CREMANT

La Fédération Nationale de producteurs et élaborateurs de Crémant

1) 1982 2) Established for marketing and sales 3) 500 Crémant Producers 4) Making 73 million bottles of which 20 million are exported 5) Alsace makes 50% of total Crémant Production (35.5 million bottles) 6) Bourgogne 18% million bottles

CREMANT

1) Crémant refers to all sparkling wines made in France with the traditional method but outside Champagne. The term was adopted in the late 1980s when the expression méthode champenois was outlawed by EU. The best sparklings made in Luxembourg are also called Crémant. 2) In general there are not specific locations within those regions that produce more or better Crémants. Main difference is made by the time of picking as the grapes for Crémant are picked earlier. 3) Ofcourse, vineyards sites at altitude are preferable to retain acidity but those sites often reserved for making the best still wines. 4) Sometimes Crémant may be made from declassified still wines when yields have been too high or the quality perceived is too low for still wines. Climate: Frosts and winter freeze are very serious hazards and wet weather can cause problems throughout the growing season. Alsace - dry continental Bordeaux - moderate maritime Burgundy - cool continental Loire - Saumur: maritime; Touraine: semi-continental Limoux - both Atlantic and Mediterranean Die - continental, influences by Mediterranean Most come from cool sites either due to latitude or altitude. Soil: Best come from calcerous soils (Anjou-Saumur, Tourine, Burgundy, Limoux). Vineyard: Picked earlier than still wines grapes, sometimes Cremant may be made from declassified still wines. High density planting. Maximum yield: Alsace - 80hl/ha, Burgundy and Bordeaux - 65hl/ha, Loire, Limoux and Die - 50hl/ha. GV: Varietals vary, usually non-aromatic with high acidity. Chardonnay often used in Loire, Burgundy, Limoux and to some extent Alsace. Chenin Blanc is used in Loire and Limoux. Grapes are hand harvested and whole bunch pressed. Minimum 9% abv (9.5% for Limoux) Maximum 13% abv (13.5% for Die) Maximum yield is 100l/150kg (100l/130kg for Saumur and Vouvray) 3.5 bar minimum (4 bar for Alsace and Burgundy) Must be produced by traditional method. Minimum 9 months on lees. Minimum 12 months between tirage and release from the domaine. Cremant d'Alsace: Grape varieties - Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Auxerrois, Riesling and Chardonnay (Muscat, Gewurztraminer and Chasselas cannot be used). Style: Fine mousse, high acidity and light body. If high Riesling content can have strong flavour. Cremant de Die: AC created in 1999. Grape varieties - 100% Clairette Crement de Bourgogne: AC created in 1975, mostly from Rully in the Cote Challonnais and Auxerre in the north. Grape varieties - mainly Chardonnay and/or Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Aligote but all Burgundian varieties are permitted. Cremant de Loire: AC created in 1975. Blended from two districts - Anjou-Saumur and Touraine. Grape varieties - principally Chenin Blanc but all Lorie varieties accepted except Sauvignon Blanc. Rose - usually high percent Cabernet Franc and Grolleau Noir. Compulsory tasting control. Style - Crisp acidity, medium body and alcohol, green apples, lanolin honeyed. Cremant from the south can be full and soft, from the north it is crisper and lighter. Cabernet Franc rose - distinctive wine, deeply coloured, pungent raspberry aromas. Cremant de Limoux: Grape varieties - Chenin Blanc (20%-40%) and Chardonnay must make up 90% of blend, rest made up of Mauzac and Pinot Noir. Most made by co-operatives. Cremant de Bordeaux: Small amount of production.

