“The priest
has just baptized you a Christian with water; and I baptize you a Frenchman,
daring child, with a dewdrop of champagne on your lips.” - Paul Claudel, French author and poet
Ask a friend to name a wine region
in France and, if it’s near the New Year, you’re likely to get the response “Champagne.” If he has a bulge from the money in his wallet on
the inside pocket of his jacket, he might refer to a Premiere Crus Chateau in the
Medoc, or perhaps Burgundy. If she spent
time in France, perhaps she would say “The Loire.” Or, with the craze of Rose wines still
smoldering from the summer’s heat, she might say “The Provence”. But if he or she is a fellow “Mizer,” she
would say the Languedoc. “Mizers” don’t
just know value. They know quality wine at
value prices, and the Languedoc has been offering both in the same bottles for
years. Adding to the mystery of this
underappreciated region is that the Laqnguedoc does not produce only white
wine, or red wine, or only sparkling wine – but produces delicious wines at
value across the spectrum. Too bad there are not more “Mizers.” Then again, maybe that’s good for us because
a sudden increase in demand could result in price increases.
I enjoyed tasting the wines of
Jean-Claude Mas, vineyard owner and winemaker in France’s Languedoc region.
Despite being a promoter of Languedoc wines for years, tasting some Paul Mas’
wines (those sent me for review and later at a tasting in Chicago) I was
reassured that I have been on a good mission over the years promoting these
wines.
Today, we’ll talk about what
the French themselves so love: Sparking Wine.
Cote Mas Cremant de Limoux NV Brut St. Hilaire. A sparkling wine of
60% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin Blanc, 10% Pinot Noir and 10% Mauzac. Grapes are fermented in stainless steel,
keeping fruit fresh. But this is classic sparkling
wine so, of course,
a second fermentation takes place in the bottle. It cannot be called Champagne because it is
not made within the district of Champagne.
But neither is Cremant d’Alsace (another area within France), or
anywhere else whether in France or not. So trust your impression to your own
taste buds. I found this sparkling wine to be one of the most enjoyable I’ve
tasted in years. Pale straw in the glass with just the slightest tinge of rose,
I enjoyed an aromatic hint of butterscotch that evolved into notes of fresh
baked brioche and wet stone. The mousse (bubbles) were fine and persistent and
contributed to the wine’s rich, creamy texture in the mouth. But it all comes
to taste eventually and here this wine scores top rankings also: Almond, fresh picked strawberry, white
flowers and a hint of unripe white peach. I continued tasting the next day and
was delighted with how the wine continued to evolve: the nose developed candied
white peach and notes of fresh peeled orange along with fresh baked sour dough
bread with flavors of butterscotched lemon drops as the wine warmed within the
glass.
Cote Mas Cremant de Limoux Rose Brut NV St. Hilaire. A
Brut Rose (70% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin Blanc, 10% Pinot Noir). Perhaps I was won over by Chardonnay being
dominant in the blend (I usually don’t get so excited by rose. It’s just a personal preference thing, not a
judgement). But even going in with the expectation that I
wouldn’t like it, I did! Bright and
zesty with a delightful flavor of strawberry in an amazingly long finish. Aromas of peach and apricot delight the nose
before flavors reward taste buds. This
is not a shorter description due to my not liking the wine. As with the
non-rose, it is made in the traditional Methode
Champenoise and with the second fermentation, in the bottle, also taking
three weeks. Au contrair. Consider it
an endorsement knowing how I feel about roses and not doing a literal “blind
tasting.” That I liked this wine so much
surprised me.
Since taking charge in 2000 of
the centuries-old Domaines Paul Mas, Jean-Claude Mas has committed himself to
producing only superior wines from premium quality grapes. Judging by this tasting, I’d say he has
succeeded on both counts. That these
wines have a suggested retail price of under $20 impresses me even more. Truth be told, I’ve had fun with these
sparkling wines and enjoyed them more than I have with some pricier Champagnes
from Reims, France. With the holidays
approaching, why not welcome them with a sparkling wine you’ll actually enjoy
tasting when your toast?
Sante!
……………… Jim
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