Limoux
Blanquette de Limoux, Crémant de Limoux,
Blanquette méthose ancestrale, Limoux
Website :
www.limoux-aoc.com
History
From the very
start of our era, Titus Livy, author of a monumental Roman
history, praised the white wines of Limoux. At that time
they were still wines. During the VIIth century Benedictine
monks founded an abbey in Saint Hilaire. It was there that
in 1531, a monk discovered the natural transformation of
still wine into sparkling wine. The first sparkling Brut
wine was born. Sparkling wines have since inspired
carnavals, bubbles creating a party spirit on every
occasion .
Appellation production area
25 km south of Carcassonne, along the
upper valley of the Aude river between the Chalabrais
plateau to the west and that of Lacamp to the east,
stretching towards the Pyrenees foothills, the appellation
vineyard is geographically very homogeneous.
Geology
The southern
slopes of the hills classified for the appellation
vineyards present a light and stony combination of clay and
limestone.
Climate
The natural
geological protections on three sides of the appellation
production area limit maritime climatic influences and
create a transitional climate between the Atlantic ocean
and the Mediterranean sea.
Grape Varieties
Blanquette: Mauzac (min. 90 %), Chenin
and Chardonnay.Crémant: Mauzac (min. 60 %), Chardonnay,
Chenin (maximum 20 % for each).Limoux (still wine): Mauzac
(min. 15 %), Chardonnay, Chenin.Blanquette méthode
ancestrale: 100 % Mauzac.
Vinification
Blanquette and Crémant: after the first
fermentation to obtain the basic wines from each grape
variety blending is carried out and a sweet liqueur is
added to start the second fermentation in the bottle.The
wine starts to sparkle. After 9 months of ageing, when the
remaining deposit has been eliminated, a certain dose of
liqueur is added according to the style desired, brut or
medium dry. The bottle is then closed with its final
cork.Blanquette "Méthode ancestrale": entirely natural
fermentation, the wines are bottled during the season of
the changing moon in March. Alcoholic strength must be less
than 7°.Limoux still white wine: Vinification and ageing in
oak barrels.
Some of the larger Vineyards of note
Antech
Antech might sound like the name of a
high-tech conglomerate, but this is in fact one of the
largest family-owned domaines in Limoux. The family have a
long history of producing the still wine of the Limoux
appellation, but in the past few decades Antech has largely
switched to sparkling wine, the still wine now taking very
much a back seat. Sixth generation Françoise Antech is
currently in charge of operations, having taken over from
father and uncle George and Roger. She sources grapes from
the firm's 35 producers under long-term contract as well as
the family's own vineyards.
The grapes are handled and vinified in a way very similar
to Champagne. Fermentation is temperature controlled.
Antech produce a range of styles including Blanquette
(minimum 90% Mauzac, 9 months on lees), Crémant (20% each
of Chenin and Chardonnay - the maximum for the appellation
- and 12 months on lees), and a Méthode Ancestrale (using
Mauzac, bottling after spring refermentation). In addition
there are a number of special cuvées such as Cuvée
d'Exception and Cuvée Saint Laurent.
http://www.antech-limoux.com/
Château Rives-Blanques
Chateau Rives-Blanques lies atop a 350m
plateau in Limoux, which is one of the Languedoc's few
specifically white appellations and is also the leading
appellation for sparkling wine in the region. It is home to
Jan and Caryl Panman, who along with their manager Eric
Vialade lead a dedicated team in the tending of their 30
hectares of vines. They are assisted in the cellar by none
other than Georges Pauli; he is probably best known for his
role as technical director at Gruaud-Larose, but Pauli also
runs a wine consultancy, Rives-Blanques being just one of
many clients scattered across the globe.
