebration and aperitifs, to be served well chilled (5 to 7°C) and drunk young.