![Limoux blanquette 05161](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Limoux_blanquette_05161.jpg)
Limoux wine is produced around the city of
Limoux
Limoux (; oc, Limós ) is a commune and subprefecture in the Aude department, a part of the ancient Languedoc province and the present-day Occitanie region in southern France. Its vineyards are famous for being first to produce sparkling w ...
in
Languedoc
The Province of Languedoc (; , ; oc, Lengadòc ) is a former province of France.
Most of its territory is now contained in the modern-day region of Occitanie in Southern France. Its capital city was Toulouse. It had an area of approximately ...
in southwestern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. Limoux
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
is produced under four ''
Appellation d'origine contrôlée
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical bou ...
'' (AOC) designations: Blanquette de Limoux, Blanquette méthode ancestrale, Crémant de Limoux and Limoux, the first three of which are
sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne regi ...
s and dominate the production around Limoux. The main grape of the region is the
Mauzac, locally known as ''Blanquette'', followed by
Chardonnay and
Chenin blanc. In 2005, the Limoux AOC was created to include
red wine production consisting of mostly
Merlot.
[J. Robinson (ed) ''The Oxford Companion to Wine'' Third Edition pp. 402–403 Oxford University Press 2006 ] Wine historians believe that the world's first sparkling wine was produced in this region in 1531, by the monks at the abbey in
Saint-Hilaire.
[E. McCarthy & M. Ewing-Mulligan ''French Wine for Dummies'' p. 222 Wiley Publishing 2001 ]
Climate and geography
The Limoux wine region is located in the eastern
foothills
Foothills or piedmont are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range, higher hill range or an upland area. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills and the adjacent topogr ...
of the
Pyrénées
The Pyrenees (; es, Pirineos ; french: Pyrénées ; ca, Pirineu ; eu, Pirinioak ; oc, Pirenèus ; an, Pirineus) is a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. It extends nearly from its union with the Cantabrian Mountains to C ...
in
southern France, south of the fortified city of
Carcassonne
Carcassonne (, also , , ; ; la, Carcaso) is a French fortified city in the department of Aude, in the region of Occitanie. It is the prefecture of the department.
Inhabited since the Neolithic, Carcassonne is located in the plain of the Au ...
. The classified vineyards are all in the
Aude ''
département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...
'', in the general vicinity of
Limoux
Limoux (; oc, Limós ) is a commune and subprefecture in the Aude department, a part of the ancient Languedoc province and the present-day Occitanie region in southern France. Its vineyards are famous for being first to produce sparkling w ...
, west of the
Corbières hills. The climate is dominated by the strong winds of the region, the dry,
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
''
vent cers'' and the warm,
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...
''
vent marin''. The
Mediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...
of the region has more Atlantic influences than other
Languedoc wine
Languedoc-Roussillon wine, including the '' vin de pays'' labeled ''Vin de Pays d'Oc'', is produced in southern France. While "Languedoc" can refer to a specific historic region of France and Northern Catalonia, usage since the 20th century (esp ...
regions.
The soil in the area is rocky with
clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4).
Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
,
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...
and
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
, creating distinct ''
terroir
(, ; from ''terre'', "land") is a French term used to describe the environmental factors that affect a crop's phenotype, including unique environment contexts, farming practices and a crop's specific growth habitat. Collectively, these contex ...
'' throughout the region depending on the degree of Mediterranean or Atlantic influences and clay composition in the soil.
[K. Marcu]
'"A New Chardonnay Star on the Rise
, ''Wine Spectator'', 31 October 2006
The unique
topography
Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps.
Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sc ...
of the region and combination of Mediterranean and Atlantic influences has created ideal conditions for the slow, even ripening of the region's white wine grapes. Despite being located at a southerly latitude, the climate is cooler and moister than in most of the wine regions in southern France. Its location in the foothills of the Pyrénées allows the vineyards to be at a higher elevation, and planted in optimal locations on hillsides.
History
![Crémant de Limoux 1531 label](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/Cr%C3%A9mant_de_Limoux_1531_label.jpg)
Records show that
Livy
Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding in ...
traded in non-sparkling white wines from Limoux as far back as the Roman occupation of the region.