QUALITY STANDARDS REQUIRED FOR THE AOC:

1) Mannual harvest 2) Wines made by whole or destemmed grapes 3) Juice yield: 100L / 150kg 4) Max level of SO2: 150mg/l 5) Prise de mousse takes place in the same bottle as it will be sold 6) Finished sugar content after dosage/liquer de expedition is less than 50g/l 7) Transfer method permitted for 37.5cl and 150cl bottles or bigger 8) Min. 9 months ageing prior to disgorgement (12 Crémant de Loire) 9) 12 months min following tirage before selling to consumer

CREMANT DE DIE

GENERAL CLIMATE & WEATHER 1) Cool Continental Climate SOILS & TOPOGRAPHY 1) Northern Rhone 2) High altitude vineyards upto 700m 3) Chalk soils good for water retention in dry vintages GRAPE VARIETIES 1) Clairette de Die: 100% Clairette 2) Clairette de Die Methode Dioise Ancestral: Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains (min 75%) and Clairette VITICULTURE VINIFICATION 1) Clairette de Die a) Transfer method. Second fermentation in bottle b) Yeast is removed by disgorgement and the wine is filtered un pressure from one bottle to another bottle c) Min. 9 months on the lees d) Max. alc 13.5% abv e) Residual sugar less than 15g/l f) 3.5 bar min 2) Cremant de Die Main difference between clairette die die and cremant de die: Clairette de die seperated from the lees of the second fermentation by filtration rather disgorgement 3) Clairette de Die Methode Dioise Ancestral a) Must is partially cool-fermented and bottled b) Liquer de tirage forbidden c) Fermentation continues in bottle d) Sur latte min. 4 months 12 degrees e) Fermentation stops naturally f) Yeast removed by disgorgement and the wine is filtered under pressure from one bottle to another g) Residual sugar equals or greater than 35g/l h) Alc. 7-9% abv i) 3 bar min. pressure j) Yeast removal is a must to be large scale commercially succesful STYLES 1) Clairette de die (dry to off dry wine from Clairette) a) Fruity, to be drinken young within 2 years b) Temperature between 6-8 degrees c) Alc. 11-12% 2) Clairette de die Methode Dioise Ancestrale (sweet wine Muscat dominated in blend) (Tradition) a) Pale Lemon in colour b) Muscat aromas of peach, grape and blossom c) Low alcohol d) Sweet on palate e) Very fine bubbles of moderate persistence 3) Cremant de die (dry to off dry wine, clairette dominated in blend not for exam) TRADE STRUCTURE 1) Clairette de Die Syndicate and the Vins du Diois have started negotiation with INAO to create a Die Rose made from Syah and Pinot Noir IMPORTANT BRANDS AND COMPANIES 1) Jaillance Cooperative: dominates production by 250 growers of the 300 growers of the region. 2) Caves Carod, les grands Chais de France 3) Achard-Vincent, Saint Croix 4)Domaine Maillefaud, Barsac 5) Monge Granon, Vercheny 6) Cave de Die, Jaillance, die 7) Union des Jeunes Viticulteus Recoltants, Verchendy 8) Pouls et Filsn, Pontaix (clairette de die traditional) MARKET

