France > Languedoc-Roussillon

The Pont du Gard, courtesy Ben Lieu Song

Languedoc - Roussillon is the catchall disrict that comprises the vast Mediterranean sweep of France from the foothills of the Pyrennees in the southwest to the Rhone River in the east. East of the Rhone lies Provence and beyond that, the Ligurian coast of Italy. Until recently Languedoc-Roussillon was a formal Administrative Region, but as of 2016 it has been merged into the new Region of Occitania. The district includes parts of the Departements of (west to east) Pyrennees Orientales, Aude, Herault, and Gard. It’s a vast area, with over 700,000 acres of vineyard, producing more wine than the entire United States.

History of the Region

Settled by the Celts in the 3rd Century BC who established their capitals at Toulouse and Nimes, the region fell under Roman sway and later complete control. The city of Narbonne was founded in 118 BC as a center of Roman adminstrative control and the area remained under Roman control until the early 5th Century AD when it was overrun by the Vandals and Visigoths, and then in the 7th Century by the Moors. Over the 8th Century the region was incorporated into the Empire of Charlemagne, and after his death, was divided up among various feudal lordships. By the end of the 14th Century, the region’s manyLordships, Counties, and various other political subdivisions had been gradually absorbed into the growing Kingdom of France, and in 1659 the Treaty of the Pyrennees established the more-or-less final boundary between the Kingdoms of France and Spain. Occitan is still spoken in Languedoc, and Catalan in Rousillon.

The terroir

The region’s geography, geology, soils and microclimates are incredibly varied from the extinct volcanoes of the Cevennes to limestones and riverine sand and gravel belts. The climate is broadly Mediterranean with long warm summers, although there is considerable variation with elevation, local topography and distance from the sea.

THE APPELLATIONS

There are 36 Appellations d’Origines Controllees and another 60 Indications Geographiques Protegees (IGP) in the region ranging from Banyuls at the Mediterranean foot of the Pyrennees to the Muscat appellations of the coast near Montpellier. Some of the most important are:

Languedoc AOC (formerly Coteaux du Languedoc): a broad category that includes many areas not included into the more specific appellations of the region. All of the classic Mediterranean varieties plus a range of classic varieties including Chardonnay, Cabernet and Merlot are allowed.

Cotes du Roussillon & Cotes du Rousillon Villages: produced in the valleys of the lower Pyrennees, these wines are made with the traditional variety grapes of the Roussillon, that is Grenache noir, Grenache blanc, Carignan, Lladoner Pelut, Cinsault, Macabeu and Malvoisie and with some new to the region variety grapes: Syrah, Mourvèdre, Roussanne, Marsanne and Vermentino. Côtes du Roussillon-Villages is a sub-appellation in the northern half of the appellation in the valley of the river Agly, from the best slopes around the valley. The appellation is in the foothills of the Pyrenees and the better wines are normally produced from vines on the slopes, not in the valley floors. It is purely for red wines, with stricter appellation regulations than regular Côtes du Roussillon. The blend allowed for Villages is: Carignan (maximum 60%), Syrah, Mourvèdre (minimum 30% combined), Grenache noir, Lladoner. A minimum of three varieties are allowed in the blend.

Corbieres: The largest AOC in Languedoc, producing over 40% of the total wine in the whole region. There are nearly 20 grape varieties permitted within the AOC (some only permitted in red, rose, or white) and the composition regulations are horribly complex (even including differences between the vineyard composition and the wine composition, but the reds must be a minimum of 2 varieties, with a max of 80% of any one variety. Carignane is the most important grape variety in the region.

Minervois: A district straddling the bordere between the Aude and the Herault. The soils here run from limestone on the higher plateaus to riverine deposits of clay, sand and gravel on the plains. The red wines of the Minervois appellation are produced from Syrah and Mourvedre, Grenache and Lladoner Pelut (minimum 60%); and Carignan, Cinsault, Piquepoul, Terret, and Rivairenc (maximum 40%). In any case Syrah and Mourvedre needs to be at least 20% of total, and Picpoul, Terret, and Rivairenc needs to be no more than 10%. The fairly rare white wines may include Marsanne, Roussanne, Maccabeu, Bourboulenc, Clairette, Grenache, Vermentino, Piquepoul and Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains.

Saint-Chinian: One of the oldest wine-growing areas in Languedoc, dating to the Roman era. The northern part of the AOC lies on schist soils similar to those of neighboring Faugeres, while the southern part is on limestones, creating a more elegant style of wine. The grapes used at Saint-Chinian are Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Lledoner Pelut, Mourvèdre and Syrah. Syrah, Mourvèdre and Grenache represent approximately 70% of the vineyard area. The Carignan grape is used in the making of the district’s robust red wines, while Cinsault generally goes to the fruity rosé wines. AOC regulations require that the wines are a blend of at least two varieties.

Terrasses du Larzac: A relatively new AOP (AOC) created in 2005 for red wines made from Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre grapes, and with allowed additions of Cinsaut and Carignan. The vineyards are located in some of the highest vineyards of the Côteaux du Languedoc on the mixed-volcanic slopes of the Cevennes. The appellation includes St-Saturnin (cited by Jancis Robinson as "one of the more exciting of the named crus within the Côteaux du Languedoc appellation," and Montpeyroux (cited by Robinson as, "the highest named cru within the Côteaux du Languedoc in southern France"). The Terrasses du Larzac overlaps with the Roquefort AOP where the famed cheese is produced, and includes the villages of Aniane and Jonquières - respective homes of Mas de Daumas Gassac (1974) and Mas Jullien (1985), the Grands Crus of the Languedoc.

Other appellations include Blanquette de Limoux for sparkling wines and a wide variety of dessert wines, some fortified some not, often from Muscat grapes.