Most people probably think that wine writers are bombarded with samples of wines, that wineries and distributors throw at our feet for a few ounces of ink.  Some writers may solicit wines with promises of rave reviews, I give people every opportunity not to send me wine.  On my front page, I have my statement and belief about getting and reviewing “samples” and I even direct the people to it, to read. Occasionally I encounter a bad bottle of wine, and it could be for a myriad of reasons.  The wine could have been stored improperly (very common years ago), there could be cork issues (occasionally) or it could be a grape or a wine style that I had no appreciation for, or that I wasn’t aware of.  I tend to not write about the wine, because the conceit of my writing is of the moment and how wine enhances that moment.  By complaining or griping about a wine, isn’t really for me, my usual complaint is that I couldn’t find a better wine, because of where we were.  I went through my spiel and Le Garenne Cremant de Loire still decided to send me a bottle and I do think that I need to be up front about it. 

Also in the shipping carton was a box of Les Roses du Moulin de la Ferme Biscuits au Champagne.  In the village of Herpont, in the Marne, back in 1986 Pascal Cotton-Haller took over the family farm and by 1990 he was an advocate of sustainable agriculture, and by 1994, he reduced the use of chemical treatments and fertilizers.  In 2008, he bought his first stone mill, and in 2010 began marketing his first products.  In 2019 he was totally committed to organic farming and in 2021 his son began raising hens on the farm and they now had organic eggs for the production of their biscuits.  In 2023, they began producing shortbread and gingerbread biscuits.  Les Roses, a revival of the pink biscuits of Reims, with a touch of Champagne for a touch of the district.  Very good with the Cremant, crisp, and not too sweet.   

As for the sparkling wine, a bottle of Le Garenne Cremant de Loire NV.  Cremant de Loire is the appellation for sparkling wines from Anjou, Saumur and Touraine, the heartland of the Loire Valley and Chenin Blanc is the principal grape.  They also allow Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Pineaus d’Aunis, Grolleau Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon, but not Sauvignon Blanc.  The appellation was introduced in 1975, as an alternative to the wines of Champagne, around the same time the appellations for Cremant de Bourgogne and Cremant d’Alsace were also introduced.  The wine is produced using Methode Traditionelle as opposed to the bulk or tank methods.  The Maison was founded 1859 and is crafted by Meredith Feschotte of the Loire Valley.  Initial Fermentation is done in Stainless Steel using natural yeasts, the wine then spends another nine months in the bottle aging after the second Fermentation.  The wine is a blend of seventy percent Chenin Blanc, twenty percent Chardonnay, and ten percent Cabernet Franc all from plots in Vaudelnay, on the south bank of the Loire, one hundred meters above sea level on Jurassic soil, combining flint and iron oxide. The soft golden wine with good small bubbles offers notes of stone fruit, white florals, honey, and almonds.  On the palate tones of white fruit, citrus, a tinge of honey, and almonds and slightly acidic.