Blanquette de Limoux is considered to be the first sparkling white wine produced in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
, created long before the
Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...
region became world-renowned for the
sparkling wine Champagne. The first textual mention of "blanquette", from the
Occitan Occitan may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania territory in parts of France, Italy, Monaco and Spain.
* Something of, from, or related to the Occitania administrative region of France.
* Occitan language, spoken in parts o ...
expression for "the small white", appeared in 1531 in papers written by
Benedictine monks
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
at an abbey in Saint-Hilaire. They detail the production and distribution of Saint-Hilaire's blanquette in
cork-stoppered flasks. The region's location, north of the
cork oak
''Quercus suber'', commonly called the cork oak, is a medium-sized, evergreen oak tree in the section ''Quercus'' sect. ''Cerris''. It is the primary source of cork for wine bottle stoppers and other uses, such as cork flooring and as the core ...
forest of
Catalunya
Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy.
Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...
, gave Limoux producers easy access to the material needed to produce
secondary fermentation in the flask, which
produces the bubbles necessary for sparkling wine.
Local lore suggests that
Dom Pérignon
Dom Pérignon (; ) is a brand of vintage Champagne. It is named after Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk who was an important quality pioneer for Champagne wine but who, contrary to popular myths, did not discover the Champagne method for making ...
learned how to produce sparkling white wine while serving in this abbey before moving to the
Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...
region and popularizing the drink,
[K. Marcu]
"Limoux: White Wines Take the Lead"
''Wine Spectator
''Wine Spectator'' is an American lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine and wine culture, and gives out ratings to certain types of wine. It publishes 15 issues per year with content that includes news, articles, profiles, and general entertain ...
'', 19 August 2003 but this is almost certain to be false since Dom Pérignon was involved with improving Champagne's still wines, and not the sparkling ones.
In 1938, Blanquette de Limoux became one of the first AOCs established in the Languedoc region (1936 AOCs included Muscat de Frontignan in the Languedoc and Rivesaltes, Maury, and Banyuls in the Roussillon). While the classification is recent, the wine itself has long been a traditional
apéritif or dessert accompaniment in the area.
In recent decades, appellation rules have been relaxed to allow an increased use of
international grape varieties
An international variety is a grape variety that is widely planted in most of the major wine producing regions and has widespread appeal and consumer recognition. These are grapes that are highly likely to appear on wine labels as varietal wines ...
, which have partially replaced Mauzac.
Grapes
![Vignoble de Limoux](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Vignoble_de_Limoux.jpg)
The main grape of the Limoux region is the
Mauzac grape, which produces a rustic wine with a characteristic
apple
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...
-peel flavor that can be reminiscent of sweet
apple cider
Apple cider (also called sweet cider, soft cider, or simply cider) is the name used in the United States and Canada for an unfiltered, unsweetened, non-alcoholic beverage made from apples. Though typically referred to simply as "cider" in the U ...
. The grape is declining in worldwide plantings, with Southwest France being one of the few places where Mauzac has a lasting presence. The use of
Chardonnay and
Chenin blanc is growing, due in part to the more internationally recognized flavors of both grapes. The 1980s saw an increase in the plantings and popularity of Chardonnay. Limoux winemakers began developing a unique style of still wines made from Chardonnay and
fermented
Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food p ...
in
oak barrels
Oak is used in winemaking to vary the color, flavor, tannin profile and texture of wine. It can be introduced in the form of a barrel during the fermentation or aging periods, or as free-floating chips or staves added to wine fermented in a v ...
that were sold as ''
Vin de pays
''Vin de pays'' (, "country wine") was a French wine classification that was above the '' vin de table'' classification, but below the ''appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) classification and below the former ''vin délimité de qualité s ...
''. The reputation of these Chardonnay wines grew to where they are regarded as some of the best examples of French Chardonnay outside of
Burgundy. Barrel samplings were featured at the yearly
Toques et Clochers Toques et Clochers is an annual two-day charitable gastronomy festival in Aude, France dedicated to the celebration of Chardonnay production in the Limoux wine appellation, sponsored by the Sieur d'Arques wine cooperative.
