Alcohol: 12%
Grape(s): 90% Mauzac, 5% Chardonnay, 5% Chenin Blanc
Localization: Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Tasting Notes: This is pretty easy wine to love – notes of green apple, pear, some leesy, yeasty, notes and maybe even a bit of vanilla give the flavors and aromas nice depth and character. If you need something to use for Kir Royales, Mimossas, weddings or graduation parties, Le Berceau is just about perfect, although it really shines on its own at parties, weddings, or your back porch on a Tuesday evening.
Notes: The domain limits their yields in the vineyard to 40 hectoliters per hectare. Harvesting is done by hand and the Blanquette de Limoux is kept for a minimum of nine months on the lees before being disgorged. The “Le Berceau” which translates to “cradle”, a reference to the birthplace of sparkling wine, is produced from the Mauzac grape, a traditional grape of this region. It is produced using the Methode Traditionnelle (Champenoise).
The Domain: The Limoux wine region is at the western most point of the Languedoc and is located just south of the medieval city of Carcassonne. It has a unique geoclimate, a situation due to the dual influences of the Atlantic which brings cool and wet weather and the Mediterranean which delivers hot and dry conditions.
The Domaine de Martinolles was owned by the Vergnes family from 1926 until 2011 when the estate was sold to the native Languedocoen vigneron, Jean Claude Mas. The vineyards lie on the same hillsides that the monks of St. Hilaire cultivated in 1531 when they produced the world’s first sparkling wine.
The vines, which are planted in chalky soils at elevations ranging from 200 to 600 meters, are worked traditionally without herbicides or fertilizers. Domaine de Martinolles is a member of Terra Vitis, an organization that certifies the practice of sustainable agriculture.
