FRANCE
FRANCE
languedoc
Languedoc is often misunderstood in our market with it’s viticultural beauty obscured by a mess of appellations, muddling the distinction between overcropped bulk wine and it’s finest terroirs – particularly those like Terrasses du Larzac perched on the windswept foothills of the Massif Central. It’s like thinking that South Australia simply produces for Accolade or Treasury.
Languedoc boasts the highest prevalence of organic vineyards in France. Wine wise, you can find high-quality bargains, cuvées that rank among the country’s finest and an exciting new-wave of producers setting out to harness the region’s potential. At it's best the secrets of this beautiful region are powerful, elegant and exceptional value for money.
For more in-depth reading on Languedoc, see HERE.
Terrasses du Larzac, Languedoc
Terrasses du Larzac, Languedoc
Narbonne, Languedoc
languedoc & ROUSSILLON REGION MAP
Together the Languedoc (90%) and Roussillon (10%) make up the Occitanie region of France that stretches from Spain to Provence along the Mediterranean.
Introduced by the Greeks, Languedoc and Roussillon are the oldest wine producing regions in France.
roussillon
Roussillon is culturally and politically distinct from Languedoc and is formerly part of Catalonia which was split in two between modern day France and Spain, the mighty Pyrenées as the border. Home to France's Catalan population, it is a complex, unique Mediterranean region with wines that speak more of Iberia than most of France. Climatically it is hot, dry and Mediterranean, yet these conditions are moderated by the infamous Tramontane winds that howl out of the Pyrenees cooling and refreshing – powerful enough to shaking houses and scare sailors.
Amongst the top wines in the region emerge from the complex soils of Calce, just outside the capital Perpignan and home to one of France’s finest producers, Gerard Gauby. At the most southern point of France, on the verge of Spain, the captivating, schist-grown dry wines of Collioure make Priorat seem raisined while the incredible sweet reds of Banyuls out-class Port any day.
For more in-depth reading on Roussillon, see HERE.
Banyuls, Roussillon
Argelès-Sur-Mer, Roussillon
Calce, Roussillon
loire Volcanique
The Loire river travels 1000 km yet wine maps tend to cover just the final 400 km, from Sancerre to the Atlantic, excluding the river’s origin in the south of France and a whole world of wine. Our focus lies 200 kms south of Sancerre in an area dubbed Loire Volcanique. Loire Volcanique is not an appellation or sub-region, it is a collective of growers who are determined to push back against this wilful ignorance. The four AOPs – Côtes d’Auvergne, Côte du Forez, Côte Roannaise, and Saint-Pourçai – are situated in the foothills of France’s most volcanic and mountainous region, Massif Central. These remote appellations have another thing in common: Gamay on granite. With different biotypes to Beaujolais, they offer fresher, brighter and more savoury Gamay wines than Beaujolais. Representing Domaine Sérol out of Burgundy, the team at Becky Wasserman go into more detail HERE.
Côte Roannaise, Loire Valley