Sparkling Wines of Limoux
Basically there are three types of sparkling wines made in Limoux. Their names are cremat, blanquette, and methode ancestral. Let's look at the 'ancestral' first because upon it rests the claim that the Limoux area was first in France to produce sparkling wine.
A written record exists somewhere that the monks in the Abbey of Saint Hilare were serving it up in the year 1531. It is bubbly, but there are some buts. First, the fermentation is stopped before the yeast converts all the sugar into alcohol. So the wine comes in at a little less than 7% compared to the 12.2% of champagne. Secondly, it is made from 100% of the indigenous grape Mauzac. We all know by now that the champagne grapes are principally Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
The original bubbly dating back to 1531 had less built up carbonation in the bottle. One reason was that the thicker and much better constructed bottle capable of handling all that pressure we get when the champagne cork is popped was not developed until much later on. So what does it taste like and what would you drink it with? It is similar to a dessert wine being a bit sweet and locals say it goes very well with an apple tart or if you have the pocket book, foie gras.
Moving on to Limoux Blanquette, it is definitely champagne-like. Just as there are requirements for the grape variety content of champagne there is also a requirement for the grapes that find their way into Blanquette. It must be made with a minimum of 90% of the local grape variety, Mauzac.
The third wine produced in the region is Cremat de Limoux. It is also very definitely champagne like. This difference is the grape. Chardonnay is the principal variety followed by Chenin blanc and Mauzac. The wine has to contain a minimum of 40% chardonnay (and up to 70%). The local grape Mauzac is limited to no more than 20% so you can guess there is a bit of a difference between the taste of the two champagne-like wines produced in the region. Cremat with its preponderance of chardonnay is more champagne-like in its flavor because the distinctive flavor of the Mausac grape is a bit more pronounced. Some refer to it as 'rustic'.
Limoux Blanquette has been around for some time but the Cremat is a new comer receiving AOC status in 1990. To sum it up, for my bubbly taste the Blanquette is a dry wine with the distinct flavor of the Mauzac grape. The Cremat has been crafted to compete with the champagnes produced in northern France and I think offers a nice champagne for less than the cost of its Epernay neighbor..
If you are ever in Limoux you have the opportunity to taste the above three varieties at many wineries. I was particularly impressed by Maison Guinot. One reason is that they aged their cremat for five years and hand turned the bottle a quarter turn daily during the second fermentation. As you know this is how the fine champagne houses of Epernay do theirs.
Now, a bit about non sparkling wines of the region. Since a lot of chardonnay is grown to go into the bubbly Cremat some of it finds its way into the bottle as a still wine. The small Limoux region is quite unique weather wise and the chardonnay grape takes on a bit of a different flavor where it is grown.
One area is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and another by the Mediterranean. Then there are the chardonnays that are grown at a higher altitude in one area and finally the confluence of all three of these influences on the grapes that are grown around the town of Limoux itself.
I tasted upwards of 15 or so from the different areas. The weather and terrior do indeed influence the flavor of the wines
The hands down delicious winner for my taste came from the Delmas vineyards.which sit at a high elevation above Limoux. It had the hallmark flavors of the chardonnay grape and one of the finest finishes of a chard I have ever tasted.
Another tasting adventure at the Cave Joyeuse produced another half dozen chardonnays to taste. Several were quite nice.
As you can see from the above pictures, wine tasting does have its fringe benefits. By the way, the young lady above is English and an aspiring musician.
One of their chardonnays has a unique label.
It is dinosaur chardonnay. That's because many dinosaur bones have been excavated in the area. So, there must be a few beneath the soil that supplies nourishment to the vines.
And, here is a sight I haven't seen since a tour of Italy a three decades ago.
I've posted a large picture so you can see the signs above the two spigots. Bring your own containers and have them filled. The house wine is 1.50 Euros and the Merlot is 1.60 Euros a liter. That's about $1.74 and $1.85 respectively. A bottle of wine is 750 ml or 3/4 of a liter.