The festival has taken ...
charity auction that was modeled after the famous
Hospices de Beaune
The Hospices de Beaune or Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune is a former charitable almshouse in Beaune, France. It was founded in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor of Burgundy, as a hospital for the poor. The original hospital building, the Hôtel-Dieu, one o ...
. Prices of these ''Vins de pays'' soon exceeded what the French authorities thought was appropriate for this low classification and in 1993, the Limoux AOC was revised to include the still wines made from Chardonnay. While made mostly of Chardonnay, these wines are permitted to include Chenin blanc and must include a minimum of 15% Mauzac.
The red wines of the Limoux AOC are composed of at least 50% Merlot with
Carignan
Carignan (also known as Mazuelo, Bovale Grande, Cariñena, Carinyena, Samsó, Carignane, and Carignano) is a red grape variety of Spanish origin that is more commonly found in French wine but is widely planted throughout the western Mediterra ...
,
Grenache,
Malbec
Malbec () is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. In France, plantations of Malbec are n ...
(known locally as ''Côt'') and
Syrah making up at least 30% of the blend. Carignan itself is limited to a maximum of 10% as a component from the 2010 vintage.
Cabernet Sauvignon and
Cabernet Franc are also grown in the area and are restricted to a maximum of 20% together in red Limoux AOC wines.
They are however also used in the ''Vin de pays'' wines sold as ''Vin de pays de la Haute Vallée de l'Aude''.
Blanquette de Limoux
The name Blanquette de Limoux has been used for a long time for the sparkling wines from Limoux. "Blanquette" actually just means "small white" in the local
Occitan language
Occitan (; oc, occitan, link=no ), also known as ''lenga d'òc'' (; french: langue d'oc) by its native speakers, and sometimes also referred to as ''Provençal'', is a Romance language spoken in Southern France, Monaco, Italy's Occitan Vall ...
. Blanquette de Limoux can contain three
grape varieties
This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...
:
Mauzac (which must constitute a minimum of 90% of the wine), Chardonnay, and Chenin blanc. Prior to the 1990 introduction of the Crémant de Limoux AOC, the use of Mauzac was optional. The change to the mandatory minimum of 90% Mauzac in the AOC regulations of Blanquette de Limoux was seen as a safeguard in maintaining the traditional style of Blanquette de Limoux and preserving the use of the local Mauzac grape which is declining in worldwide plantings. The taste of this Mauzac based wine is unique, with apple flavors and distinctive aromas of fresh cut grass that can be identified in
blind tastings.
Wine writer
Instead of common selection criteria for the entire list, notability of people involved should be checked against the description of each sector.
Sectors are arranged from cultivation through processing, starting from vineyards to consumption ad ...
Tom Stevenson
Tom Stevenson (born 1951) is a British wine writer and critic. Described by his colleagues as one of today's most prolific wine authors, Stevenson is regarded as the world's leading authority on Champagne.christies.coChristie’s Champagne Ma ...
notes a change in the profile of recent
vintage
Vintage, in winemaking, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product—wine (see Harvest (wine)). A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certa ...
with wines that are "developing finer, more flowery,
autolytic aromas."
[T. Stevenson ''The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia'' pp. 237–241 Dorling Kindersley 2005 ]
The grape varieties are vinified separately before being assembled and bottled. Just before bottling, a ''
tirage
Sparkling wine production is the method of winemaking used to produce sparkling wine. The oldest known production of sparkling wine took place in 1531 with the ''ancestral method''.
Pressure and terminology
In popular parlance and also in the ...
'' is added to the blend so that a second fermentation will take place in the bottle. The carbon dioxide produced during this second fermentation is trapped in the bottle and gives the wine its effervescence. After nine months, the bottles are opened and disgorged before a final corking.
Karen MacNeil Karen MacNeil (born 1954) is an American author, journalist, wine educator and consultant.
Career
MacNeil's first article, on the subject of the best butter on offer in New York delis, was published in ''The Village Voice.'' She transitioned to wi ...
