This week the Facebook group Wine Pairing Weekend is exploring a sparkly subject: “Bubbles From Around The World.” Join the conversation on Twitter (#WinePW) this Saturday (1/8) at 11 am EST. Scroll down to see my fellow writer’s unique, fizzy choices. Cheers!
Limoux is a small city in the beautiful Languedoc region of southwestern France that is well known for the production of a variety of sparkling wines. The most historical style is Blanquette de Limoux which dates back to 1531 when Benedictine monks at the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire accidentally created what is now considered the world’s first effervescent wine.
The inner courtyard of the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire. Photo: Lisa Denning
Reflecting on Blanquette’s creation during Medieval times, Anne Leroy, Export Manager for Limoux’s Sieur d’Arques winery says that it was simply a “happy chance” that bubbles developed in the wine.
“Without doing it on purpose, the monks had bottled the partially fermented wine a little too early. There was then a very cold winter which stopped the fermentation. The following year in March as the temperatures rose, they noticed that the Mauzac was naturally fermenting again, and when they opened the bottle they saw the beautiful little bubbles!”
The people of Limoux like to note, with pride, that this nearly 500-year-old sparkling wine was created more than 100 years before Champagne came along. Some Champagne producers refute this claim, but historians have found written evidence from the 1500s confirming that bottles of Blanquette were first made in Limoux.
“There is no longer any doubt,” says Pierre Caizergues, founder of Pierre Tailleur de Vins. “It is written in black and white, in Old French, in a document dating back to 1544: The first-ever historical reference to sparkling wine was right here in Limoux. The Blanquette made by the Benedictine monks in the abbey of Saint-Hilaire inspired other monks and the Benedictines further north in France to produce their own versions.”
Leroy also notes that from the beginning, Blanquette became a very famous wine which distinguished itself from others. “Over the centuries,” she says, “the Blanquette has developed in popularity, in the Languedoc region, in France and abroad. It is often offered as a present or tasted for the pleasure of discovering its aromas, and for the elegance of its bubbles during the aperitif or for dessert.”
The Right Place
From a terroir perspective, Limoux is situated in the foothills of the Pyrenees, an area where the influences of sea and mountains meet. Its position on the far western side of the region, on rolling green hills that rise hundreds of feet above sea level, ensures good sunshine levels and evenly spread rainfall throughout the year. The Limoux area is grouped into four distinct climatic ‘terroirs’ that give wine growers grapes that have a diversity of aromatic and flavor characteristics to work with.
From Mauzac, The ‘Little White’
Limoux’s Blanquette, which means “little white” in the local Occitan language, celebrated the 80th anniversary of its AOP status (Appellation of Protected Origin) in 2018. It is one of France’s first AOPs and the oldest in the Languedoc region.
Under the rules of the appellation, Blanquette de Limoux must be made in the traditional method with at least nine months aging on its lees. Furthermore, it can only contain three grape varieties: Mauzac (which must make up at least 90% of the wine), Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc.
Baptiste Antech Gazeau, seventh generation of his family’s Limoux winery, Maison Antech told me that the Limoux area’s unique geographical location within Languedoc explains the prevalence of Mauzac, a white varietal, in an area known mostly for red wines.
The reason, he says, is due to the area’s unique climate and geography. While most of the region’s appellations have a warm Mediterranean climate, Limoux’s proximity to the Pyrenees mountains tempers the Mediterranean heat, while providing even cooler higher altitudes (up to 1500 feet) to plant the vines.
“While the monks did not have the technologic tools we have today,” he says, “they discovered the potential of Limoux’s slopes and planted the indigenous Mauzac grape, a white variety with a fantastic potential to craft sparkling wines.” Antech Gazeau says that Limoux winemakers decided to add, in the 1960’s, a small amount of Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc to bring structure and acidity to the wine. “Blending grape varieties is a tradition in the south of France,” he says, “especially to achieve complex and original wines.”
Leroy adds that Limoux’s cooler climate was better suited to Mauzac, a late-ripening grape variety, and that the additional Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc are “limited in percentage in order to preserve the typicity of the Mauzac grape.”
Blanquette de Limoux’s three grape varieties find their full expression on the clay-limestone soils of Limoux, and Blanquette is typically a fruity wine bursting with aromatic complexity, freshness and minerality. Antech Gazeau says that Mauzac offers a unique and charming aromatic profile, full of orchard fruits such as crisp apple and fresh pear. Indeed, it is the Mauzac grape which brings lively acidity to the wine, as well as notes of tart green apple, pear and honey, while Chardonnay and Chenin bring added acidity, finesse and roundness, with the latter lending fragrant aromatics.
“This is really a hidden gem that every wine lover should look for, for its elegance and aging potential,” says Antech Gazeau.
Other Wines from Limoux
In addition to the historically important Blanquette de Limoux, the Limoux area produces two other sparkling wines, Crémant de Limoux, a dry bubbly made mostly from Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc (except for the rosé which includes Pinot Noir), and Blanquette Méthode Ancestrale a 100% Mauzac, slightly sweet, low alcohol sparkling wine, as well as a variety of red and white still wines.
Three Blanquette de Limoux Wines to Know About
Pierre Tailleur de Vins, Blanquette de Limoux Brut Nature Mauzac 2018 - Pierre Caizergues, a small, artisanal producer of fine Languedoc wines, ages this blend of 90% Mauzac and 10% Chenin Blanc for 20 months on the lees, a process that imparts elegance and finesse. This Brut Nature, with less than 3 grams per liter of sugar, is a true reflection of its terroir: a warm Mediterranean climate with cooling sea breezes and stony limestone and clay soils.
Tasting notes: Absolutely delicious; lively and fresh; reminiscent of apple or pear cider with a beautiful aromatic intensity and tiny, delicate bubbles. A great aperitif wine, it also pairs well with seafood dishes and heartier fowl and meat preparations. Sustainable and biodynamic methods are used in the vinification and winemaking.
Saint-Hilaire Blanquette de Limoux 2019 - In October of 2021, I was in Languedoc on a press trip and this was the first Blanquette wine I had, and I was very impressed. The wine is part of the Sieur d’Arques winery portfolio, a cooperative winery with 200+ growers; the winery is named aftert the local lord during the 16th century. Leroy told me that he was a great lover of this sparkling wine and liked to knock back "flasks" of Blanquette to celebrate his victories.” Sounds like a perfect celebratory drink to me!
Tasting notes: Made from 95% Mauzac, this creamy-textured, dry, fresh and fruity wine delivers notes of bright tart apple, lemon and lime zest and pear, along with subtle toasty notes. Small, soft bubbles, a very long finish and elevating acidity. Delicious! We sipped on this during the aperitifs, but I can imagine it would go well with everything from sushi and ceviche to grandma’s roast chicken.
Antech Blanquette de Limoux Brut Réserve 2018 - This family-owned winery, a pioneer of the region, is now being run by the 6th and 7th generations who specialize in Limoux sparkling wines. The Brut Réserve Blanquette is a vintage wine, made from Antech’s best Mauzac cuvées.
Tasting notes: Pale yellow color with golden reflections and fine bubbles. Aromas and flavors of green apple, pear, almond and amaretti biscuits. Clean and crisp with a balanced acidity and fine bubbles. Lively and with a slightly creamy texture; try it with assorted meats and cheeses, hot-off-the-grill fish filets or crispy chicken cutlets.
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