NV Cuvée Françoise Crémant de Limoux AOP

70% Chardonnay and 30% Chenin Blanc, all sustainably farmed. Handpicked and direct pressed. Made in the Champagne method with aging on the lees for 30 months. 6g/L dosage. 12.0% alcohol. 

Excellent quality Crémant for the money here. Pours with a powerful and mouth-filling mousse. Lots of citrus (grapefruit), orchard fruit (bruised apple)  and a surprising amount of red fruits (strawberry, raspberry, cherry). Plenty of wet stone minerality, a hint of herbal bittnerness and just a tiny bit of yeasty richness. Crisp, fruity, fresh and clean. 

For over five centuries, Antech has tamed their magical terroir to make fine sparkling wines. The secret of their wine’s character lies in the combination of Limoux’s three terroirs, which form the backbone of the cuvées:  freshness from the Pyrenees, depth from the ocean, and roundness from the Mediterranean.

In 1965, Georges and Roger Antech were an inseparable duo at the reins of the estate from a very early age. In the 1970s, they decided to focus on exclusively sparkling wines. The brothers are the best of friends and are proud that they haven’t had an argument in 50 years. Roger makes the wines while Georges sells them, and together make all decisions on the company’s direction.

Françoise, a member of the sixth generation, inherited her elders’ strong personality. A guardian of the estate since 1996, she is also a fervent advocate of social and cultural action in her region. When she isn’t tending to the vineyard, she can be found volunteering with local student organizations, art collectives, and resource groups for people looking to reenter the workforce. They obtained the Terra Vitis certification in 2013.