http://www.rives-blanques.com/
The following section
are links to Winemakers of all Price
ranges
DOMAINE DE CASTEL-NEGRE
-
11580 ALET-LES-BAINS - Phone : 04 68 74 14 99
HERITIERS VALENT - 11580 ALET-LES-BAINS - Phone : 04 68 69
40 81
CHATEAU
D'ANTUGNAC GFA - 11190 ANTUGNAC - Phone : 04 68 74 22 38
DOMAINE "LA BOTTEUSE" - 11190 ANTUGNAC - Phone : 04 68 74
21 02
SALASAR SA - 11260 CAMPAGNE-SUR-AUDE - Phone : 04 68 20 04
62
DOMAINE BEGUDE James
Kinglake - 11300 Cépie - Phone : 04 68 69 20 41 - Fax :
04 68 69 20 41
DOMAINE LAURENT MAUGARD - 11300 CEPIE - Phone : 04 68 31 33
85
DOMAINE PEYRET - 11300 CEPIE - Phone : 04 68 31 72 10
DOMAINE RIVES-BLANQUES
- Jan
and Caryl Panman - 11300 CEPIE - Phone : 04 68 31 43 20
DOMAINE
DE MAYRAC - 11190 COUIZA - Phone : 04 68 74 04 84 -
Mail
PAVIE
PASCAL - 11300 FESTES - Phone : 04 68 31 13 11
SCEA
DOMAINE VILLEMARTIN - 11300 GAIA-ET-VILLEDIEU - Phone : 04
68 31 53 99
AVERSENG
GERARD - 11300 LA DIGNE-D'AMONT - Phone : 04 68 31 27 16
LES
CHAIS DU SOLEIL -
11300 LA DIGNE-D'AVAL - Phone : 04 68 31 64 95 -
Mail
DOMAINE LAURENS - 11300 LA DIGNE-D'AVAL - Phone : 04 68 31
54 54 -
Mail
CAVE ANNE DE JOYEUSES
-
11300 LIMOUX - Phone : 04 68 74 79 40 -
Mail
DOMAINE ROSIER - 11300 LIMOUX - Phone : 04 68 31 48 38
-
Mail
DOMAINE DE FLASSIAN
-
ANTECH - 11300 LIMOUX - Phone : 04 68 31 15 88 -
Mail
LES CAVES DU SIEUR D'ARQUES
-
AIMERY - 11300 LIMOUX - Phone : 04 68 74 63 00 -
Mail
MAISON JEAN BABOU - BROUETTE PETIT FILS S.A. - 11300 LIMOUX
- Phone : 04 68 31 00 01
MAISON GUINOT -
11304 LIMOUX CEDEX - Phone : 04 68 31 01 33 -
Mail
BARBEDETTE
JEAN PHILIPPE - 11300 LOUPIA - Phone : 04 68 69 52 81
BATAILLE CLAUDE - 11300 LOUPIA - Phone : 04 68 69 54 29
DOMAINE PIERJACQ ASTRUC
-
11300 MALRAS - Phone : 04 68 31 30 15 -
Mail
CAVE LES
HAUTS D'ALDAE - 11190 MONTAZELS - Phone : 04 68 74 04 76
MARTINEZ MARCELLE - 11190 MONTAZELS - Phone : 04 68 74 12
79
DOMAINE DE FOURN -
11300 PIEUSSE - Phone : 04 68 31 15 03
LACUBE
YVES & FRANCOISE - 11250 POMAS - Phone : 04 68 69 45 04
-
Mail
DOMAINE
DE L'AIGLE - ANTONIN RODET - 11300 ROQUETAILLADE - Phone :
04 68 31 39 12 -
Mail
CAVE
COOPERATIVE DE ROUFFIAC - 11250 ROUFFIAC-D'AUDE - Phone :
04 68 26 81 73
DOMAINE DE MARTINOLLES
-
VIGNOBLES VERGNES - 11250 SAINT-HILAIRE - Phone : 04 68
69 41 93 -
Mail
DOMAINE
DE LA MAURETTE GAEC - 11190 SERRES - Phone : 04 68 69 81 06
DOMAINE
COLLIN - 11300 TOURREILLES - Phone : 04 68 31 35 49
JUMELLE REYNALD - 11300 TOURREILLES - Phone : 04 68 31 13
40
DOMAINE
DES TROIS FONTAINES - 11300 VILLELONGUE - Phone : 04 68 69
51 81
DOMAINE COLLIN-ROSIER 11300 Phone : 0468 31 48 38
Mail
GUINOT 11300
Phone: 04 68 31 01 33
TAILHAN-CAVAILLES 11300
Phone ; 04 68 31 66 14
PIERJACQ ASTRUC 11300 Magrie Phone 04 68 31 13 26
Mail
VIGNOBLES VERGNES 11300 Roquetaillade Mail
GAEC DES TROIS FONTAINES 11300 Villelongue d'Aude
Mail
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