Vintage Blanquette from Limoux and Sparkling from a New Mexico Winery

Sun-kissed Venice, Florida, was the setting for an elegant wine dinner I recently helped orchestrate. An acquaintance had purchased a wine collection, and he invited me to peruse the bottles and select several for a pairing dinner.

The meal featured five courses and nine bottles of wine for our group of eight. My wife and other spouses created the dishes, while I had the enviable task of selecting the wines. In addition to older bottles from the collection, I purchased some current vintages for contrast.

The dinner was held in what Floridians call a “bird cage”, a screened-in area that encloses the pool, outdoor seating, dining area, and grill. During the height of our meal, we’d have ring-side seats for a gorgeous tropical sunset.

To kick off the soiree just the right way, I decided on two sparklers. From the collection, I chose a 2018 Cuvée Jean Philippe Brut Blanquette de Limoux and purchased a Gruet Brut NV from the New Mexico winery.

The Limoux region is in Languedoc, in the foothills of France’s Pyrénées mountains. Blanquette is considered to be the first sparkling white wine produced in France, produced long before the Champagne region became world famous. The term Blanquette first appeared in papers written in 1531 by Benedictine monks at the Saint-Hillare abbey. The abbey produced Blanquette in cork-stoppered flasks.

Gruet is an American traditional method sparkling wine producer in New Mexico. Known as the Land of Enchantment, the state is famed for its dramatic desert landscapes, adobe architecture, and Native American culture. New Mexico is an unexpected location for fine wine production, but Gruet’s roots are firmly in France.

Gilbert Gruet, founder of Gruet Winery, was born in Bethon, France, in 1931. Growing up in a poor family, he dreamt of making fine quality Champagne. In 1952, he planted his first vineyard in Bethon. In 1967, he established Gruet et Fils, a Champagne house that continues to this day.

In 1983, Gruet visited the United States with an eye to expansion. In the Southwest, he met a group of European winemakers who had successfully planted vines in New Mexico. After studying the climate and soil, he planted an experimental vineyard. In 1989, the first Gruet wines were released.

We served the sparkling wine with spinach and feta puff pastry and prosciutto-wrapped breadsticks. Smooth jazz and the sounds of corks popping gave the party a festive air.

The main grape in Blanquette is Mazuac, something our guests hadn’t tasted before. The 2018 Jean Philippe is pale gold in the glass with fine bubbles. Floral on the nose, the wine has rounded pear notes with accents of toast and honey. This is a smooth sipper, aromatic and balanced.

The Gruet Brut is 75% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir. It is aged 24 months en tirage. Out of the bottle, this is a foaming sea of creamy froth. While the Blanquette was restrained, the Gruet was fresh with persistent bubbles and perlage. Green apple and citrus predominate with lovely acidity.

This duo of sparkling wines ignited the evening’s festivities. Current vintages of both bottles are well priced at below US$20.

 

Photo Credit belongs to Dave Nershi, CSW, Glass of Bubbly was granted permission to use the image.