Key Grapes
| Variety | % |
|---|---|
| Merlot | 24% |
| Gros Manseng | 14% |
| Colombard | 13% |
| Ugni Blanc | 9% |
| Tannat | 7% |
| Côt (Malbec) | 6% |
Côt = most-planted before phylloxera
Indigenous Grapes
White
Gros Manseng: Dry wines (Jurançon, Saint-Mont)
Petit Manseng: Sweet wines (high sugar + acidity)
Len de l'El: Gaillac dry/sweet
Mauzac: Gaillac; sparkling (ancestrale)
Red
Tannat: Madiran; adopted by Uruguay
Négrette: Fronton; Knights Templar legend
Fer Servadou: = Braucol (Gaillac), Pinenc (Madiran)
3 Sub-Regions
| Sub-Region | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Dordogne/Bergerac | Bordeaux varieties; sweet wines |
| Garonne, Tarn, Lot | Cahors, Gaillac, Fronton |
| Pyrenees | Tannat, Manseng; Basque |
Key Soils
Boulbènes: Sandy clays (Fronton)
Rougiers: Iron-rich clay-limestone (Marcillac)
Poudingues: Pebbled sandy-clay (Jurançon)
Dordogne/Bergerac AOCs
| AOC | Year | Style | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bergerac | 1936 | W, R, Rosé | 22% of region; Bordeaux varieties; blends only |
| Monbazillac | 1936 | Sweet | LARGEST dessert wine AOC in France; botrytis/late-harvest; SGN |
| Pécharmant | 1946 | Red only | Min 3 of 4 varieties; max 65% any one; red clay/flint/gravel |
| Saussignac | 1982 | Sweet | Higher elevation; botrytis |
| Rosette | 1946 | Semi-sweet | Smallest; semi-sweet white only |
Bergerac Grapes
White (Dry & Sweet)
Sémillon: Primary sweet; Monbazillac backbone
Sauvignon Blanc: Dry whites; aromatic
Muscadelle: Blending; floral notes
Red (Same as Bordeaux)
Merlot: Dominant; soft, fruity
Cab Sauv/Franc: Structure + aromatics
Côt (Malbec): Permitted but rare
Garonne, Tarn & Lot AOCs
| AOC | Year | Style | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cahors | 1971 | Red only | Min 70% Côt; NO Cabernets allowed; "black wine"; Causses limestone |
| Gaillac | 1938 | All styles | Widest range of styles in Sud-Ouest; Mauzac sparkling; primeur = 100% Gamay |
| Fronton | 1975 | R, Rosé | Min 40% Négrette; Knights Templar legend; Cave de Fronton = top rosé |
| Marcillac | 1990 | R, Rosé | 80-100% Fer Servadou; iron-rich rougiers soils |
| Buzet | 1973 | W, R, Rosé | Bordeaux varieties; boulbènes soils |
Other: Côtes du Marmandais, Brulhois, Saint-Sardos, Coteaux du Quercy, Entraygues-Le Fel, Estaing, Côtes de Millau
Cahors "Black Wine"
| Name | Vin Noir (Black Wine) |
| Color | Dark, inky (high anthocyanins) |
| Historic Fans | Peter I, Pope John XXII |
| Technique | Extended maceration; concentrated |
Terroir: 3 zones — Causses (limestone plateau), Terrasses (alluvial), Côtes (hillsides)
Blending: Max 30% Merlot + Tannat (NO Cabernets)
Pyrenees AOCs
| AOC | Year | Style | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madiran | 1948 | Red only | >50% Tannat; micro-oxygenation invented here (Ducournau, 1991) |
| Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh | 1948 | White only | Same area as Madiran; passerillage (not botrytis) for sweet |
| Jurançon | 1936 | White only | "Sec" = dry; no "Sec" = sweet; passerillage; VT harvest after Nov 2 |
| Irouléguy | 1970 | W, R, Rosé | Southernmost AOC; ONLY Basque Country AOC; Tannat + Cab Franc reds |
| Saint-Mont | 1981 | W, R, Rosé | 60% Tannat (red), 60% Gros Manseng (white); vines 150+ years old |
| Béarn | 1975 | W, R, Rosé | Regional; Tannat reds; overlaps Jurançon/Madiran |
| Tursan | 2011 | W, R, Rosé | Baroque white grape unique here |
Foehn winds from Pyrenees benefit all appellations — chase humidity, bring clear skies
Tannat Character
| Tannins | Very high; needs taming |
| Color | Deep, dark purple |
| Acidity | High; excellent aging |
| Health | High procyanidins |
Uruguay: National grape; brought by Basque immigrants 19th c.
Taming: Micro-oxygenation, extended aging, blending with Cab Franc
Key IGP
| Côtes de Gascogne | 1982 |
| Production | ~100M bottles/yr |
| Rank | 2nd largest IGP (after Pays d'Oc) |
| White | 75% of production |
| Export | 75% exported |
| Overlap | Shares zone with Armagnac |
Micro-Oxygenation
| Inventor | Patrick Ducournau |
| Year | 1991 |
| Where | Madiran |
| Grape | Tannat |
| Purpose | Soften tannins; eliminate reduction |
Technique now used worldwide. Small O₂ bubbles polymerize tannins and keep yeast healthy.
Sweet Wine Methods
Passerillage (Raisining)
Grapes dry on vine; successive hand harvest passes. Used in Jurançon, Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh.
Botrytis
Noble rot infection. Used in Monbazillac, Saussignac, some Gaillac.
Gaillac Sparkling
Méthode Ancestrale: Mauzac; brut to doux
Traditional: Len de l'El + Mauzac; 9 mo lees
Top Exam Points — Memorize These!
Planted BEFORE Bordeaux1st c BCE by Romans; Bordeaux blocked exports 13th-18th c; NO regional AOC
Micro-oxygenation invented herePatrick Ducournau, 1991, Madiran, working with Tannat; now used worldwide
Cahors = min 70% CôtNO Cabernets allowed; "black wine"; favored by King Henry II, Peter I, Pope John XXII
Monbazillac = largest dessert AOCLargest by size AND volume in France; botrytis/late-harvest; SGN available
Jurançon: "Sec" = dryNo "Sec" on label = sweet; passerillage; VT harvest cannot begin until Nov 2nd
Irouléguy = only Basque AOCSouthernmost Sud-Ouest AOC; Tannat + Cab Franc reds; Manseng whites
Gaillac = widest stylesDry, sweet, sparkling (ancestrale + traditional), red primeur (100% Gamay)
Côtes de Gascogne = 2nd largest IGP~100M bottles; 75% dry white; 75% exported; shares zone with Armagnac