Once associated with mass production and gallons of plonk, the Languedoc region in southwest France is now firmly established on the country’s quality wine map. Established pioneers, as well as the many new small producers, keep pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved here – all without propelling prices to the stratosphere! The transformation here is unique in France, as the Languedoc learns that it cannot rest on its laurels if it wants to compete in a robust marketplace. Only recently, a new classification of Grands Vins du Languedoc and Grands Crus du Languedoc was established, in a move to demonstrate the improved quality that the region has seen.
Appellation geography
Some genuinely great wine is undoubtedly now being made in the Languedoc. The region encompasses a wide area, a vast arc from the Spanish border towards the lower Rhone valley. The Romans planted the first vines in France here, who saw great potential in these Great Plains and mountainous valleys. Most but by no means all of this is produced under several different appellations, now under Grand Vins or Grands Crus’s umbrella. However, for reasons of practicality and location, several splendid new-wave wines, particularly red, are being produced as Vins de Pays. A number are Vins de Pays d’Oc, but Vins De Pays d l’Herault also features, including two of the most significant properties in the region, Mas de Daumas Gassac and Domaine de La Grange des Peres.
One of the biggest and most important appellations is the Coteaux du Languedoc AC. Vast and sprawling, it stretches from Nimes in the east around the coastline to Narbonne and a considerable distance into the hills of the Gard and Herault districts. Twelve villages can add their village names as crus, including La Clape, Picpoul de Pinet, and Pic Saint-Loup. There are some splendid wines here, generally blends of Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre for the reds and the whites from a host of varieties, including Roussane, Grenache Blanc, and Clairette.
Just to the north of Beziers and to the west of the Coteaux du Languedoc are the small appellations of Faugeres and Saint-Chinian. Some magnificent small estates are now producing great reds; the most important variety is Syrah (which loves the soil here), although Grenache, Mourvèdre, and old–vine Carignan all play an important role in the local winemaking. There are also several Muscat-based dessert wines, which include Muscat de Frontignan, Muscat de Mireval, and Muscat de Lunel.
Several key appellations are south of Narbonne and stretch down to the hills of the Roussillon. For a long time, Minervois, Corbières, and Fitou had been regarded as little more than French workhorse wines, passable on a long airplane journey! This, thankfully, is no longer the case today. The wines of Minervois have shown the most potential, and within that appellation is the recent cru sub-zone of La Liviniere, the source of generally the richest wines of the AC. To the west of Minervois, the smaller AC of Cabardes has real potential, and the Bordeaux Varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet France are essential here. Finally, Fitou, one of the first ACs established in the region, has shown real progress in the last two years, and exciting new producers are emerging all the time!
To the west of Fitou, in the rolling hills around the town of Limoux, cool hillside vineyards are planted with Chardonnay and Mauzac. Excellent sparkling wines are made here, both Blanquette de Limoux and Cremant de Limoux, but the barrel-fermented Chardonnays cause the most excitement in the region. Often blended with a small portion of Viognier, they show the richness and aromatic freshness unrivaled in the Languedoc. Beautiful, rich, structured wines rival New World’s best.
The Languedoc region continues to develop into the most exciting region in France today. New appellations are being created, new winemakers are coming to the fore, and new ideas are debated and argued over. We can often associate France with rigid appellation structures and cumbersome rules about what variety you can plant and what style of wine you make. Many growers in the Languedoc have adopted the Vins de Pays classification, which allows them to rid themselves of restrictions and plant a much more extensive range of varieties in a particular area. It is France’s answer to the New World, where freedom and diversity are being embraced to unlock the enormous potential of this fascinating part of the wine map.
