9 ha Chardonnay (taille Guyot)
2.4 ha Chenin Blanc (taille Cordon de Royat)
7 ha Mauzac (taille Gobelet)
2 ha Sauvignon Blanc
All vines for the appellation wines are harvested by hand (35-45 hl/ha. yield). Most vines were replanted between 1972-1987; the most recent in 2006. There is one metre between each vine and 2.25 metres between each row (4,444 vines per ha), excepting for the youngest vines which are planted 90 cm apart. Production: about 100,000 bottles per year.
The most noble and most celebrated of all white wine varieties, adds
a complex bouquet. It is a highly praised, most versatile grape, high
in extract and with good acidity levels. Differing local soil conditions
and the individual wine maker's talent combine to produce a dazzlingly
diverse spectrum of chardonnay wines with varying characteristics
the world over. Limoux has claimed a place of its own for the excellence
of its chardonnay, as evidenced by France's second most important
wine auction which takes place there every year. "The Limoux terroir
gives chardonnay a unique, special character you can find no where
else." is how INAO President, the late René Renou summed it up. The top chardonnay
fields at Château Rives-Blanques are amongst the oldest in the appellation,
and arguably also amongst the best, thanks to the altitude of our
unique terroir. We produce two different chardonnay wines: one is
vinified in stainless steel (Chardonnay du Domaine), and the other
is from old, uncloned vines and vinified in oak barrels (Cuvée de
l'Odyssée).
Brings fruit and vigour to our wines. Capable of producing a large
variety of wines, from dry to liquoreux through to sparkling wines,
Chenin has the capacity to express terroir seldom seen in other varietals.
It is sometimes called the Cinderella of grapes, because the differences
in quality - resulting from different climates, yields and soil types
- are so marked. Chenin Blanc is sublime when these factors are mastered,
as in the Loire, where it is most at home. It is capable of producing
wines of great finesse with probably the greatest ageing potential
of all white wines. In a region not known for the quality of its chenin
blanc, Château Rives-Blanques' special terroir places it uniquely
for the extremely successful cultivation of this grape variety, showing
the beautiful expressions that it is capable of. We produce two different
award-winning Chenin blanc wines: one is a dry wine vinified in oak
(Dédicace), and the other is sweet dessert wine (Vendange d'Automne)
made from botrytised grapes.
Mauzac is a grape of the Renaissance, referred to in Antiquamareto's Livre de Raison of 1525, but although once widespread, it is grown today only in two appellations: Limoux and Gaillac. Mauzac is reputedly responsible for a subtle fragrance of apple in the wine... "an appley freshness and bite that follows up the faint grassy cidery aroma". Its firm acidity and fairly neutral taste makes it an excellent base for sparkling wines, but it is extremely difficult to vinify successfully as a non-sparkling wine for exactly the same reasons. A fine white down on the underside of its leaves gives it the name used locally - "blanquette". Blanquette is also the name of Limoux's most famous sparkling wine, which is made from this grape. We produce two award-winning mauzac wines: one is Blanquette de Limoux, the world's oldest and original sparkling wine, and the other is a highly praised still wine, made from old, uncloned vines and vinified in oak (Cuvée Occitania), which is the only example of its kind, certainly in the appellation and perhaps even in the world.
Sauvignon Blanc is widely cultivated in France, California and
more recently in New Zealand, which has become synonymous with this
grape variety. Sauvignon blanc wines have noticeable acidity and
grassy, herbaceous aromas and flavours. In France, the best come
from the Loire valley (Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé) where they
express themselves in crisp and tart wines with flinty characteristics;
and in the fine elegant white wines from Bordeaux (Graves) where
they are blended with Sémillon, and aged in oak barrels .
Two hectares of Sauvignon Blanc were planted at Chateau Rives-Blanques
in 2006, which because of the rules of the national AOC system,
can be made only into Vin de Pays wines. After careful tending during their infancy, the first of the wines from these vines were vinified in oak barrels and brought on to the market in 2009.
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