South France – IGP Pays d’Hérault

IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée), is a quality category of French wine, posed between Vin de France and Appellation d’Origine Protegée (AOP). IGP replaced Vin de Pays back in 2009.

The majority of French IGP wine comes from the wide region of South France, traditionally know as Languedoc-Roussillon, which stretches from Pyrenees Mountains and the Spanish borders to the west to the lower Rhone and Provence to the east, along the Mediterranean coastline.
Most of this wine is sold with the name Pay’s d’Oc and it is produced in the departments of Aude, Hérault, Gard and Lozère in Languedoc, as well as Pyrénées-Orientales in Roussillon.
Languedoc-Roussillon is a former administrative region of France and it is currently included in the wider region of Occitania.

The warm Mediterranean climate of this region, often above 30 degrees Celsius at summertime, with mild winters and low rainfall, especially during growth period, provides ideal conditions for vine-growing. Therefore, due to warmth and sunshine, these wines easily display aromas and flavors of ripe fruits and many of them are very good value for money.

IPG regulations allow a wide range of varieties to be mentioned on the label, like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Muscat and Grenache Blanc.
At present, the white grape varieties that are dominantly planted in this area are not the ones that were traditionally grown there.
Chardonnay is one of the two most planted white grape varieties used for the production of IGP wines in South France (the other one is Sauvignon Blanc).
Its grapes produce a less aromatic wine than other white grapes, being an advantage for winemakers, who can contribute most to the style of the final product with their interventions. Besides, it can bring a natural minerality.
Viognier adds body to the blend and boosts its aromatic profile (aromas of white flowers and stone fruits). Moreover, it brings creamy or even oily flavors. If the grapes are handled carefully in the winery, the oily character of the wine is present in moderation, as much as desired, thus without overwhelming the other aromas and flavors.
Grenache Blanc is one of the two most planted native white grape varieties in South France (the other one is Muscat).
It gives smooth fruity tones of stone fruits in dry blended wines, whereas it enhances the body. However, it is not used in large proportion because it is typically high in acidity, thus can be easily oxidized.

Hérault is currently the second French wine department, after the Gironde, representing 14% of the total area of the department. On top of that, the vineyards of Hérault are older than 80 BC. It is bordered by the Aude department to the southwest and by Gard to the northeast and is named after the homonymous river.

We talk a lot about wine, but its magic cannot be interpreted. Its quality is measured in terms of the pleasure it brings. Absolutely, a good wine is nothing but the wine YOU like.
I had the pleasure to taste a memorable and worth mentioning white Pays d’Hérault labeled wine in Chenin n°20, a more than friendly wine bar in Lyon.
Special thanks to the Store Managers, Damien & Meline, for the wine proposal and the great service.
So surprised to taste Greek Kalamata olives; what an honor to find the Greek variety of Xinomavro included in the wine list and so impressed to read Brandy from the mountain Ararat in the drinks list.

It is worth-mentioning that a vineyard was created in the Mas de Daumas Gassac valley early in the 780s by Saint Benedict of Aniane, an adviser to Charlemagne. The oldness of the vineyard warrants the traditional low yields of one square metre for each glass of wine, resulting to a strong expression of the terroir.

In terms of terroir, there is a confirmed similarity between the soil of this valley and that of the finest terroirs of the Côte d’Or in Burgundy.
The soil consists of clay and limestone and it is rich in marl; hence the name of the tasted wine: “Combe Calcaire” meaning “Calcareous Valley”.
This terroir provides three essential elements for the production of a grand vin, as published in Henri Enjalbert‘s book “Un Vignoble de Qualité en Languedoc” in 1985:
– deep soil in which the vines’ roots can find nourishment deep below the surface
– well-drained soil in which the vines’ roots will never become water-logged
– poor soil requiring effort from the vines and causing them stress but resulting in superb flavors.

Combe Calcaire White is listed in a selection named SAS Moulin de Gassac by the winemaker. This selection is produced from the finest plots of a unique Languedoc terroir. The plots for the white wines are selected from the area around the Thau Lagoon, near the village of Pinet.

It is well known how difficult it is for a great terroir to express itself in a hot climate: all of the legendary wines (such as Bordeaux, Champagne and Burgundy) are produced in northerly vineyards. Thus, the position of the Mas de Daumas Gassac valley, benefiting – amongst other things – from the influence of the Mediterranean, ensures a cold microclimate for the production of wines with a remarkable freshness.

Let’s have a big round of applause for Guibert Family, the two generations of Mas de Daumas Gassac, whose effort genuinely reflects such a promising terroir.
Cheers !!