The oldest sparkling wine –  Limoux

By Mr. Sammy Leung

People like to open sparkling wines at festivals or other celebration events—the “pop” sound thrills everybody. There are five ways to produce sparkling wines, including the most famous traditional method, which uses two-step in-bottle fermentation for making Champagne. On the other hand, the oldest sparkling wine is made by ancestral method. In a very cool area, low temperature makes yeast stop fermentation. Thus, in next year spring, the “sleeping’ yeast in bottled wine re-activates and produces a bubble that is trapped in the bottle. Limoux sparkling wine in southwestern France is produced by this rare traditional method without lees filtration.

There are three kinds of sparkling Limoux.

1)      Blanquette de Limoux Ancestral

Blanquette means the grape used – Mauzac. Without lees filtration, Blanquette de Limoux Ancestral is cloudy. It is low in alcohol content (6-7%) and slightly sweet. Thus, it tastes like the popular Italian Moscato d’ Asti. The latter is too sweet and only appeals to the young drinkers. Blanquette de Limoux Ancestral is well-balanced. It smells like apple cider. Besides serving with dessert, its refreshing character goes well with spicy hot pot. In no doubt, drinking sparkling wine is more stylish than drinking boring beer!

2)      Blanquette de Limoux

Without the word Ancestral, it is made by the traditional method. AOC law requires 90% Mauzac grape. Mauzac is relatively neutral or bland, so the nose is similar to grass and apple peel. The traditional method adds a little structure. Good acidity comes from hilly Limoux terrain. In short, it is like a mix of Prosecco and Cava. By adequate body and freshness, it is fresh but not watery. It’s terrific to drink it on Sunday brunch for cold cuts or tuna-based Nicoise salad.

3)      Cremant de Limoux

Is Limoux inferior to other sparkling wines? No! In 1990, it created Cremant de Limoux, comparable to Champagne. Unlike Blanquette de Limoux, it no longer uses bland Mauzac but Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. It requires one year for lees ageing like Champagne. Cremant de Limoux is a much better value than much non-vintage Champagne for those looking for less toasty sparkling wine as an aperitif.