, '' The Wine Bible'', p. 302, Workman Publishing 2001
Blanquette méthode ancestrale
The wine that the monks of St-Hilaire invented in 1531 was known as ''Vin de Blanquette'' and the ''méthode rurale'' wine became a separate AOC known as ''Blanquette méthode ancestrale''.
Today this AOC is used for a
sweetish sparkling wine made in a more old-fashioned way, without
disgorgement
Disgorgement is defined by ''Black's Law Dictionary'' as "the act of giving up something (such as profits illegally obtained) on demand or by legal compulsion."
Overview
Disgorgement is a remedy or penalty used in US securities law. For exampl ...
. It is produced in the same area as Blanquette de Limoux, and may only contain Mauzac. Due to the absence of disgorgement, these wines are generally very cloudy with particles of the sediment of dead
yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constit ...
cells, known as
lees, still present in the wine. The winemaking method used to make ''Blanquette méthode ancestrale'' is also known as the ''méthode gaillacoise'' and is used to make the sparkling ''Mousseux'' wine of the
Gaillac AOC
Gaillac AOC is an ''Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée'' (AOC) in South West France in the département of Tarn, just north of Toulouse.
History
The region makes claims to be among the earliest viticultural centres of ancient Gaul, though possib ...
. This method involves traditional hand crafted winemaking, with minimum use of modern technology such as stainless steel fermentation tanks. The resulting wines are typically low in
alcohol (often less than 7% by volume), with sweet apple-like flavors and a slight sparkling fizz.
Bottling of this wine traditionally occurred on a day of astrological significance.
Crémant de Limoux
![Limoux cooperative sieur d arques 05163](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/50/Limoux_cooperative_sieur_d_arques_05163.jpg)
When the term Crémant was introduced for non-
Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, ...
sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne regi ...
s in France, an AOC for more "modern" or internationally styled sparkling wines, was created in 1990. The origin of that decision occurred a year earlier, in 1989, when the producers of Limoux had to decide whether or not they wanted to maintain the traditional makings of Blanquette de Limoux based on Mauzac or relax the AOC regulations to allow the introduction of more Chenin blanc and Chardonnay to create internationally recognized flavors. Limoux producers were split on what direction they wanted to go, so the provisional
appellation
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boun ...
of Crémant de Limoux was introduced to allow the producers to make whichever style of sparkling wine that they preferred and still sell it under an AOC designation. A deadline was set in 1994 for the least used AOC designation to be phased out but the deadline passed without Crémant de Limoux or Blanquette de Limoux making significant progress and both AOC continue to co-exist today.
These Crémant de Limoux wines differ primarily from Blanquette de Limoux in their grape composition with Chardonnay and Chenin blanc as the main varieties. Together they are not to exceed 90% of the wines. For Chenin blanc, a minimum of 20% and a maximum of 40% must be used. Mauzac and
Pinot noir are accessory grape varieties and may not exceed 20% together with Pinot noir itself not exceeding 10%. Thus, Crémant de Limoux contains 40–70% Chardonnay, 20–40% Chenin blanc, 0–20% Mauzac and 0–10% Pinot noir.
AOC regulations dictate that the wine be aged for a least a year on the lees prior to disgorgement. Over 40 villages around the city of Limoux are permitted to make Crémant de Limoux.
Limoux
Prior to 1993, the only non-sparkling still wine that Limoux producers could make under an AOC designation was Mauzac. The growing popularity and high prices of ''Vin de pays'' still wines made from Chardonnays prompted the French authorities to revise the Limoux appellation.
Varietal
A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.winepros.com.au. ...
versions of Chardonnay and Chenin blanc were permitted but all white wines were required to contain a minimum 15% of Mauzac.
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
regulations dictate that a varietal wine must contain at least 85% of the variety listed on the
wine label
Wine labels are important sources of information for consumers since they tell the type and origin of the wine. The label is often the only resource a buyer has for evaluating the wine before purchasing it. Certain information is ordinarily incl ...
so most Limoux AOC white wines are typically two grape blends-85% of the main variety, like Chardonnay, and 15% Mauzac.
