"The Wine Society`s Generation Series Crémant de Loire 2020" is due back in soon

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The Wine Society`s Generation Series Crémant de Loire 2020

Sparkling Wine from France - Loire
4.461538300 star rating 13 Reviews
From sparkling specialists and long-term partner Gratien & Meyer's own Saumur vineyards, this is a classic blend based on the chenin blanc grape variety, with cabernet franc, and a little chardonnay and grolleau. It displays chenin and cabernet's freshness and minerality, its aromas enhanced by a hint of red fruits from the grolleau, rounded on the palate by chardonnay's body and texture. For more on the story of this wine, please scroll down.
Price: £14.50 Bottle
Price: £87.00 Case of 6
Due in on 18/10/24
Code: SG4101

Wine characteristics

  • Sparkling Wine
  • 2 - Dry
  • Chenin Blanc
  • 75cl
  • Now to 2026
  • 12.5% Alcohol
  • no oak influence
  • Champagne cork

The Wine Society's Generation Series Crémant de Loire 2020

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More on the wine

We have worked with the historic house of Gratien & Meyer in Saumur, in the heart of Loire sparkling wine production, for over 100 years, so they were the obvious choice for our 150th Anniversary wine. The Society’s earliest listings of Loire fizz were 'Sparkling Saumur (specially selected, rich)'. At that time, the grapes would have been hand-picked and the wine would have been based on the chenin blanc grape variety, so for our 150th blend we opted for the superior Crémant de Loire appellation and a blend different from our Celebration Crémant.

The wine comes from the 2020 vintage, benefiting from 30 months on the lees. The grapes were from Gratien & Meyer’s own vineyards – the first to be bottled as an estate wine. The blend is 54% chenin blanc, 27% cabernet franc, 12% chardonnay, 7% grolleau. It was made and blended by former Technical Director Florence Haynes, disgorged by her successor Pierre Charon, with a dosage of 9 grams.

Joanna Locke MW, Buyer for the Loire

Gratien and Meyer

Gratien & Meyer – a jewel in the Loire Valley’s Anjou-Saumur region – was founded by Alfred Gratien in 1864, then aged just 23, and in the same year he established the well-respected Champagne house that is his namesake. The ‘Meyer’ refers to Albert Jean Meyer, an enthusiastic wine expert from Alsace with whom Alfred Gratien joined forces ten years later in 1874, the same year of course in which The Society was founded. When Alfred died in 1885, the Meyer family was entrusted with the company and has continued to uphold its excellent traditions.

The Society first discovered the wines of Gratien & Meyer in 1906 when some Saumur was shipped to our cellars in London. The company quickly became The Society’s choice for our sparkling wines, and today Gratien & Meyer are still responsible The Society’s Saumur and Saumur Rosé as well as The Society’s Celebration Crémant de Loire, all of which are bestsellers.

The Gratien & Meyer house is based on the outskirts of Saumur, in the heart of the Loire’s Anjou region. The river helps to moderate the climate, which is similar to, but less severe than that of Champagne, while the region’s hillsides store daytime heat and the cool nights provide moisture.

Gratien & Meyer buy grapes, must and wine from carefully selected growers in the region. In recent years they have invested in their own vineyards (first crop 2018!), aiming to cover around 50% of their 1.8 million bottle production in due course.

In Saumur, the region’s ...
Gratien & Meyer – a jewel in the Loire Valley’s Anjou-Saumur region – was founded by Alfred Gratien in 1864, then aged just 23, and in the same year he established the well-respected Champagne house that is his namesake. The ‘Meyer’ refers to Albert Jean Meyer, an enthusiastic wine expert from Alsace with whom Alfred Gratien joined forces ten years later in 1874, the same year of course in which The Society was founded. When Alfred died in 1885, the Meyer family was entrusted with the company and has continued to uphold its excellent traditions.

The Society first discovered the wines of Gratien & Meyer in 1906 when some Saumur was shipped to our cellars in London. The company quickly became The Society’s choice for our sparkling wines, and today Gratien & Meyer are still responsible The Society’s Saumur and Saumur Rosé as well as The Society’s Celebration Crémant de Loire, all of which are bestsellers.

The Gratien & Meyer house is based on the outskirts of Saumur, in the heart of the Loire’s Anjou region. The river helps to moderate the climate, which is similar to, but less severe than that of Champagne, while the region’s hillsides store daytime heat and the cool nights provide moisture.

Gratien & Meyer buy grapes, must and wine from carefully selected growers in the region. In recent years they have invested in their own vineyards (first crop 2018!), aiming to cover around 50% of their 1.8 million bottle production in due course.

In Saumur, the region’s famous ‘tuffeau’ (limestone) soils are ideal for sparkling wine production as they provide brilliant acidity. The cool Gratien & Meyer cellars are also dug deep into these chalky soils, and haven’t changed much since the house was founded.

The winery, on the other hand, has undergone great modernisation in recent years to ensure that tradition can be balanced with the relevant technological advances. Combined with the meticulous attention of Production Manager Florence Haynes, who joined Gratien & Meyer in 2015, this has ensured Gratien & Meyer wines are better now than ever before.

The key to great Loire sparklers is the blend. While Saumur regulations on this are rather strict – a maximum of 40% cabernet franc and 20% chardonnay can be used – an advantage for Crémant de Loire is that any percentage of the permitted grape varieties can be used.

Every year, The Society’s Celebration Crémant de Loire is expertly blended by Florence, with GM Olivier Dupré and Society buyer Jo Locke. Florence and her team first sample all of the base wines they have and put together a shortlist of what they believe are the best parcels, but the final blend is made on the day. Although generally we use different portions of the typical chenin blanc, chardonnay and cabernet franc, we have in recent years used small portions of the region’s other grapes, including pinot noir. The wines then age for a year or two in Gratien & Meyer’s cellars before reaching our members.
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The Mail on Sunday

With grapes including Chenin Blanc and the Loire's red Grolleau, this is substantial - almost meaty, like a red wine.

Kate Spicer

The Guardian

Made using the same technique as champagne, but, in this case, using Loire favourite varieties chenin blanc, cabernet franc and grolleau as well as a little chardonnay, this is a brilliant example of the...
Made using the same technique as champagne, but, in this case, using Loire favourite varieties chenin blanc, cabernet franc and grolleau as well as a little chardonnay, this is a brilliant example of the quality on offer from Loire sparkling wine: all tingling red apple and subtle honey.
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David Williams

Decanter

A nod to the rich, Chenin Blanc-based ‘Sparkling Saumurs’ listed by The Wine Society in its first decades, this Crémant de Loire is based on the region’s flagship white variety (54% of the blend) and...
A nod to the rich, Chenin Blanc-based ‘Sparkling Saumurs’ listed by The Wine Society in its first decades, this Crémant de Loire is based on the region’s flagship white variety (54% of the blend) and produced with fruit from Gratien & Meyer’s own vineyards in Saumur. Expressive nose, with intense zestiness, fresh minerality and red fruit nuances. A subtle butteriness hints at the 30 months spent on the lees. On the palate, fleshy quince, pear and pink grapefruit are supported by a firm acid line. Sharp focus offset by mid-palate weight and textural depth. A balanced wine, of approachable complexity, with some potential to age in bottle.
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