Les Hautes Terres ‘Joséphine’ Crémant de Limioux Brut Nature Blanc NV

$39.00

Location: France, Languedoc

Winemaker: Geneviève & Gilles Azam

Grapes: 60% Chardonnay, 30% Chenin Blanc, 10% Mauzac (25 years old Chardonnay vines, 45 years old Chenin Blanc, 49 years old Mauzac)

Soil: 300-600 meters high in altitude. From multiple parcels with various exposures. The soils are deep sandstone and clay, and rich in Nummulite fossils

Winemaking: Organic farming. Hand picked. A non-vintage Traditional Method sparkling wine. Direct pressing of the whole bunches is followed by one-night of lees settling, then the juice is transferred to used French oak foudres and demi-muids. Alcoholic fermentation begins naturally using only indigenous yeasts, and the 3 different grape varieties are fermented separately. A low dose of sulfur was added after the completion of alcoholic fermentation and the Vin Clair does not go through malolactic fermentation. The components are then racked, blended, and transferred back to a combination of French oak demi-muids and foudres for 9 months of ageing before the Tirage. During blending 30% to 40% of reserve wine is added to the Vin Clair. At 9 months a solution of sugar and yeast, known as Liqueur de Tirage, is added to the Vin Clair to kick-start the secondary fermentation. The wine is bottled under a crown cap and a second fermentation occurs in the bottle. Aged in bottle “sur latte” for 18 months in the cellar. At the completion of the aging process each bottle is disgorged, removing the sediment from the second fermentation. No dosage is added at disgorgement and the wine is released Brut Nature.


From the Importer Terres Blanches: Les Hautes Terres is located on the very western edge of the Languedoc in the tiny village of Roquetaillade. Here on the boundary of the Limoux appellation, Geneviève and Gilles Azam live and work at the very top of a 600m summit that is surrounded by an amphitheater of vineyards. The fossil filled clay-limestone and sandstone slopes offer countless expositions and unique microclimates, perfect for crafting honest wines that showcase this unique terroir.

For nearly 20 years Geneviève and Gilles have been slowly building the Domaine, which is now over 30 hectares. All the Domaine’s vineyards are farmed organically, the grapes hand harvested, and all wines ferment spontaneously using only native yeasts. Vinification and élevage for both sparkling and still wines are in used demi-muids and foudres. Apart from minimal sulfur additions, there are no enological additions to the wines.

Ever in the pursuit of quality, in 2018 Geneviève and Gilles purchased used riddling, disgorgement, and bottling equipment from Champagne. This has allowed the Domaine to bring all aspects of their sparkling wine production, from vineyards to disgorgement, in house. To help cover the cost of this major investment, Geneviève and Gilles bottle the sparkling wine production for many small producers in Limoux.

To say that Geneviève and Gilles Azam are among the elite producers in the Languedoc is not an over statement. Their sparkling wines rank among the best in all of France, and the still wines offer precision and minerality rarely found so far south. It’s hard to match the quality to price ratio offered by Les Hautes Terres, and we are so very lucky to represent the Domaine here in the States.

Location: France, Languedoc

Winemaker: Geneviève & Gilles Azam

Grapes: 60% Chardonnay, 30% Chenin Blanc, 10% Mauzac (25 years old Chardonnay vines, 45 years old Chenin Blanc, 49 years old Mauzac)

Soil: 300-600 meters high in altitude. From multiple parcels with various exposures. The soils are deep sandstone and clay, and rich in Nummulite fossils

Winemaking: Organic farming. Hand picked. A non-vintage Traditional Method sparkling wine. Direct pressing of the whole bunches is followed by one-night of lees settling, then the juice is transferred to used French oak foudres and demi-muids. Alcoholic fermentation begins naturally using only indigenous yeasts, and the 3 different grape varieties are fermented separately. A low dose of sulfur was added after the completion of alcoholic fermentation and the Vin Clair does not go through malolactic fermentation. The components are then racked, blended, and transferred back to a combination of French oak demi-muids and foudres for 9 months of ageing before the Tirage. During blending 30% to 40% of reserve wine is added to the Vin Clair. At 9 months a solution of sugar and yeast, known as Liqueur de Tirage, is added to the Vin Clair to kick-start the secondary fermentation. The wine is bottled under a crown cap and a second fermentation occurs in the bottle. Aged in bottle “sur latte” for 18 months in the cellar. At the completion of the aging process each bottle is disgorged, removing the sediment from the second fermentation. No dosage is added at disgorgement and the wine is released Brut Nature.


From the Importer Terres Blanches: Les Hautes Terres is located on the very western edge of the Languedoc in the tiny village of Roquetaillade. Here on the boundary of the Limoux appellation, Geneviève and Gilles Azam live and work at the very top of a 600m summit that is surrounded by an amphitheater of vineyards. The fossil filled clay-limestone and sandstone slopes offer countless expositions and unique microclimates, perfect for crafting honest wines that showcase this unique terroir.

For nearly 20 years Geneviève and Gilles have been slowly building the Domaine, which is now over 30 hectares. All the Domaine’s vineyards are farmed organically, the grapes hand harvested, and all wines ferment spontaneously using only native yeasts. Vinification and élevage for both sparkling and still wines are in used demi-muids and foudres. Apart from minimal sulfur additions, there are no enological additions to the wines.

Ever in the pursuit of quality, in 2018 Geneviève and Gilles purchased used riddling, disgorgement, and bottling equipment from Champagne. This has allowed the Domaine to bring all aspects of their sparkling wine production, from vineyards to disgorgement, in house. To help cover the cost of this major investment, Geneviève and Gilles bottle the sparkling wine production for many small producers in Limoux.

To say that Geneviève and Gilles Azam are among the elite producers in the Languedoc is not an over statement. Their sparkling wines rank among the best in all of France, and the still wines offer precision and minerality rarely found so far south. It’s hard to match the quality to price ratio offered by Les Hautes Terres, and we are so very lucky to represent the Domaine here in the States.