Producers that wished to make a 100% Chardonnay wine, or one without Mauzac, have to produce their wines as ''Vin de Pays d'Oc'' with
E & J Gallo Winery
E & J Gallo Winery is a winery and distributor headquartered in Modesto, California. It was
founded in 1933 by Ernest Gallo and Julio Gallo, and is the largest exporter of California wines. E & J Gallo Winery is the largest family-owned wi ...
's
Red Bicyclette
Red Bicyclette is a French wine produced by the Sieur d'Arques cooperative and distributed in the United States by the E. & J. Gallo Winery. Its distinctive label appeals to consumers who prefer branded wines, labelled with the variety of grape f ...
being one of the more notable examples being made primarily with Chardonnay grapes from the Limoux region.
The Limoux AOC was the first AOC to regulate mandatory barrel fermentation for its white wine.
The appellation was approved for the production of red varietal wines starting with the 2003 vintage. These wines must contain a minimum of 50% Merlot with Grenache, Malbec and Syrah. Carignan is permitted at a maximum of 10% of the blend until 2010 when the variety is expected to be phased out completely of Limoux production. All together there must be at least 3
grape varieties
This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...
in the blend with no two single varieties exceeding 90% of the total blend.
In recent years, the Limoux AOC has seen significant investment by ''
negociants'',
cooperatives
A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...
and larger French wine estates, like Baroness
Philippine de Rothschild Philippine Mathilde Camille, Baroness de Rothschild (22 November 1933 – 23 August 2014) was the owner of the French winery Château Mouton Rothschild. She acted under the stage name Philippine Pascal (imprinting on her paternal grandfather Henri d ...
of
Château Mouton Rothschild
Château Mouton Rothschild is a wine estate located in the village of Pauillac in the Médoc region, 50 km (30 mi) north-west of the city of Bordeaux, France. Originally known as ''Château Brane-Mouton'', its red wine was renamed by ...
, who see potential in the red wines from this traditionally sparkling white wine region.
Grape composition
The AOC specifies the following rules for the varietal composition for Limoux AOC wine:
[INAO: Appelation rules for AOC Limoux](_blank)
updated until February 25, 2005
* White wine can be made from Mauzac, Chardonnay and Chenin blanc, with a minimum of 15% Mauzac.
* Red wine can be made from Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Malbec (under the name Cot), Syrah and Carignan. The wine must be a blend containing a minimum of three varieties, with no two varieties together exceeding 90% of the blend. Furthermore, Merlot must make up a minimum of 50%, Grenache, Malbec, Syrah and Carignan must together make up a minimum of 30%. However, from the 2010 harvest, Carignan may not exceed 10%.
Wine styles
The white still wines of the Limoux AOC vary depending on the primary grape. Mauzac adds a zesty
acidity
In computer science, ACID ( atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability) is a set of properties of database transactions intended to guarantee data validity despite errors, power failures, and other mishaps. In the context of databases, a ...
and requires time in the bottle before some of the more subtle, floral flavors emerge. Wines that are dominated by Chardonnay are more approachable in their youth and are tend to have a rich, full
body
Body may refer to:
In science
* Physical body, an object in physics that represents a large amount, has mass or takes up space
* Body (biology), the physical material of an organism
* Body plan, the physical features shared by a group of anima ...
with lemon and oak flavors.
Carnival
Limoux celebrates its historic wines with a historic carnival, the longest in the world, according to the locals, lasting from the end of January till April, when it ends in the celebration known as la nuit de la blanquette, the evening of the blanquette wine.
References
{{reflist, 33em
See also
*
List of appellations in Languedoc-Roussillon
*
Dom Pérignon
Dom Pérignon (; ) is a brand of vintage Champagne. It is named after Dom Pérignon, a Benedictine monk who was an important quality pioneer for Champagne wine but who, contrary to popular myths, did not discover the Champagne method for making ...
*
Cremant de Loire
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it, making it fizzy. While the phrase commonly refers to champagne, European Union countries legally reserve that term for products exclusively produced in the Champagne reg ...
Languedoc-Roussillon wine AOCs
Sparkling wines