Who doesn’t want Champagne quality for decidedly un-Champagne prices? Our special selections from Terres Secrètes in the Mâconnais are tremendous values and dead-ringers in terms of quality to many fine Pinot Noir-based Champagnes.

Crémant de Bourgogne is a particular treat and a smart buy, considering that it is made with the exact same grapes as is fine Champagne, but grown instead on Burgundy’s limestone terroirs (and legendary terroir at that).

What’s particularly evocative is the sparklers’ red-wine signature—with each sip you notice classic Pinot aromas of red berries and a light spice, a weighty richness on the tongue combined with a classically dry, lively Champagne personality. Extended aging in bottle too produces a more vinous wine, with a silky, weightier texture and finer bubbles.

FARMING & WINEMAKING

Terres Secretes’ terroir is the classic limestone soils found in the heart of the Mâconnais, southern Burgundy. Grapes are harvested by hand and pressed full cluster, fermenting primarily in temperature-controlled, stainless-steel tanks, with some 10% of the harvest fermented in older French oak barrels for six months.

The wine goes through its secondary fermentation in bottle, the same process as with fine Champagne, and is aged on fine lees in bottle for two years (Crémant de Bourgogne rules require just nine months). Low (brut) dosage, approximately 8 grams/L.