Chateau de Lavernette is far from a household name in Burgundy where it’s made, let alone the United States, which is why we’re here to introduce you to one of the most fascinating and delicious sparkling wines we’ve tasted in years (yes, literally, years).
Champagne and Burgundy have always been closely linked, due to their close proximity to one another and the fact that both use Chardonnay and Pinot Noir predominantly. Beaujolais, while technically a part of Burgundy, has always been its own little offshoot, making Gamay-based wines that have become a hipster haven over the last decade for those looking to eschew the insane prices of Corton and other communes.
Chateau de Lavernette’s Granit sparkling wine (called Crémant in France) raises a very interesting question and then immediately answers it: what if someone were to make sparkling Gamay in the style of Champagne, while growing it in a similar mineral-rich soil just outside the famed region? The answer, as it turns out, is simply incredible.
There are a dozen very compelling aspects about Lavernette outside of its Granit Crémant, like the fact that winemaking at the estate dates back to 1565 and every grape is farmed biodynamically for full freshness. But, for the sake of brevity, let’s get back to the granite-farmed Gamay.
Prior to WWII, as much as 40% of Champagne’s Aube region was planted to Gamay, so clearly there was a precedent for sparkling Gamay in the area. After traveling to Champagne and consulting with famed producer Egly-Ouriet, Lavernette selected its granite soil Gamay vines specifically for sparkling wine, hoping it would replicate the flavors of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grown in similar conditions. Just like Champagne, it’s fermented in the bottle where it spends 18 months aging on the lees before disgorgement.
With its fresh acidity, fine bubbles, gorgeous flavors, and delicate texture, we think this is a sparkling wine worth going deep on. There isn’t much of it being made, but we’ve secured as much as we can for the time being. Trust us on this one.