Wine of the Week

A House Favorite of Cork & Bottle returns!

2005 Saint-Hilaire Blanquette de Limoux Sparkling Wine, France

$14.99

**Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 Best Buys of 2009**

Always a top pick of employees and customers of C&B, Saint-Hilaire is back on the shelves and we couldn’t be happier! What makes this little sparkler so special? First, its heritage and history: Made by the loving hands of Benedictine Monks of the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire a full 100 years before Champagne, it is France’s oldest sparkling wine! Second, its consistency: Year in and year out, this wine shows beautiful notes of apple and citrus combined with touches of yeast and bread dough to lend fullness and complexity. A pure pleasure to drink on its own, it also works beautifully as an aperitif, with appetizers , and with main course dishes of seafood, chicken, and mushrooms. As an added plus, the dash of lemon acidity in the palate makes it a perfect complement to cream sauces.

At a fantastically priced $14.99, this wine is as delicious and enjoyable as wines twice its price. AND for all you LSU fans, it just so happens that its label is the team colors. So come on in and drink excellent sparkling wine for absolutely no reason or to toast LSU’s next victory. You deserve it. Cheers!

P.S. The primary grape on this intriguing bubbly is….wait for it….Mauzac. Sounds like the name of a French existentialist. But I tell you, this little aromatic orb holds its own in sparkling wines. Often blended with Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc, it remains the heart of Blanquette de Limoux, and it is one of the seven permitted white varietals in Bordeaux! Who would have thought?

Popularity: 14% [?]