Weekend Wine Under $20 – Sparkling Wines from Domaines Paul Mas

It’s almost Friday and you are already thinking about your weekend plans and perhaps which wine to purchase.  Weekly, I post two recommendations, one white and one red, for your weekend choices which are usually under $20.  I’m making an exception this week.  I have reviewed three incredible sparkling wines from the Languedoc region in southwest France, all well under $20, and perfect for anytime!  Sent to me as samples for a recent virtual tasting on Twitter led by Winemaker and Vineyard Manager Bastien Lalauze and Sud de France Educator and Consultant Jamal Rayyis, these Cote Mas sparkling wines from Domaines Paul Mas in Limoux were so impressive with regards to taste, quality, and affordability that I just have to share a bit of their story and my tasting notes with you.   And if you aren’t already aware, the first documented sparkling wine was created in Limoux in 1531.

Since the late 1970s, the emphasis from winemakers in the Languedoc has been on the production of quality wines and Paul Mas is at the forefront of this movement.  Domaines Paul Mas consists of 790 acres and 1976 acres of contracted vineyards with thirty different grape varieties and diverse terroirs.  His estate in the northwest corner of the Languedoc has a high elevation with limestone soil.  Cool, north facing vineyards, a diurnal shift due to the Pyrenees Mountains, and extended maturation of the grapes help create sparkling wines which have a good ratio between sugar and acidity.  Please check out the lovely website for detailed information regarding the estate, portfolio of wines and biography of Paul Mas.

The three sparkling wines I sipped and savored are made in the Méthode Champenoise (also known as Méthode Traditionnelle).  After primary fermentation in stainless steel tanks, a Liqueur de Tirage, a blend of sugar and yeast, is added to the juice a few hours before bottling.  A second fermentation takes place in the bottle for approximately three weeks.  The bottles are then turned upside down (carefully!) so that the lees (sediment from the yeast) gather in the neck of the bottle.  After one year of aging, the bottles are chilled to freeze the lees and opened.  Once the lees are expelled, the Liqueur de Dosage is added.  The bottle is then sealed and released after twelve months of aging.

This process is used for sparkling wines of the highest quality and, of course, Champagne.  Sparkling wines made in France but not in the Champagne region are called Cremant.  So what you’re enjoying in a beautiful glass of Paul Mas Cremant is a fresh, modern wine made in the same manner as Champagne at a fraction of the price!  I’ll “cheers” to that!  So…what did I taste?

**Cremant de Limoux Rosé Brut – A vibrant salmon color in the glass, this Rosé is from 70% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin Blanc, and 10% Pinot Noir.  Upon pouring, the delicate bubbles lasted in my glass and the aromas of stone fruits such as peaches and apricots along with (dare I say raspberries?) and yellow flowers were lovely.  This wine was dry with hints of berries and grapefruit on the palate and balanced with a lingering finish.  This can be held up to a year, but you may want to drink it now and pair with grilled salmon or mahi-mahi which was my choice for the evening!

**Cote Mas Cremant de Limoux Blanc Brut – Another dry sparkler, the blend of 60% Chardonnay, 20% Chenin Blanc, 10% Pinot Noir, and 10% Mauzac was delightful.  The honey, floral and lemon aromas led to tastes of crisp citrus and a snappy finish.  You can hold this wine for another two to four years and when you pop the cork, enjoy as an aperitif or with cheeses, appetizers, or a decadent piece of chocolate cake!

**Cote Mas St. Hilaire Blanquette de Limoux NV – Whereas the previous Cremant wines are made in the Méthode Traditionnelle, the Blanquette de Limoux is processed in the Méthode Ancestrale technique.  Fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks.  The base wine is fermented to around 7% alcohol and the fermentation is stopped by chilling the juice to 34 degrees F.  Yeast is added to the blend and it is then bottled.  The wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle with the temperature controlled in order to create the optimum size of bubbles.  This fermentation ends when the pressure in the bottle reaches 4.5-5 bars.  The bottle is then disgorged and corked with no liqueur d’expedition added.  After three months of bottle aging, the wine is released.  The St. Hilaire Blanquette de Limoux is of 100% Mauzac.  I enjoyed watching the bubbles dance in the glass as much as the intense aromas of flowers and citrus.  An unexpected sweetness on the palate…honey and pineapple…was wonderful and I could just see myself bringing a bottle to my favorite sushi house.  This could be a dessert wine which you could pair with apple tart, pungent cheeses, and spicy dishes such as sushi (naturally) and Thai food.  You may hold this wine for one or two years more…but why?

Since the 1990s, Paul Mas has been considered the “Pioneer of the New Languedoc”  in that his mission is to give “the former glory back to a region where wine production goes back to more than 2000 years”.  Currently, his wines are in forty five countries spanning five continents and his mission is succeeding.  I’ll be purchasing more of these lovely sparkling wines at my local retailer and pairing them with anything!  How about you?

Cheers! ~ Cindy