An interesting choice for Valentine’s Day, this wine is significant because it’s from the first place in France where there’s a record of trade in sparkling wine, nearly 500 years ago. Limoux is in the south of France, in the hills inland from the Mediterranean, far from Champagne. This white sparkling wine is made with a blend of red and white grapes, including a little of the local grape, mauzac.
You have a choice of how to appreciate this wine. If your priority is crispness, serve in an angular (Zalto-style) champagne/sparkling wine glass. In a white wine glass, flavors are fuller and fruitier. Overall, this sparkler has a fresh aroma, full flavor, and a streak of honey on the end-palate.
Through a wine friend, I recently discovered producer Robert Wessman. He apparently sources his wines from all over France, and they’re just starting to be imported into the US.
WHO: Maison R. Wessman
WHAT: 57% chardonnay, 27% chenin blanc, 9% pinot noir, 7% mauzac
ALCOHOL: 12.5%
WHERE: Limoux, France
HOW MUCH: around $25 [media sample]
RATING: 91