Not that I’d need an excuse for a glass of bubbles (or two) at the start of the evening (full disclosure: I am a bubbles girl). But the festive season is upon us, and a steady stream of bubbles is more important than ever to get everybody into the mood, to celebrate love and friendship, and… well, just because life is too short not to have bubbles.
Convoluted argument? Ok, I admit it’s a bit tricky to think straight today, due to the extremely good mood we were in last night (after the bubbles). Here is the record of the night (there were six of us around the table, and it was a long and beautiful night, that ended with us dancing to Leonard Cohen’s waltz):
I had been sceptical about those bubbles, as so much Limoux sparkling stuff is, despite of its impressive historicality, a bit flat and boring. However, the white La Louvière, made from Chardonnay, Chenin, Mauzac and Pinot Noir, is softer than regular Champagne (which is a plus), but lively and well balanced, and it tastes really dry in a good way. The bottle emptied so quickly that I went and opened the rosé – which, as you can see, we drained as well. Its pink was almost red, the fruit aromas totally delicious, it seemed a bit deeper and meatier than the white – and if there’d been a second bottle… well, you get the idea. Why the word brut doesn’t appear on the label I have no idea, as it is just as dry as the white (and made from Chardonnay, Chenin and Pinot Noir). So thanks, you Louvière-folks, a Swiss-German-French team working in the small Malepère appellation at the foot of the Pyrenees in Languedoc-Roussillon, and bubble on!
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