La maison
Faithful to the spirit of Louis Bouillot, the bubble creator himself, the company continues to pursue new discoveries through some delicious and audacious cuvées that are a tribute to Burgundy and its varietals.
Crémant de Bourgogne has been an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée since 1975. It covers a particularly large territory that stretches from the north of Burgundy to the south, covering the Chablis region, the Châtillonnais, the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune, the Côte Chalonnaise, the Côte Mâconnaise, and into the Beaujolais. Such diversity means that a wide range of different base wines can be created that reflect their terroir. This allows for the creation of subtle blends to achieve the perfect balance for each cuvée and to bring out the qualities of each varietal: Pinot Noir for fruit, structure and vinosity; Chardonnay for freshness and elegance; Gamay for tastiness; and Aligoté for vivacity…
Empowered by more than 130 years of history and expertise, creativity and respect for the terroir are the fundamentals of the Louis Bouillot philosophy.
HISTORY
Louis Bouillot, Nuits-Saint-Georges since 1877
Maison Louis Bouillot in Nuits-Saint-Georges turned its attention to the sparkling wines of Burgundy early on in its history. It was eldest son Louis who was particularly captivated by these effervescent wines produced according to la méthode traditionnelle. Fascinated by the subject, he made significant progress developing the procedure, both in terms of the wines selected and in the traditional way the prise de mousse, or second fermentation in the bottle, is conducted.
LA VERRIERE
Une immersion originale dans l'univers de nos Crémants de Bourgogne
On May, 20th Louis Bouillot is to open a new wine-tourism site in Nuits-Saint-Georges on the Route des Vins de Bourgogne. La Verrière offers an intimate location where you can discover the secrets to some great Crémant de Bourgogne wines. Visitors will enjoy an immersion into the heart of sparkling Bourgogne wines with a choice of four themed tastings guided in either French or English for groups from two to 12, in the natural light of the conservatory topped with an Art Nouveau glass roof.
COLLECTION
SAVOIR-FAIRE
1-hARVESTS
This is where the journey begins. The grapes used to make our crémants are harvested by hand, and picked earlier than those used for still wines.
2-PRESSING
The different varietals are then gently pressed to extract the very best they have to offer. The aim is to find the perfect balance between sugar and acidity. The resulting juice provides the base wine.
3-VINIFICATION
First fermentation begins, at low temperature, in order to extract a maximum of aromas. The wine is aged in vats on fine lees for some, and in oak barrels for others…
4-BLENDING
Different cuvées are skillfully blended to result in a high quality finished wine. Blending musts from different sources offers a more harmonious, balanced, and complex wine.
5-PRISE DE MOUSSE
Second fermentation is when the bubbles are formed in the wine, bottled with the addition of yeasts and sugar. It lasts for a month during which millions of bubbles are formed.
6-aGEING
The wines are then left to age on the lees. The yeasts mingle with the wine, creating aromatic complexity over time. This ageing lasts for at least 12 months.
7-RIDDLING
The bottles are slowly adjusted, eventually ending up vertical, pointing downwards, to encourage the deposits formed in the wine to slowly descend into the neck.
8-DISGORGING
The necks of the bottles are frozen and a plug of ice forms, containing the yeasts. It is then forced out of the bottle, leaving behind the clarified wine.
9-DOSAGE
The winemaker determines the dose of liqueur d’expédition to achieve the perfect balance. It is the final flourish, the stamp of the Louis Bouillot name. It is one of our closest-guarded secrets…
10-TASTING
Trust your senses, and listen to the story each cuvée tells, while you admire the ballet of bubbles in your glass!