Review: Francoise Gazeau, Cremant de Limoux Brut Classique Rosé

Today I have yet another wine from my friends at Naked Wines, which is kind of like a wine club but it’s not really a wine club. If you’re interested in understanding what that means (which you should be) read my explanation of it in this review. And regardless of whether you read that overview, I do want to share a special offer they provided for readers of this site to get 12 bottles of wine for $79.99 (shipping included).

Long story made short, Naked Wines uses crowd funding to enable winemakers from around the world to produce wines exclusively for Naked Wines. Francoise Gazeau is one of those winemakers. She is a 6th generation winemaker from the Limoux region in France, where sparkling wine is what they do.

I know wine terminology can get confusing for folks who just want to find a good bottle of wine and don’t have time to learn all the nuances. If that sounds like you, you may be wondering what “Cremant” is. A simplified way to think about Cremant is it’s like Champagne, but from parts of France other than Champagne. You see, Champagne technically needs to be produced in the Champagne region or it can’t be called Champagne. Sparkling wine, made with the traditional method, from other parts of France is called Cremant. Technically there is more to it, but in simple terms that’s a way to think of it.

One of the rather unique features of Cremant de Limoux is the use of the Mauzac grape, which is often known to give an apple peel flavor. This grape is also used to make what’s called a Blanquette de Limoux which uses at least 90% Mauzac. Cremant de Limoux, on the other hand, uses some Mauzac but is crafted with other primary grapes to create a more familiar flavor profile. Specifically a Cremant de Limoux is made with 40-70% Chardonnay, 20-40% Chenin blanc, 10-20% Mauzac and 0-10% Pinot Noir.

This sparkler has a lovely nose, with the characteristics I want from a bubbly: some yeasty aromas, some tart lemon aromas, some floral nuances and some mineral notes. The mouthfeel is super duper bubbly. Bravo! It’s also delicious, offering bright lemon flavors, a touch of nuttiness and pronounced mineral flavors. It finishes with lingering salty mineral and lemon flavors.

Delicious!

Wine: Francoise Gazeau, Cremant de Limoux Brut Classique Rosé
Varieties: Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Mauzac and Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2017
Alcohol: 12%
Rating: 90
Price: $24.00 Market Price / $14.99 Angel Price at NakedWines.com
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.