Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1025306
54 / the tasting panel / september 2018 Limoux-vers and Shakers: A Sampling of Limoux Wines Domaine Collin Crémant de Limoux AOP Cuvée Rosé Brut ($18) This crémant (75% Chardonnay, 15% Chenin Blanc, and 10% Pinot Noir) is hit with a touch of still Pinot Noir before bottling, giving the wine a delicate, onion-skinned hue. The substantial hibiscus flower notes precede muted red berries and subtle stone fruits, which all depart via a very dry finish. UNITED ESTATES WINE IMPORTS/ PATRICK ALLEN SELECTIONS Saint-Hilaire Blanquette de Limoux AOP Brut ($13) Named after the monks who are said to have first created sparkling wine more than 475 years ago, Saint-Hilaire is a Mauzac- dominate blend with 5% Chenin Blanc and 5% Chardonnay. A bit weightier on the palate, it still maintains its buoyancy. Bright pome fruit emerges on the nose and palate, particularly green apple followed by lemon rind and sweet Marcona almonds enveloped in a creamy texture. JACK POUST & COMPANY, INC. Antech Blanquette de Limoux AOP Brut Nature ($22) Made true to Blanquette form, this blend of 90% Mauzac, 5% Chenin Blanc, and 5% Chardonnay goes through sec- ondary fermentation and ages in bottle for 15 months. The lack of dosage, as this is a Brut Nature, perhaps contributes to the inter- esting yeasty-and-floral nose and palate, on which faint red apple and lime peel wrap around a saline, mineral-like core. This wine is reminiscent of a delicate Belgian beer. EXCLUSIVE WINE IMPORTS Domaine J. Laurens Brut Crémant de Limoux AOP ($15) Grown on 30 hectares in Limoux, this crémant offers a big and toasty brioche quality that plays against quince, pear, and lime zest. With a weighty, frothy texture, it finishes quite dryly. K&L WINE MERCHANTS their ingredients locally. "I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to maintain a wine list that especially complements our menu—crisp whites, white Burgundies, domestic Chardonnays, and most impor- tantly, sparkling wines from around the world." Like Mason, Salvadore relies on Limoux AOP sparkling to provide both quality and value to his guests. "The Crémant de Limoux AOP wines we offer are two of the more whimsical wines on Siren's wine list, and they pair exquisitely with our cuisine," Salvadore says. "It is very rewarding to expose guests to new winemaking regions, and sparkling wines from Limoux certainly give us that opportunity, especially because they're priced so reasonably. I personally enjoy the freshness, herbaceous notes, and acidity that characterize the wine— the perfect complement to so many of the dishes on our menu." Just the Facts Limoux encompasses more than 41 communes, 1,800 hectares of vines, and 400 producers.* Crémant de Limoux is produced at 40,000 hectoliters, followed by Blanquette de Limoux (30,000 hectoliters), Blanquette Méthode Ancestral (4,000 hectoliters), and still wines (white at 5,000 hectoli- ters and red at 2,800 hectoliters).* Limoux red wines are usually Merlot-based; still whites, mean- while, must be fermented in oak and made from Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, or Mauzac. Méthode Ancestrale wines must be 100% Mauzac. Blanquette de Limoux wine must feature a minimum of 90% Mauzac supplemented by Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay produced in the traditional method and aged sur lie for a minimum of nine months. Crémant de Limoux allows a blend of Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc to make up a maximum of 90% of the wine. The combination of Mauzac and Pinot Noir can comprise up to 40%. *Figures according to languedoc-wines.com. Todd Salvadore, pictured at left, is the General Manager at Siren by RW in Washington, D.C. Pictured at right, the restaurant's pan-roasted halibut with masago, white asparagus, fava beans, and smoke morels pairs with the Michele Capdepon Crémant de Limoux.