Crémant d’Alsace from Dopff & Irion is perfect for celebrating

I’m a bit of a hoarder when it comes to wine, and I was definitely hoarding this bottle of Crémant d’Alsace. It’s something I am simultaneously proud and embarrassed by. I mean on the plus side it means my partner and I have an impressive wine collection, but on the negative, it means there’s a lot we don’t drink. As a result, end up having to buy drinking wine to avoid drinking our stores. I feel one day like squirrels putting nuts away for winter we are going to end up cracking and having some wild wine filled bender where we open all these expensive bottles without caution. But I’m also hoping this day doesn’t come, in fact perhaps I need to put a lock on the cellar door.

So, I have decided that this year I really need to stop being so precious about my wine. I mean, sure, there are bottles that need to be aged, and only opened on a very special occasion. But because I am so good at hoarding wine, I have ended up hoarding some of my bottles of drinking wine with every excuse in the book. Oh, I only have one bottle of that left. No, I feel like prosecco tonight not that bottle of French wine. This occasion isn’t special enough. But I have decided enough is enough, and I need to drink the damn wine when I feel like it!

Kicking the habit

So it was with a strong determination that I headed to my wine fridge on Saturday night and grabbed out this bottle that I have almost had for a year. It must be over a year in fact, for the last bottle I drunk on my birthday, and that was just about a year ago (you see what I mean about needing to find excuses to open my wine). I decided that tonight was the night to finish off my matching pair and give it another crack. By some weird and wonderful coincidence, the bottle happened to be a Crémant d’Alsace, which is something I’ve been wanting to try for a while. It was clearly meant to be, so it would have been rude not to polish off most of the bottle. For research, of course!

This Crémant d’Alsace was the wine I didn’t even know I was looking for

That’s right, I am so good at hoarding my wine that I often forget what I even have on hand. As a result, I probably would have gone out and bought a bottle of Crémant d’Alsace to try, only to realise later that I had a perfectly good one squirrelled away for who knows what. A shortage of sparkling wine? Perhaps.

The wine is one that I got from Vinomofo in one of their mixed cases, and luckily it had two of these so I’ve already enjoyed one. It came with two French sparkling wines, including this one which was the Dopff & Irion Egérie Brut NV. Now I wouldn’t have known this before writing this review, but it turns out Dopff is kind of a big deal when it comes to Crémant d’Alsace. Julien Dopff started Crémant d’Alsace in 1900 by bringing the Champagne method to Alsace after seeing it at the Universal Exhibition of Paris.

The result is Crémant d’Alsace, which is the second-most popular sparkling wine in France and is made using similar strict rules to the Champagne region. Today, Dopff and Irion have the largest area of vines in Alsace, making them the powerhouse of the region.

Basically, for all you lovers of Champagne out there, Crémant d’Alsace is the perfect alternative when you have Champagne taste on a beer budget (or in our case, because I don’t drink beer, sparkling wine). It gives you the same traditional method but without the price tag of the Champagne houses. Perfect for those of us who would love to be sipping on Champagne every evening but haven’t got the funds.

Why I love it

The Dopff & Irion Egérie Brut NV is a delicious Crémant d’Alsace which doesn’t break the bank. In fact, most Crémant d’Alsace doesn’t break the bank, but it is absolutely delicious! You can definitely spend more on this type of wine when buying in Australia, but honestly, why would you when you can get bottles of wine like these?

Crémant d’Alsace can be made from a variety of wines, but this one, in particular, is purely Chardonnay. Don’t let the 100% Chardonnay fool you. Chardonnay haters, Sparkline wine made from Chardonnay isn’t your regular buttery experience. Although, it did have a lovely Brioche characteristic. Honestly, anything that reminds me of bread is right up my alley!

This Crémant d’Alsace is fresh and floral on the nose with a great light body. Its flavours are bright and crisp with some tastes of green apple. This translates to a wine that is delicious to drink with a nice hint of acidity. This is balanced out by what you’d expect from a Chardonnay, but subtler. It brings a nice toastiness to the whole experience, like a party that ends in cozying up in bed.

What to enjoy it with

The Dopff & Irion Egérie Brut NV Crémant d’Alsace definitely brings the party to any occasion. Perfect for those times where you want a celebration drink, but don’t want to splash out on Champagne. It’s still fancy without the price tag, and really delicious!

Because it is the life of the party, I wouldn’t pair this with anything other than a good time. The crispness in the wine is perfect for pre-dinner drinks as it really whets your appetite. The subtle flavours in the wine might also be a bit lost on food, although I have heard that this wine goes really well with seafood. I’m not a huge seafood eater myself, so I guess I’ll never know!

I may have had some sneaky chips with this wine and can also say it pairs well with these. Just in case you were wondering what to pair it with if you aren’t one to whip up a seafood platter on a Saturday night.

The final word on this Crémant d’Alsace

The Dopff & Irion Egérie Brut NV Crémant d’Alsace is a delicious sparkling that offers a great alternative to Champagne. Yes, it isn’t grown or produced in Champagne, but as the second most popular sparkling in France, you know you’re getting close to the real deal. And for a fraction of the price too!

This wine is fruity and crisp but also has a lovely nuttiness to it that rounds out the flavours. Perfect for a celebratory drink, especially as even the label screams fancy. Definitely best enjoyed with friends, having a tasty drink before dinner to get the party started!

Now that I’ve tried Crémant d’Alsace I’ll definitely be seeking it out more often. This wine was absolutely delicious and offered something quite different from my regular Prosecco drink of choice. I definitely felt a little bit fancy after enjoying this one, and I know you will too!