CREMANT DE BORDEAUX

GENERAL 1) 100 producers 2) 6 Million bottles (2015) 3) Since 1990 CLIMATE & WEATHER 1) Latitude - 45 degrees 2) Mild climate 3) Moderate Maritime 4) Warm Gulf Stream 5) Mild and Damp springs 6) Regions weather unpredictable during flowering which cold rains and strong winds can damage crop cause coulure and millerandage. 7) Average Max in summer of 26 degrees 8) 2.000 sun hours SOILS & TOPOGRAPHY GRAPE VARIETIES White: 1) Principal varieties (min 70%): Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Malbec, Merlot, Muscadelle, Petit Verdot, Semillion, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris 2) Secondary varieties (max 30%): Colombard, Merlot Blanc, Ugni Blanc 3) Rosé (maceration or saignee): Cabernet Franc, Caberet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot. VITICULTURE 1) Hand harvesting required. 2) Grapes picked earlier than still wines. 3) Minimum 9% ABV (Limoux 9.5%) VINIFICATION 1) Max Juice Yield: 100L /150kg 2) 3.5 Bar: 3) Min. 9 months on the lees 4) Min. 12 months between tirage and release from the domaine STYLES 1) Production controlled by a handful of companies which have not established a clear style or identity for the white and pinkn wines. Also due to wide range of grapes varieties allowed. 2) Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc main varieties used: tight, nutty, light honey aromas and flavours highlighted with lees contact. Wines made from SB should be consumed fresh. 3) Rose mainly from CS and Merlot by maceration or saignée TRADE STRUCTURE IMPORTANT BRANDS AND COMPANIES 1) Oldest: Les Cordeliers in Saint Emillion (1892) important tourist attraction 2) Largest: Jaillance (2000) - 500.000 bottles Cooperatives a) Vignerons de Saint Pey Gennisac (2009): 120 members, 110ha, 430.000 bottles b) Jean-Louis Ballarin (Haux) c) Vignobles Herve David, Monprimblanc MARKET 1) 2015 vs 2014 Rosé production dropped with 28% which made place for Crémant production which increase 2014 vs 2015 with 41% (4.5 million liter)

CREMANT DE BOURGOGNE

GENERAL 1) 2.370ha (2012) 2) 18 million bottles 3) 10% total production Bourgogne 4) 1800 producers 5) Main regions (cause Cote'de Or wines sold for higher price as still wine): 6) Rully: Cote de Chalonnaise (do not have grand cru) 7) Auxerre: North of Bourgogne (Chablis) 8) Chatillon-sur-Seine: bordering Champagne CLIMATE & WEATHER 1) Latitude 47-49 2) Cool Continental 3) Colder in winter than Bordeaux similar temperatures in Spring 4) Heavy Rainfall May-June and October which may or not fall in harvest 5) Spring frost big problem 6) Hail 7) Shorter and more variable summer than Bordeaux SOILS & TOPOGRAPHY 1) Mostly Chalk soils 2) Rully: Cote de Chalonnaise - light and sandy soil 3) Auxerre: North of Bourgogne (Chablis) 4) Chatillon-sur-Seine: bordering Champagne GRAPE VARIETIES 1) White and Rosé (maceration or saignee): Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir Aligoté, Melon, Sacy and Gamay (max 20%) "Red sparkling Burgundy comes under the AOC Bourgogne Mousseux VITICULTURE 1) Hand harvesting required. 2) Grapes picked earlier than still wines. 3) Minimum 9% ABV (Limoux 9.5%) 4) Max yields 65 hl/ha VINIFICATION 1) Max Juice Yield: 100L /150kg 2) 4 Bar: Alsace and Burgundy 3) Min. 9 months on the lees 4) Min. 12 months between tirage and release from the domaine STYLES 1) South Burgundy: full and soft, good-value altenerative to bigger stules of Champagne 2) North Burgundy: lighter and crisp 3) Usually Brut style 4) Excellent value for money TRADE STRUCTURE 1) The Union des Producteurs et Elaborateurs de Cremant de Bourgogne in partnership with INAO are looking into defining specific vineyards or regions for sparkling wine. IMPORTANT BRANDS AND COMPANIES 1) Quality a) Michel Prunier, Auxey Duresses b) Paul Chollet - Savigny les Beaune c) Albert Bichot - Beaune/Nuits St George d) Simonnet Febvre, Chitry 2) Cooperatives a) Caves de Bailly-Lapierre, Saint Bris le Vineaux b) Cave de Lugny c) Caves de Viré 3) Contractor Producers: Businesses that conduct secondary fermentation on behalf of producers which sell it under their own brnads. Contractor producers also can create own brands from their own grapes a) André Delorme, Rully b) Louis Picamelot, Rully c) Vitteaut Alberti, Rully 4) Largest Negotiants a) Veuve Ambal, Montangy les Beaune b) Maison Louis Bouillot (Boisset Group), Nuits St Georges MARKET 1) 75% Domestic sold and 25% exported.

