Crémant de Limoux, Champagne or Blanquette de Limoux: what’s the difference?

Crémant de Limoux, Champagne and Blanquette de Limoux are three distinct sparkling wine appellations. Crémant de Limoux and Champagne develop their bubbles in the bottle using the traditional method, but differ in their regions and grape varieties. Blanquette de Limoux is made predominantly from Mauzac, a grape with a long history in the Limoux area, where tradition dates the first sparkling wines to 1531.

Three wines, one shared technique (a second fermentation in the bottle) and three distinct identities. Their differences begin with their origins: each appellation defines its production area, grape varieties and production rules. This guide compares them point by point, then helps you choose from our Crémants de Limoux.

The comparison at a glance

Criterion	Crémant de Limoux	Blanquette de Limoux	Champagne
Region	Upper Aude valley, around Limoux (Languedoc)	Upper Aude valley, around Limoux (Languedoc)	Champagne, north-eastern France
Main grape varieties	Chardonnay and Chenin, complemented by Mauzac and Pinot Noir	Predominantly Mauzac	Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meunier
Colour	White or rosé	White	White or rosé
Method	Traditional: second fermentation in the bottle	Traditional: second fermentation in the bottle	Traditional, called the ‘Champagne method’ only in Champagne
Ageing on racks	Minimum period set by the appellation; at least 12 months for Eternal Brut Red Code	Minimum period set by the appellation	Minimum period set by the appellation, longer for vintage wines
Style	Fresh, delicate and taut	Fruity, with prominent apple and floral notes	Depending on each house’s blend and style
History	An heir to Limoux’s tradition dating from 1531	A historic expression of Limoux sparkling wine	Sparkling wines developed later

Crémant de Limoux: the freshness of a high-altitude blend

Crémant de Limoux is a PDO from the upper Aude valley, at the foot of the Pyrenees. Its transitional climate, influenced by both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, preserves the grapes’ acidity, the source of the wine’s freshness. Its blend sets it apart: Chardonnay brings finesse and citrus notes, Chenin adds tension, Mauzac lends a distinctive local character, and Pinot Noir provides structure as well as the colour of the rosés.

At Gérard Bertrand, this range is expressed in several cuvées:

• Eternal Brut Red Code: a blanc de blancs made from Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Mauzac, aged on racks for at least 12 months.
• Aigle Impérial 2015: a vintage cuvée made from Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Noir, certified organic under the French AB label and by Demeter.
• Héritage Year 825: Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and Pinot Noir, in both white and rosé.
• Sparkling Dancer Brut Rosé: a brut rosé made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Blanquette de Limoux: the character of Mauzac

Blanquette de Limoux shares the same production area as Crémant de Limoux, but not its grape blend: it is made predominantly from Mauzac, a grape with a long history in the Limoux area that gives it notes of fresh apple and flowers. It too is made using the traditional method.

It should not be confused with Blanquette made by the ancestral method. In that wine, fermentation begins in a vat and finishes in the bottle, without an induced second fermentation, giving it a fruitier style.

Champagne: a different terroir, the same method

Champagne is produced in its designated area in north-eastern France, mainly from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier. It is made in the same way as Crémant de Limoux: a second fermentation in the bottle, ageing on the lees, riddling, disgorgement and dosage. The two wines differ in their climate, soils, grape varieties and production rules.

Saint-Hilaire, 1531: Limoux and the first sparkling wines

The history of Limoux sparkling wines is linked to the Benedictine Abbey of Saint-Hilaire, near Limoux. According to Limoux tradition, the abbey’s monks discovered a naturally sparkling wine there in 1531 — one of the earliest known sparkling wines, predating the development of Champagne wines.

This earlier date is based on tradition and local archives, not on any direct lineage between the appellations. The house pays tribute to it with Eternal Brut Red Code, which evokes the ‘World’s First Brut’ made by the monks of Saint-Hilaire.

Which should you choose?

• Fine bubbles, freshness and floral notes, rooted in the Languedoc: Crémant de Limoux, such as Eternal Brut Red Code in white or Héritage Year 825 in rosé.
• A vintage cuvée with toasted and brioche notes: Aigle Impérial 2015.
• The distinctive character of Mauzac: Blanquette de Limoux.
• A Champagne blend: Champagne.

To learn more about our approach to viticulture, discover why we choose biodynamics, or explore the Crémant de Limoux collection directly.

Frequently asked questions

Can the term ‘Champagne method’ be used for a Crémant de Limoux?
No. The term is reserved for Champagne wines. For Crémant de Limoux, the term is ‘traditional method’: the principle is the same, with a second fermentation in the bottle.

What is the ancestral method?
It is the method used for Blanquette made by the ancestral method: a single fermentation that begins in a vat and finishes in the bottle, without an induced second fermentation, producing a fruitier wine.

Do Limoux’s sparkling wines predate Champagne?
According to Limoux tradition, a naturally sparkling wine was discovered at the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire in 1531, before Champagne wines rose to prominence. The appellations remain distinct.

Which grape varieties distinguish Crémant de Limoux from Champagne?
Crémant de Limoux is blended mainly from Chardonnay and Chenin, with Mauzac and Pinot Noir. Champagne is based primarily on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier.