From: Loire Valley, France
Varietal: Chenin Blanc
Tasting Notes: This wine is absolutely stunning! We would open it anytime, and we completely agree with the tasting note below by Chris Kissack, a Loire and Bordeaux specialist, on his website, thewinedoctor.com.
“In the glass it has a polished and quite intriguing hue, showing pale and quite clear around the rim, but with a gentle straw-coloured hue to its heart. The nose is reminiscent of lightly dried citrus fruits, elegantly firm, the bright fruit cut with grained flint minerals. While it may say Crémant de Loire on the label, it does feel more reminiscent of an incisive Saumurois style, which is hardly surprising given Arnaud’s history and location. This feeling is reinforced by the character of the palate, which presents an incisive blend of orange citrus fruits and flint minerals, with a big and broad texture to the middle supported by a tightly foaming mousse. There is no shortage of acidity either, here intertwined with that fine mineral core in the finish. A very strong, tight, mineral and acid-framed style which would be best left in the cellar for a few more years; I suspect it will develop really well in bottle.” —Chris Kissack, 93/100 (September 2021)
Pairing: This Arnaud Lambert "1948" Cremant de Loire Brut Nature is a sparkling Chenin that is absolutely worthy of caviar. It’s a great complement to anything from oysters off the half-shell, to moules marinières and creamy, aromatic cheeses. The bright, mineral core will cut through richer fare like fish and chips, fried chicken, and anything porky. We’d recommend enjoying it with Vy Tran’s recipe for Nem Lụi Huế (Huế Lemongrass Pork Skewers) from Serious Eats.
About. The label of this wine, which is Arnaud Lambert’s top sparkling cuvée, still bears the name of the original estate founded by Arnaud’s father, Domaine Saint-Just. The fruit is sourced from 70 year old Chenin Blanc vines planted in thin clay soils atop a limestone bedrock. Although it’s technically labeled as non-vintage, this bottling is based on the 2019 harvest. The base wine matured for six to eight months in used, neutral oak barrels prior to the secondary fermentation. The wine saw 36 month of aging sur lattes, and zero dosage upon disgorgement.