CREMANT DE ALSACE

GENERAL 1) 3.750ha 2) 35.5 million bottles 3) 20% total production of Alsace 4) 520 producers CLIMATE & WEATHER 1) 47.5-49 degrees latitude 2) Dry Continental 3) Lowest rainfall in France due to Vosges Mountains 4) Warm and sometimes very dry summers 5) Heavy Hail and thunderstorms in autumn and summer 6) Drought can be a problem in some vintages (advantage for vineyards on clay soils) SOILS & TOPOGRAPHY 1) Cool growing season makes it that best vineyards in Alsace in slopes S, SW, SE for optimum sunlight but those are used for still wine production 2) Majority come from Alluvial plains. Heavier clay soils give a wine broader flavours, more body and weight 3) 175m-550m above sea level GRAPE VARIETIES 1) Pinot Gris: adds richness and body 2) Pinot Blanc: Pinot Blanc mostly used as it is not seen as a noble variety like Riesling or Pinot Gris 3) Chardonnay: only permitted in Alsace for Crémant production to add alegance and improve ageing production, 4) Riesling: Pure Riesling Crémant de Alsace: too aromatic but can add freshness and liveliness 5) Auxerrois (synonym for Malbec) 6) Pinot Noir: 100% Rosé and Blanc de Noirs VITICULTURE 1) Hand harvesting required. 2) Grapes picked earlier than still wines. 3) Minimum 9% ABV (Limoux 9.5%) 4) Max yields 80hl/ha (4.5 tons/acre, 11tons/ha) 5) Early ripening and make good-value relatively neutral base for Sparkling 6) Guyot Pruning VINIFICATION 1) Max Juice Yield: 100L /150kg 2) 4 Bar: Alsace and Burgundy 3) Min. 9 months on the lees 4) Min. 12 months between tirage and release from the domaine STYLES 1) In general fine mousse, high acidity light body 2) Blanc des Blancs: Mainly Pinot Blanc - pale gold a flavours of white flowers, pear, peach and broche with a sense of freshness and finess 3) Blanc de Noirs: only 100% Pinot Noir 4) Crémant Rosé: 100% Pinot Noir (maceration or saignee). Lightly colooured with delicate pur red berry flavours but lacking some elegance. 5) Emotion: prestige cuvee introduced in 2009: o Extended lees contact o Higher natural sugar content o Min. 75% Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay or Pinot Noir o Identified by slender, taller and silver capped bottled and "e" symbol on label IMPORTANT BRANDS AND COMPANIES 1) Oldest: Dopff au Moulin (1574): a) 70 ha in Riquewihr b) First to make Crémant de Alsace in 1900. 2) Quality a) Joseph Cattin, Voegtlinshoffen b) Edgard Schaller & Fils - Mittelwihr 3) Largest Cooperatives 3 cooperatives making one third of Crémant de Alsace: a) Bestheim and Cave D'Obernai Divinal joined in 2012 and became largest b) Maison Arthur Metz (Marlenheim) c) Cave d'Eguisheim "Wolfberger" (Eguisheim) 4) Important Village Cooperatives a) Beblenheim b) Pfaffenheim c) Ribeauville d) Turkheim MARKET 1) 20% of total Alsace production is Crémant 2) 80% sold in France, 20% exported

CREMANT DE LOIRE

GENERAL 1) 3rd largest producer of sparkling wine after Champagne and Alsace 2) History 1811 - Belgian Jean-Baptiste Ackerman - first Loire Sparkling wine house: Ackerman-Laurance (today Ackerman). He decided to establish its sparkling wine house cause: o White wines tendent to slightly sparkle o Good Transportation Links o Local Limestone: Tuffeau excellent for building cellars (many famous chateauxs are built from this) 838 - Ackerman produced 30.000 bottles - 1876 1.5 million bottles. Other houses followed all based in Saint-Hilaire-Saint Florent suburb of Saumur: o 1851 Bouvet-Ladubay o 1864 Gratien et Meyer (Not in St Hilaire St Florent but Eastern Saumur) o 1884 Veuve-Amiot o 1885 Langlois-Chateaux 3) Appelations Saumur Brut Vouvray Cremant de Loire: stricter rules for cremants and covers Anjou, Saumur, Montlouis and Touraine. Established in 1976. Rules based on Champagne but yields more generous. CLIMATE & WEATHER 1) Anjou Saumur: Gentle Oceanic climate 2) Tourraine: Semi-Continental in Touraine a)150 miles from sea slightly colder wintes and marginally hotter summers. b) Growing season is shorter c) Spring frost d) Vintage que vary between years as in some cool summers grapes struggle to ripe SOILS & TOPOGRAPHY 1) Vast majority clay limestone soils of the Paris Basin 2) Best sites used for still wines 3) Less well exposed sites with higher clay content 4) Anjou: granite schist and slate 5) Montlouis - more sandy soil from southbank downstream of Touraine-Amboise 6) Anjou - Saumur: tuffeau soils (calcareous rock), high calcium content and optimum water regime. Evidence that soils rich in calcium help to maintain acidity in the wines (ideal for sparkling) GRAPE VARIETIES 1) Cremant de Loire: Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pineau d' Aunis 2) Montlouis: Chenin Blanc 3) Pays Nantais Gros Plant (Folle Blanche) 4) Saumur: Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabeenet Sauvignon, Pineau d' Aunis, Sauvignon Blanc, Grolleau, 5) Touraine: Pinot Noir, Gamay 6) Vouvray: Chenin Blanc Menu Pineau (very rare) White: Min. 60% Chenin Blanc Rose: Min. 60% Cabernet Franc VITICULTURE 1) Most favourable sites reserved for still wine making 2) Saumur and Vouvray mechanical harvest permitted 3) Cremant de Loire, only hand harvesting 4) Min. Alc permitted is 9% abv 5) Vine density between 4.000-5.000 plants / hectare VINIFICATION 1) All wines must be made by traditional method; 2) Saumur and Vouvray - 100L/130kg, 9 months on lees 3) Cremant de Loire - 100L/150kg, 12 months on lees STYLES 1) Mostly Chenin Blanc, providing distinct palate, refreshing yet subtly honeyed at the same time. 2) Sparkling wines from Saumur are softer than from Montlouis and Vouvray 3) Cremant de Loire:Brut, Rose and Non-dose TRADE STRUCTURE 1) Leading houses are now in mixed ownership with only Ackerman in local hands. Number of small growers and co-ops making some sparkling wine as part of their product range. 2) A lot of producers use a Specialist for secondary fermentation, they send the base wine to them and afterwards they receive bottles back for labeling. Most known specialist Berger Elaborateur in Saint-Martin-le-Beau (Cher Valley) 3) Different from other Cremant appelations, once Cremant de Loire was established, the existing Loire Appelations such as Saumur Brut and Vouvray were allowed to continue. As they manage less stricter rules than Cremant de Loire, many producers continue to use the more economically attractive appelations of Montlouis, Saumur, Touraine and Vouvray. Some producers also prefer a more specific geographic appellation. IMPORTANT BRANDS AND COMPANIES 1) Ackerman owned by Alliance Loire which includes Saint Cyr Cooperative (Saumur), La Vallee Coquette (Vouvray) and Monmousseau (Montrichard) 2) Bouvet-Ladubay owned by Indian company United Breweries (before taittinger PREMIUM SAUMUR) 3) Gratien et Meyer of Alfred Gratien (PREMIUM SAUMUR) 4) Veuve-Amiot part of Compagnie Francaise des Grands Vins (CFGV) MARKET 1) After 30 year Cremant de Loire is producing more sparkling than Saumur and has a slightly higher price. 2) Cremant de Loire: 12.5M bottles 3) RECENT TRENDS a) Rose is increasing in popularity 2011 15% of total cremant production b) Non-Dose popular and easier to make an enjoyable sparkling wine without any dosage than it is in Champagne/ c) PetNats - Petillantes Naturelles: Methode Ancestrale bottling the wine before first fermentation is finished, a considerable amount of residual sugar and disgorgement is after 4 to 5 months. Fun wines and bottled as Vin de France

