Arnaud Lambert Cremant de Loire Blanc NV

Arnaud Lambert Cremant de Loire Blanc NV

Arnaud Lambert
$26.00

Grape: Chenin Blanc
Vintage: NV
Type: Sparkling

This sparkling white wine is crafted by Arnaud Lambert from organically farmed vineyards situated in the Saumur region of the Loire Valley. The chenin blanc grapes are hand-picked from rows rooted in thin topsoils over porous tuffeau limestone. Vinification adheres to the traditional method, utilizing a native yeast primary fermentation followed by secondary fermentation and extended aging on the lees. This disciplined low-intervention process focuses on capturing regional mineral tension over simple commercial fruit sweetness.

It pours a pale gold color with a fine, persistent stream of bubbles, opening with clean aromas of green apple, pear, and lemon zest. A creamy yet linear mousse delivers crisp flavors of fresh citrus fruit alongside a subtle hint of warm brioche. A sharp, limestone-driven acidity cuts right through mid-palate, keeping the mouthfeel thoroughly refreshed. The chalky geology imparts a saline texture that frames the long, bone-dry finish. It leaves a mouthwatering, stony impression.

Terroir

Arnaud Lambert’s domaine vineyards are located in three communes within the Loire Valley’s Saumur region, a subsection of the larger Anjou area. This is the land of Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc and inexpensive bubbles. He principally works within three communes: two within the Saumur-Champigny appellation and the resurrected commune, Brézé, included in the broad AOP Saumur, on the southernmost border of the AOP Saumur-Champigny.

Saumur and neighboring Anjou have a lot in common, but can be vastly different with the end result, at least within the context of the same grapes.

Winery

Arnaud studied enology and viticultural studies in Beaune and his wines show it in their somewhat Burgundian-like elegance and aristocratic polish.

What’s most incredible about Arnaud is his ability to churn out such quality with nearly twenty different cuvées rendered from more than forty hectares of vineyards; although this is a lot, all of his wines seem like they’ve come from a domaine with no more than five hectares. His wines are spectacularly etched jewels, short on pretension and confection, and long on harmonious depth and purity.

Arnaud, like many of the wine world’s luminaries-in-the-making, has adopted the philosophical approach to allow the terroir to define the wines, rather than the other way around. He’s most known for his wines grown on Brézé and no more than two kilometers away, from his home in Saint-Cyr-en-Bourg. These two hills gave inspiration for the subtle, two-line, soft hill shaped logo on his labels.