Mauzac Blanc (goes by Mauzac, but not to be confused with Mauzac Noir) is white grape from southwest France. It is mainly grown in the Limoux and Gaillac subregions of the Languedoc, just south of Carcassonne. It might be an offspring of Mauzac Noir and another unknown grape. It is known for its dried apple skin flavor. This flavor can be lost if the grapes are picked too early. It is used in the production of dry, sweet and sparkling wines. The sparkling wines can be 100% Mauzac Blanc if the ancestral method of making sparkling wine is used, at least 90% if used for Blanquette de Limoux, or Crémant de Limoux may have 0-20%. Limoux is the oldest sparkling wine region in the world and rumor states that Blanquette de Limoux is the first sparkling wine, starting in the early 16th century (over a century before Dom Perignon had his impact on Champagne). It started using the ancestral method where wines are bottled when partly fermented to finish their fermentation in bottle. This method can have unpredictable results because the fermentation can stop early, leaving a sweet wine with minimal sparkling character. It can also restart in the bottle, making some drier with more sparkling character than other bottles.
This week, I drank Un Air de Fȇte Blanquette de Limoux AOP. This is a non vintage sparkling wine made using method champenoise with extended lees aging, the same method used for traditional champagne. This wine is 100% Mauzac Blanc. The vines used for this wine are 80-120 years old. This wine is a pale lemon color with aromas of green apple, yellow pears, lemon peel, almond, honey, and brioche. On the palate, this extra brut wine has a fine mousse with enough acidity to balance the added body. It has a low-moderate level of alcohol. The fruit notes are pronounced and linger on the long finish. This wine would pair great with soft and rinded cheeses, shellfish, sushi, or white fish with a light butter sauce.
-TheLooseTannin
A Trip Around the World of Wine in 52 Weeks 