SAUMUR

GENERAL 1) Loire Valley CLIMATE & WEATHER 1) Maritime climate SOILS & TOPOGRAPHY 1) with mainly clay/limestone soil. 2) Tuffeau soils (calcareous rock), high calcium content and optimum water regime. Evidence that soils rich in calcium help to maintain acidity in the wines (ideal for sparkling) GRAPE VARIETIES Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabeenet Sauvignon, Pineau d' Aunis, Sauvignon Blanc, Grolleau VITICULTURE 1) Most favourable sites reserved for still wine making 2) Saumur and Vouvray mechanical harvest permitted 3) Min. Alc permitted is 9% abv 4) Vine density between 4.000-5.000 plants / hectare VINIFICATION Max. juice yield 100L/130KG, 9 months on lees STYLES 1) Brut and Rose TRADE STRUCTURE IMPORTANT BRANDS AND COMPANIES 1) Bouvet-Ladubay owned by Indian company United Breweries (before taittinger PREMIUM SAUMUR) 2) Gratien et Meyer of Alfred Gratien (PREMIUM SAUMUR) 3) Langlois-Chateaux owned by Bollinger since 1973 (PREMIUM SAUMUR) o Being part of Bollinger focus on production of high quality Cremant de Loire o Mission is to convince consumer there is more to French Sparkling than just Champagne o 130.000 bottles: Brut, Brut Rose, Blanc de Blancs, Vintage and Prestige Cuvee o 73ha in Anjou-Saumur and buy grapes. o Cremant 25-30% own grapes o Rootstocks used against chlorosis: Fercal and Riparia Gloire de Montpellier o One of first vineyards to obtain Terra Vitis label (French certification for traceability in vineyard and winemaking process) o 5 different soils, vinified differently o 160kg / 100L o Only stainless steel o Cultured yeast strain selected by the Institut Oenologique de Champagne (IOC) in Epernay is used for 2nd fermentation that can withstand high pressures and low temperatues. o Sur latte for 24 months o Dosage between 4-12g/l o Crips elegant wines o Cheap cremant using champagne style labels and gold caps, Langlois Chateaux wants to be more modern using black and silver color teams. MARKET 1) Saumur: 11.25M bottles - 5% exported (Saumurs most important wine is Saumur Mousseux)

VOUVRAY

GENERAL 1) Loire Valley CLIMATE & WEATHER 1) Semi Continental SOILS & TOPOGRAPHY 1) with mainly clay/limestone soil. 2) Tuffeau soils (calcareous rock), high calcium content and optimum water regime. Evidence that soils rich in calcium help to maintain acidity in the wines (ideal for sparkling) GRAPE VARIETIES Chenin Blanc VITICULTURE 1) Most favourable sites reserved for still wine making 2) Saumur and Vouvray mechanical harvest permitted 3) Min. Alc permitted is 9% abv 4) Vine density between 4.000-5.000 plants / hectare VINIFICATION Max. juice yield 100L/130KG, 9 months on lees STYLES 1) Brut 2) Petillant: particular speciality not full sparkling, only 2.5bar, more finesse than mousseux. TRADE STRUCTURE IMPORTANT BRANDS AND COMPANIES 1)Top producers of Petillant a) Domaine Huet (Vouvray) b) Jacky Blot (Montlouis) - makes a triple cero without any added sugar at any stage, producing 60.000-80.000 bottles a year. c) Dimaine de la Taille au Loups (Montlouis) MARKET 1) 60% of Vouvray production is Sparkling: 8.75M bottles (2.000 ha) 54% exported

