🍇 Mauzac

Mauzac (Mauzac blanc) is a white wine grape from southern France. It grows around Limoux in Languedoc and in the Gaillac area and is the base of sparkling Blanquette de Limoux, which has at least 90% Mauzac, says the AOC Limoux wine syndicate. INAO calls Mauzac an "ancestral" variety: the sparkling wines of Limoux were recognized in the appellation in 1938.

INAO distinguishes two sparkling wines: Blanquette de Limoux, where the second fermentation takes place in the bottle, and méthode ancestrale, where the first fermentation finishes in the bottle. Blanquette is typically floral, with green apple and honey, while méthode ancestrale smells of ripe apple. The Limoux zone is 41 communes in the Aude valley. Blanquette is aged on its lees for nine months (Syndicate).

According to Wikipedia, Mauzac buds late and ripens late; in Limoux it was traditionally picked late, when the cold slowed fermentation and left residual sugar for a natural second fermentation in spring. Today it is more often picked earlier: the wine is fresher, with higher acidity, but with fewer of its characteristic aromas. In Gaillac, Mauzac is blended with Len de l'El for lightly sweet and sparkling whites. In France there were 3 200 ha in 2000; it is one of seven white varieties permitted in Bordeaux.

Why it matters to you. "Blanquette de Limoux" on a label means at least 90% Mauzac; "méthode ancestrale" is a different style from the same zone. The Syndicate advises drinking Blanquette within two years of purchase, chilled to 6–7 °C.