The Languedoc wine appellations are a bit of a minefield at AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controllée) level, with the all encompassing “Coteaux du Languedoc” AC supplemented by numerous sub-appellations such as St Christol, Pic St Loup and Terrasses de Beziers etc etc. In addition there are numerous independent ACs such as Fitou, Faugères, St Chinian etc etc. All these appellations are based on the same range of grape varieties – e.g for red this includes Syrah, Grenache, Carignan and Mourvedre – albeit in slightly different permutations.
The Terrasses de Larzac is one such sub-appellation, which is less well-known, but does enjoy a particular “terroir” which is the key element which differentiates it from its neighbours.
The Coteaux du Languedoc vineyards essentially run along the Mediterranean coast south from Montpellier (34 Herault, Languedoc) towards Narbonne (11 Aude, Languedoc) and stretch back inland towards the foothills of the Massif Central and the Parc Naturel Régional du Haut-Languedoc .
In general the higher and more sloped the vineyards the better (more concentrated and more mineral extraction) the wines are likely to be. The Terrasses de Larzac is right in the foothills of the Causse du Larzac, a limestone plateau in the south of the Massif Central. Here the altitude is higher 300-1000ft above sea level, with hotter days and cooler nights, and generally the wines produced are impressive – especially the reds which are big and intense.
“The Terrasses du Larzac is one of the most northerly wine growing regions of the Languedoc, and is home to many of the new generation of ‘immigrant’ winemakers. Ripe, or even stewed fruits are characteristic of this region, as is a certain spicy edge.”
At a recent tasting we found the Cuvée Antonin et Louis 2003 from Mas de la Séranne at Aniane (34 Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon) was an absolute stunner, made from a blend of 40% Syrah, 27% Mourvedre. 23% Grenache and 10% Carignan with 13 months in oak
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