The last time I saw something like this was in Venice. The back room of a wine shop held several large metal vats of wine taller than me. Each had a hose and spigot like you would find on a gas pump.
A written record exists somewhere that the monks in the Abbey of Saint Hilare were serving it up in the year 1531. It is bubbly, but there are some buts. First, the fermentation is stopped before the yeast converts all the sugar into alcohol. So the wine comes in at a little less than 7% compared to the 12.2% of champagne. Secondly, it is made from 100% of the indigenous grape Mauzac. We all know by now that the champagne grapes are principally Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
The original bubbly dating back to 1531 had less built up carbonation in the bottle. One reason was that the thicker and much better constructed bottle capable of handling all that pressure we get when the champagne cork is popped was not developed until much later on. So what does it taste like and what would you drink it with? It is similar to a dessert wine being a bit sweet and locals say it goes very well with an apple tart or if you have the pocket book, foie gras.
Moving on to Limoux Blanquette, it is definitely champagne-like. Just as there are requirements for the grape variety content of champagne there is also a requirement for the grapes that find their way into Blanquette. It must be made with a minimum of 90% of the local grape variety, Mauzac.
The third wine produced in the region is Cremat de Limoux. It is also very definitely champagne like. This difference is the grape. Chardonnay is the principal variety followed by Chenin blanc and Mauzac. The wine has to contain a minimum of 40% chardonnay (and up to 70%). The local grape Mauzac is limited to no more than 20% so you can guess there is a bit of a difference between the taste of the two champagne-like wines produced in the region. Cremat with its preponderance of chardonnay is more champagne-like in its flavor because the distinctive flavor of the Mausac grape is a bit more pronounced. Some refer to it as 'rustic'.
Limoux Blanquette has been around for some time but the Cremat is a new comer receiving AOC status in 1990. To sum it up, for my bubbly taste the Blanquette is a dry wine with the distinct flavor of the Mauzac grape. The Cremat has been crafted to compete with the champagnes produced in northern France and I think offers a nice champagne for less than the cost of its Epernay neighbor..
If you are ever in Limoux you have the opportunity to taste the above three varieties at many wineries. I was particularly impressed by Maison Guinot. One reason is that they aged their cremat for five years and hand turned the bottle a quarter turn daily during the second fermentation. As you know this is how the fine champagne houses of Epernay do theirs.
Now, a bit about non sparkling wines of the region. Since a lot of chardonnay is grown to go into the bubbly Cremat some of it finds its way into the bottle as a still wine. The small Limoux region is quite unique weather wise and the chardonnay grape takes on a bit of a different flavor where it is grown.
One area is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and another by the Mediterranean. Then there are the chardonnays that are grown at a higher altitude in one area and finally the confluence of all three of these influences on the grapes that are grown around the town of Limoux itself.
I tasted upwards of 15 or so from the different areas. The weather and terrior do indeed influence the flavor of the wines
The hands down delicious winner for my taste came from the Delmas vineyards.which sit at a high elevation above Limoux. It had the hallmark flavors of the chardonnay grape and one of the finest finishes of a chard I have ever tasted.
Another tasting adventure at the Cave Joyeuse produced another half dozen chardonnays to taste. Several were quite nice.
One of their chardonnays has a unique label.
It is dinosaur chardonnay. That's because many dinosaur bones have been excavated in the area. So, there must be a few beneath the soil that supplies nourishment to the vines.
And, here is a sight I haven't seen since a tour of Italy a three decades ago.
I've posted a large picture so you can see the signs above the two spigots. Bring your own containers and have them filled. The house wine is 1.50 Euros and the Merlot is 1.60 Euros a liter. That's about $1.74 and $1.85 respectively. A bottle of wine is 750 ml or 3/4 of a liter.
The last time I saw something like this was in Venice. The back room of a wine shop held several large metal vats of wine taller than me. Each had a hose and spigot like you would find on a gas pump.
It is interesting to know that dinosaurs are “alive and well”.
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