Crémant de Limoux AOC
Cremant de Limoux is an AOC for sparkling wines produced around the city of Limoux in the Languedoc in southwestern France. The region has a long history of producing sparkling wines that dates as far back as the early 1500s. The wines are produced in the eastern foothills of the Pyrenees, which separate France from Spain. This makes for a climate that is cooler and moister than the rest of the Languedoc and one that allows for the production of sparkling wines, much the same as with Spanish Cava on the other side of the mountains.
The main grape of the region is Mauzac, which produces a rustic wine with a characteristic, pithy, apple-peel flavor. Cremant de Limoux; however, relies more heavily on Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay as is more typical of the Loire. Together these two grapes cannot comprise more than 90% of the blend, with Chenin having to make up between 20- and 40%. Mauzac and Pinot Noir round out the blend. The wines are similar in style to Cremant de Loire with a bit more richness and they can be good values.