Roche Lacour Rose 2010 Brut

It’s hard to recall at what point we decided to serve this salmon pink sparkling rose with Milk Chocolate Semifreddo but that’s what we did, with positive results.

Good friends regularly offer this Cremant de Limoux rose as an aperitif.  The aromas of summer berries and flowers followed by a sustained mousse and a long fruit finish consistently put everyone in a festive mood.   This rose made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Chenin Blanc seemed a good candidate to pair with a milk chocolate dessert;  light, summery, not sweet and with the gentle joyfulness of the bubbles.   The maxim of when in doubt serve Champagne, or in this case, sparkling wine, seemed apt.

Cremant de Limoux is an appellation for the modern styled sparkling wines from vineyards around the town of Limoux.    It is in the Pyrenean foothills of Southern France,  south of the walled city of Carcassonne.   Typically,  the grapes used are Mauzac, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay.

Mauzac, a variety not commonly known was the grape used almost exclusively in the past to make local wines in the area.    This traditional variety is also known as Blanquette and is found currently in the Blanquette de Limoux wines and the Blanquette de Limoux Methode Ancestrale wines.

The Cremant de Limoux appellation was created in 1990 to attempt to allow modernization of local winemaking while preserving the traditional Languedoc Roussillon wine styles of the area.   Limoux is further from the Mediterranean climate than other Languedoc Roussillon appellations and this influences its style which has lower acidity than wines in the eastern Languedoc areas.    Roche Lacour’s rose sparkling wine is the result of the wine-maker successfully petitioning the authorities to permit the making of a rose sparkling wine under the Cremant de Limoux AOC rules.

Milk Chocolate Semi-freddo

The recipe for this Milk Chocolate Semi-freddo was found on the Canadian Food Network website.     Lindt and Sprungli Milk Cholocate was used.    Two bars provide the required 7 oz with one square left over – a suitable reward for the cook.    Good chocolate together with all the other ingredients including roasted almonds creates a wonderfully rich yet refreshingly chilled chocolate dessert.    Subsequently,  I have made a lower calorie version by substituting plain greek yoghurt for the whipped cream.

Either way,  the Roche Lacour Rose 2010 Brut,  Cremant de Limoux,  Methode Traditionnelle complements this chocolate semi-freddo where a little goes a long way.

References:     Roche Lacour

Milk Chocolate Semifreddo recipe:    www.foodnetwork.ca

Lindt and Sprungli:   http://www.lindt.com

Roche Lacour Rose 2010 Brut