Antech Cuvée Françoise Brut Blanquette de Limoux 2023 (Languedoc) - Wine Review

Tonight's sparkling wine review is a lovely vintage bubbly crafted in the traditional method with 100% Mauzac from Limoux (Languedoc) that arrived at the LCBO in the recent May 23 LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection.

Cuvée Françoise is a range of premium wines crafted by Famille Antech. The brand is named in honour of its creator, Françoise Antech-Gazeau, the sixth generation of a family of winemakers in Limoux. Françoise was born and raised in Limoux, in the South of France, and pursued higher education in Paris. She combined her business degree with a passion for "French-style" know-how and taste for international affairs and found employment at L'Oréal.

However, after a decade at this large company, Françoise desired to return to her roots and in 1995 she returned to Limoux to join her father, Georges, and her uncle, Roger, and put her energy and enthusiasm into a project that was dear to her.

With the Cuvée Françoise range there is a constant quest for excellence based on an approach of Learning, Leading, and Sharing. With great respect for the prior generations, Françoise spent her early years learning from her father and uncle, while also discovering and listening. As a leader in Limoux with many vintages in which Françoise was able to understand the history and terroir, Françoise affirmed her ambitions since the beginning of the century and laid the foundations for sustainable viticulture and ambitious winemaking to finally recognize the potential of Limoux sparkling wines. Françoise shares her know-how with family members who joined the team, including her son, Baptiste, who joined the project in 2020.

The style of Cuvée Françoise wines has evolved over the years, always seeking more freshness and precision, while long ageing on lees allows for magnification of minimalist, but very demanding, cellar work. As Françoise is in love with the terroir of Limoux, she has always been a fervent ambassador of this unique place that produces fantastic sparkling wines.

This sparkling wine is crafted with the indigenous Mauzac varietal gown in the Limoux wine region of Languedoc. Some parcels of Mauzac benefitted from the seaside Mediterranean climate, while others were located in the foothills of the cooler Pyrenees mountains. The vineyards were planted on limestone soil, cultivated according to Certified TERRA VITIS standards, and are in conversion to organic farming. The higher altitude vineyards in the Pyrenees were dry farmed. With a firm commitment to sustainability, this wine is bottled in a lightweight bottle that is 15% lighter than average, and is also made from 90% recycled glass. Furthermore, the bio-sourced label is made of natural cotton.

To craft this sparkling wine, the grapes were hand-harvested, then pressed using direct slow and low pressure. It underwent secondary fermentation in bottle and was aged on its lees for an average of 30 months, followed by light dosage of 6 g/L and a proportion of reserve wines.

In 2023, the growing season in the Western Languedoc region of Limoux was a low-yielding vintage as drought conditions impacted yields, the loss of some vines and, in some instances, entire vineyards. The heat spikes in August and September also caused sunburn and vine shutdown. From a good vintage with variable quality, let's see how this Blanquette de Limoux is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

ANTECH CUVÉE FRANÇOISE BRUT BLANQUETTE DE LIMOUX 2023 - Traditional Method, AOP, Languedoc, France (#44204) (XD) - $23.95
100% Mauzac aged on its lees for 30 months. The open, medium+ to medium-high intensity nose offers a fine mix of lemon citrus, leesy mineral, and ripe apple aromas with touches of toasty brioche, white floral, autolytic, and savoury characters. The medium+ to medium-full bodied palate is dry and gently honeyed with delicious, sliightly tangy flavours of apple, lemon, and citrus tapering to savoury, leesy minerals, and toasty brioche. It has fresh acidity and crisp bubbles, along with a fine mineral texture. The mineral notes carry through to the long, savoury, and textured finish. Highly recommended buy! Score: 91 pts

Very small quanities of other wines by Antech are available at the LCBO, while the full range (and in larger quantities) can be ordered through their Agent - Noble Estates Wines & Spirits.