The name Blanquette de Limoux has been used for a long time for the sparkling wines from Limoux. "Blanquette" actually just means "white" in the local Occitan language. Blanquette de Limoux can contain three grape varieties: Mauzac which must constitute a minimum of 90% of the wine, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc. Prior to the 1990 introduction of the Crémant de Limoux AOC, the use of Mauzac was optional. The change to the mandatory minimum of 90% Mauzac in the AOC regulations of Blanquette de Limoux was seen as a safeguard in maintaining the traditional style of Blanquette de Limoux and preserving the use of the local Mauzac grape which is declining in worldwide plantings. The taste of this Mauzac based wine is unique, with apple flavors and distinctive aromas of fresh cut grass that can be identified in blind tastings. Wine writer Tom Stevenson notes a change in the profile of recent vintage with wines that are "developing finer, more flowery, autolytic aromas."
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