Chateau Gaudrelle Cremant de Loire Brut
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Robert
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
...Even better is the slightly richer, more honey and lemon-scented and flavored non-vintage Cremant de Loire. A blend of equal parts Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay aged for a minimum of 18 to 24 months in their cellars before disgorgement, this is a real beauty and a superb wine. Unfortunately, just under 100 cases are imported to the United States.
Chateau Gaudrelle is a family-size vineyard created in 1931 on the right bank of the Loire, between Tours and Amboise. The domain acquired its notoriety thanks to the richness of its terroir, its conversion to organic farming (2017) and the attention they pay to create their wines.
Specialist of Chenin Blanc, they offer the entire range of white wine, from the driest to the sweetest. Each wine has a very particular identity and taste, thanks to the plot’s soil type and the chosen winemaking method. The sparkling wines are very expressive, fresh and full of fruit flavors. The choice to carry with a very long aging creates very fine and delicate bubbles on these cuvées. For the still wines, they are as aromatic as easy to drink, all occasions are good to open a bottle of Chateau Gaudrelle!
If you come to the estate, they will be more than happy to give you a tour of the troglodyte cellars and of course a tasting of their Vouvray wines. The philosophy of this team of 7 people is to work in harmony with the nature and share its passion.
A term typically reserved for Champagne and Sparkling Wines, non-vintage or simply “NV” on a label indicates a blend of finished wines from different vintages (years of harvest). To make non-vintage Champagne, typically the current year’s harvest (in other words, the current vintage) forms the base of the blend. Finished wines from previous years, called “vins de reserve” are blended in at approximately 10-50% of the total volume in order to achieve the flavor, complexity, body and acidity for the desired house style. A tiny proportion of Champagnes are made from a single vintage.
There are also some very large production still wines that may not claim one particular vintage. This would be at the discretion of the winemaker’s goals for character of the final wine.
Praised for its stately Renaissance-era chateaux, the picturesque Loire valley produces pleasant wines of just about every style. Just south of Paris, the appellation lies along the river of the same name and stretches from the Atlantic coast to the center of France.
The Loire can be divided into three main growing areas, from west to east: the Lower Loire, Middle Loire, and Upper/Central Loire. The Pay Nantais region of the Lower Loire—farthest west and closest to the Atlantic—has a maritime climate and focuses on the Melon de Bourgogne variety, which makes refreshing, crisp, aromatic whites.
The Middle Loire contains Anjou, Saumur and Touraine. In Anjou, Chenin Blanc produces some of, if not the most, outstanding dry and sweet wines with a sleek, mineral edge and characteristics of crisp apple, pear and honeysuckle. Cabernet Franc dominates red and rosé production here, supported often by Grolleau and Cabernet Sauvignon. Sparkling Crémant de Loire is a specialty of Saumur. Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc are common in Touraine as well, along with Sauvignon Blanc, Gamay and Malbec (known locally as Côt).
The Upper Loire, with a warm, continental climate, is Sauvignon Blanc country, home to the world-renowned appellations of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé. Pinot Noir and Gamay produce bright, easy-drinking red wines here.