CREMANT DE LIMOUX

GENERAL 1) Long history. Some claim that the fermentation in bottle was practiced here before Champagne 1531. AOC recently in 1990. Has made great progression in sales of all cremant regions. 2) Three permitted sparkling wines a) Cremant de Limoux since 1990 to produce less rustic and more internationally designed sparkling wine: 846ha (2012) b) Blanquette de Limoux: 635ha (2012) c) Blanquette de Limoux Methode Ancestrale (only very small volumes): 65ha (2012) CLIMATE & WEATHER 1) Atlantic and Mediterranean influences - Altitude is a key factor for production of Sparkling wine. It is the highest vineyard area in Languedoc. 2) 4 different climatic zones not officially classified a) Terroir d'Autun: sheltered from wester and easter breeze by two mountains (Corbieres and Chalabrais). Warm and Dry, water shortage. Harvest directly after Terroir Mediterranean. b) Terroir Mediterranean: 100-200M above sea level. Average rainfall 650mm, east Limoux, warm climate tempered by winds. First region to harvest c) Terroir Oceanique: 200-300M, aveage rainfall 780, west Limoux, close to Toulouse, humid, westerly breeze, third region to start harvest d) Terroir Haut Vallee: above 300m, rainfall 750mm, further up river Aude and towards Pyrenees, wettest and coldest, good for Chardonnat SOILS & TOPOGRAPHY 1) Languedoc-Roussillon 2) Eastern Pyreneen foothills 3) 200-450M aove sea livel 4) 41 towns in Limoux region 5) The vines grow in poor and shallow soil that is calcareous and rocky, and are always located at the top of south-facing topography for optimal sun exposure. 6) Surface areas for the vineyards are small and yields are limited to 50Hl/ha (2,227 liters/acre), which are among the lowest in France for effervescent wines. GRAPE VARIETIES 1) Cremant de Limoux: Principal Varieties: Chardonnay 50%, Chenin Blanc (10-40%), Chardonnay 2) Secondary Varieties: Mauzac and Pinot Noir (Max 20%) 3) Blanquette de Limoux: Mauzac (90% min), Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc 4) Blanquette de Limoux Ancestrale: Mauzac (100%) VITICULTURE 1) Cremant de Limoux: Min. alcohol required is 9.5% ABV VINIFICATION 1) Blanquette de Limoux a) Traditional method b) 9 months sur latte c) Max 13% actual abv d) 3.5 bar min. e) Brut or demi-sec 2) Blanquette de Limoux Methode Ancestrale a) No enrichment or concentration of must permitted b) Fermentation starts in tank and finishes in bottle. Base wine is bottled from 1st of December and onwards c) Liquer de tirage not permitted d) Min 3.5 bar e) Stay on lees for min. 2 months f) Yeast removed by disgorgement or transfer method g) Liquer de expedition not permitted h) 6-7% actual alcohol and residual sugar of aprox 50g/l (no min. requirement of rs established) STYLES 1) Blanquette de Limoux Methode Ancestrale 750.000 bottles a) Delicacy and freshness due to their high altitude location. b) Aromas to bruised apples (from Mauxzac). c) Often cloudy with a light deposit d) Low in alcohol e) Soft but persistent bubbles TRADE STRUCTURE 1) 2 cooperatives with 500 members 2) 240 individual producers 3) 20 negotiations 4) 3M bottles per year IMPORTANT BRANDS AND COMPANIES 1) Georges et Roger Antech, Limoux (Blanquette de Limoux Methode Ancestral) 2) Domaine Delmas, Antugnac 3) Domaine Rosies, Limoux 4) Domaine Paul Mas, Montagnac 5) Chateau Rives-Blanques, Limoux 6) Domaine L'Aigle (Blanquette de Limoux Methode Ancestral) 7) Cooperative Sieur d'Arques, (Blanquette de Limoux Methode Ancestral) MARKET 1)70% domestic, 30% export