Crémant de Limoux

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The geographical area is closed to the south by the foothills of the Aude Pyrenees, to the west by the hills of Chalabre and Razès, and to the east by the Corbières, opening to the north towards Carcassonne through the Aude valley.
• The relief distinguishes a landscape of hills to the north, with a dense vineyard between 100 and 250 metres in altitude, and a rugged landscape to the south, where the vines are planted between 300 and 500 metres.
• The soils are mainly developed on molasse of detrital and heterogeneous origin, made up of sands, gravels and clays, eroded on the upper slopes.
• In the southern part of the area, the soils developed on limestone and clays of the Sparnacian, characterised by a high content of red clay.
• The geographical area is divided into four distinct geographical units named Méditerranéenne, Autan, Océanique and Haute-vallée, with different climates, altitudes and ripening dates.
• The Méditerranéenne unit, the earliest-ripening, lies between 100 and 250 metres in altitude and receives between 550 and 650 millimetres of average annual rainfall, with high summer water stress.
• The Océanique unit, to the west of Limoux, receives average annual rainfall of 750 millimetres, with later ripening and vines between 200 and 300 metres in altitude.
• The Haute-vallée unit rests on the Pyrenean piedmont, with vines reaching 500 metres in altitude on the sunniest exposures and a cool month of September.

• The monks of the abbey of Saint-Hilaire in the Limoux area developed cultivation and winemaking techniques, producing a sparkling wine mentioned in their writings as early as 1531, considered the first sparkling wine made in the world.
• An ordinance of the Intendant of Languedoc dated 23 July 1688 forbade bringing any foreign wine or grape harvest into Limoux, under penalty of a 100-livre fine, thereby protecting local production.

• The white wines are generally pale gold with golden highlights, carried by a fine effervescence giving an elegant, persistent bead.
• The white wines develop notes of white flowers often combined with notes of citrus and toasted bread, with a flavourful palate marked by length and volume.
• The rosé wines reveal notes of red fruit and florals, and the discreet presence of the Pinot noir variety gives them a fruity flavour while enhancing volume through a light tannic contribution.

• The proximity of the relief brings a coolness that naturally slows, though unpredictably, the alcoholic fermentation during winemaking in the cellar.
• The particular climatic conditions of the area, with heavier rainfall, no period of drought and cooler temperatures, allow the Chardonnay, Chenin and Pinot noir varieties to retain a low pH and an acidity favourable to the making of sparkling wines.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF), JORF 17 octobre 2017
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — CIVL