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74 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } APRIL/MAY 2016 L A M B R U S C O C R E , M A N T The Emilia-Romagna area of Italy outputs huge quantities of this sparkling wine, thanks mainly to the export success of Banfi's Reunite brand in the 1970s. Wines from the red grape Lambrusco display a wide range of quality, although we see more and more reputable ver - sions of Lambrusco today. Albinea Canali "FB" Lambrusco, Emilia- Romagna, Italy Founded in the 1936, Albinea Canali has led the resurgence of Lambrusco, produc- ing single-variety "ancestral" versions. Metodo ancestrale is an ancient tech- nique once used by the farmers of Reggio Emilia. The FB—which stands for "Fermented in Bottle"— is bottled right after a partial, low-temp fermentation, which later erupts in spontaneous secondary fermentation. Tasting Note: Dry strawberry, basil sorbet and tart homemade lemonade with an incredible, plush texture that thankfully doesn't turn into Skittles, but mellows into a doughy focaccia. Super into the snappy red berry fruits and juicy Meyer lemon, dressed in a gentler semi-sparkle or frizzante style—a result of the metodo ancestrale. Just watch out for the deposit of natural yeast in the bottom of the bottle. Hands down, one of my favorite versions of Lambrusco, this is 100% Lambrusco di Sorbara. $19.99 BANFI VINTNERS Wolfberger Crémant d'Alsace Brut, Alsace, France When it comes to sparkling, for the French, if it's not from Champagne, then Alsace is the next best region, as Crèmant d'Alsace is the country's most consumed sparkling wine after Champagne. Here exists great value for well- made traditional method sparkling. Wolfberger was established in 1902. Tasting Note: 90% Pinot Blanc and 10% Pinot Auxerrois offers clean, white grapefruit, yellow apples, lemon blos - som, a touch of honeycomb and a dry, pithy finish. $21.99 KYSELA PÈRE ET FILS, LTD Montfort Crémant de Loire, Loire Valley, France Owned by the Feray family, the Montfort estate is located on a limestone plateau that overlooks the Loire River. They have crafted a Crémant blend of hand-harvested Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay from roughly 75 acres of land throughout the Vouvray and Touraine AOCs. The average vine age is over 50 years. Tasting Note: A blend of 80% Chenin Blanc and 20% Chardonnay, made in the traditional method and aged at least 12 months on lees, the Montfort Crémant offers dried apricots, apples, bread crust, and roasted peanut shells. Both abstract and drinkable! $17.99 EVD WINES Lucien Albrecht Crément d'Alsace Brut Rosé, Alsace, France One of the founding fathers of Crémant d'Alsace, Lucien Albrecht was established in 1425 by Romanus Albrecht. Tasting Note: Made from 100% free-run, hand-picked, whole-cluster Pinot Noir in the traditional method, Lucien Albrecht Rosé ages sur lie for 14 to 16 months. Apparent to me was the strawberry and raspberry red fruits—but strawberry here is of the scented candle wax variety, pink carnations abound in frothy texture and dry finish. $21.99 PASTERNAK WINE IMPORTS François Montand NV Brut Blanc de Blancs, France With his roots in Champagne, François Montand moved to the Jura in the 1940s and became one of the pioneers of tradi- tional method sparkling Jura wines; he was largely respon- sible for the creation of the Crémant du Jura AOC. Tasting Note: A blend of Chardonnay from the Jura and Colombard and Ugni Blanc sourced from Gascony in Southwest France (thus not labeled as a Crémant du Jura), this sparkling evokes red apple, juicy lemon and Wonder Bread. $14 CRAFT + ESTATE In France there are seven AOP regions for Crémant wines produced in the traditional method. This report will feature Crémant de Limoux, Crémant d'Alsace and Crémant de Loire; but let's not forget Crémant du Jura, Crémant de Bordeaux, Crémant de Bourgogne and Crémant de Die. Encépagement varies. { category report } W W