Key Grapes
White
Piquepoul Picpoul de Pinet (100%)
Clairette Clairette du Languedoc (100%)
Bourboulenc Main white in La Clape
Mauzac Blanquette (ancestrale = 100%)
Muscat à PG All 4 Muscat VDNs
Red
GSM Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre
Carignan Corbières backbone; renaissance
Atlantic Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc, Côt
3 Topographical Zones
| Zone | Features |
|---|---|
| Coastal Plains | Flat, fertile; IGP, Picpoul, VDNs |
| Hillsides | Best quality; Pic St-Loup, Minervois, Faugères |
| Atlantic Corridor | Med + Atlantic; Cabardès, Limoux, Malepère |
Key Terms
Garrigue: 1) Limestone soil 2) Scrubby herbs 3) Wine aroma
Épisode Cévenol: Autumn floods before Mistral clears
Tramontane: N/NW wind; reduces disease
Regional AOC
| Languedoc AOC | 1985/2007 |
| Styles | White, Rosé, Red |
| Blends | Min 2 varieties required |
| DGCs | 11 (all red only except Cabrières) |
11 DGCs
Cabrières (+ rosé) • Grés de Montpellier • La Méjanelle • Montpeyroux • Pézenas • Quatourze • Saint-Christol • Saint-Drézéry • Saint-Georges-d'Orques • Saint-Saturnin • Sommières
Key AOCs by Zone
| AOC | Year | Style | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Picpoul de Pinet | 2013 | White | 100% Piquepoul; most white wine of any Languedoc AOC |
| Clairette du Languedoc | 1948 | White | 100% Clairette; dry, semi-sweet, fortified |
| Pic Saint-Loup | 2017 | R, Rosé | Syrah always required in blend; continental; garrigue |
| Terrasses du Larzac | 2014 | Red only | 45°F/25°C diurnal swing; 50% organic; min 3 varieties |
| Faugères | 1982 | W, R, Rosé | 100% schist soils; Roussanne required in whites |
| Saint-Chinian | 1982 | W, R, Rosé | 2 DGCs (schist): Berlou + Roquebrun (red only) |
| Minervois | 1985 | W, R, Rosé | Syrah-based (vs Corbières = Carignan) |
| Minervois-La Livinière | 1999 | Red only | Schist; Syrah primary; northern Minervois |
Southern Languedoc AOCs
| AOC | Year | Key |
|---|---|---|
| La Clape | 2015 | Hottest/driest/sunniest; Bourboulenc white |
| Corbières | 1985 | Largest non-regional; 4th in France; Carignan-based |
| Corbières Boutenac | 2005 | Red; min 30% Carignan |
| Fitou | 1948 | 2 non-contiguous zones: Maritime + Haut Fitou |
Atlantic Corridor AOCs
| AOC | Year | Key |
|---|---|---|
| Cabardès | 1999 | Equal Med + Atlantic; min 40% each |
| Malepère | 2007 | Atlantic dominant; Merlot (red), Cab Franc (rosé) |
| Limoux | 1938 | White (barrel-fermented); Red (3 varieties min) |
Limoux Sparkling
Crémant: Traditional; ~60% Chard, 30% Chenin, 10% Mauzac
Blanquette: Traditional; primarily Mauzac; 9 mo lees
Méthode Ancestrale: 100% Mauzac; 6-7% alc; sweet
4 Muscat VDNs
All: 100% Muscat à Petits Grains Blanc; min 15% alc; min 110 g/l RS
| AOC | Year | Key |
|---|---|---|
| Frontignan | 1936 | Oldest + largest; most powerful |
| Lunel | 1943 | Most easterly; early harvest (Aug) |
| Mireval | 1959 | Shares commune with Frontignan |
| St-Jean-de-Minervois | 1949 | Min 125 g/l (highest); continental |
Pays d'Oc IGP
| Year | 1987 |
| Production | ~6.5M hL/year |
| Rank | France's largest IGP |
| Varietal wine | 92% of France's total |
| Varieties | 58 approved |
Red 54%: Merlot, Cab Sauv, Syrah = 80%+
White 25%: Chard, Sauv Blanc, Viognier = 85%
Rosé 21%: Grenache, Cinsaut, Syrah = 80%
History Highlights
| 1204-1349 | Montpellier → Aragon; mutage invented (400 yrs before port) |
| 1531 | Blanquette de Limoux discovered (150 yrs before Dom Perignon) |
| 1681 | Canal du Midi opened (UNESCO) |
| 1855 | Railway; production quadrupled in 25 yrs |
| 1863 | Phylloxera; first to replant on American rootstocks |
| 1905 | First French co-op (Maraussan) |
Viticulture & Climate
| Training | Gobelet → Guyot (mechanical) |
| Rows | E-W for max sun exposure |
| Irrigation | Permitted through end of April |
| Organic | 38% France; 7% world |
| Biodynamic | 47 domaines |
Climate Adaptations
ResDur hybrids: Souvignier Gris, Floreal, Muscaris
Heat-tolerant: Assyrtiko, Agiorgitiko, Marselan
Winemaking
Red Wines
Carignan: Carbonic maceration (tame tannins)
Others: Cold soak; avg 2 yrs in vat
Premium: Barrel aging
Key Innovation
Mutage: Adding spirit to must (1204-1349); 400 yrs before port wine
Carignan Renaissance
John Bojanowski (Clos du Gravillas) promotes old-vine Carignan — historic backbone of Languedoc reds.
Top Exam Points — Memorize These!
First sparkling wine 1531Blanquette de Limoux (monks of Saint-Hilaire) — 150 years before Dom Perignon
First French co-op 1905Maraussan near Béziers; today ~150 co-ops produce 70% of Languedoc wine
Pays d'Oc = largest IGP~6.5M hL; 92% of French varietal wine; 58 varieties approved
Faugères = 100% schistOnly AOC where all vineyards must be on schist; Roussanne required in whites
Cabardès = equal Med + AtlanticOnly Languedoc AOC requiring min 40% Mediterranean AND min 40% Atlantic varieties
Minervois = Syrah-basedContrast with Corbières which is Carignan-based; Corbières = largest non-regional AOC
St-Jean-de-Minervois = highest RSMin 125 g/l (others 110 g/l); continental at elevation; higher acidity
38% France's organic vineyards7% of world's; Terrasses du Larzac = 50% organic; 45°F diurnal swing