The Review - FOOD & DRINK- The Wine Press with DON & JOHN Published: 18th October 2007
The south west wine region of France, which stretches from Bordeaux to the Spanish border
Tradition survives, but with a modern twist
Winemakers in the south west of France have struggled for generations to overcome disease and frost, while remaining loyal to the region’s original grape varieties. The Wine Press samples the results
FRANCE’S south west wine region is a sprawling area, ranging from near Bordeaux in the north and Toulouse in the east to the Spanish border in the south. Within this vast land mass are scattered many small winemaking sub regions.
Each has its own gastronomic traditions. A few, mainly those bordering the Bordeaux-region, copy the Bordeaux style of winemaking. Others use various combinations of indigenous local grape varieties, some unique to their own area and it is these winemakers who make the south west exciting.
In mediaeval times the English valued the wines from this region (which include Armagnac brandy) more highly than those of Bordeaux.
Up to the 1880s, when disease wiped out the vines, it was among France’s most productive regions, easily outstripping Bordeaux in terms of volume. It has taken more than four generations to recover even a small fraction of its previous output.
The renewal started in the 1950s when French consumers, unwilling to pay the prices demanded for top Bordeaux wines, turned to other regions. Nature intervened again and heavy frosts brought disaster in 1956, all but wiping out the entire crop. Prompt replanting was rewarded by a short boom in the Cahors area in the early 1970s.
Since then, the region as a whole has made steady progress, gradually improving its status with a growing number of Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDQS) rising to full Appellation d’Origine Contrôllée (AOC).
A controversial modern winemaking technique, micro-oxygenation – a process of infusing small amounts of oxygen at crucial stages in the fermentation and maturing of wine – was pioneered in the Madiran area in the south of the region.
It was used to break down the fierce tannins of the local grape, appropriately called tannat, one of the oldest strains of grape in the world. Initially a response to a particular problem, it is now more generally – and controversially – used to speed up the ageing of wines.
In contrast to this technology, some growers continue to ferment their wine in barrels, a traditional practice now being revived in wine regions throughout the world. Growers in the south west are happy to combine traditional methods with modern technology.
Recently the regions winemakers returned to London, holding a wine tasting at Vinopolis.
The wines have diverse tastes and we cannot suggest a single typical wine. This is the region’s strength. Its wines reward effort invested in getting to know them. They have little in common with New World wines, much less other French regions.
Grapes indigenous to this region, such as tannat (red) and petit and gros manseng (white) are blended with better-known varieties like malbec, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc or merlot.
Styles vary, with some winemakers producing wines that could come from the New World, while others stick to “rustic” tannic wines needing to be well aged.
The region has kept its original grape varieties, giving their wines a range of unique identities. The Côtes de Saint Mont area has at least 10 types of grapes. This is winemaking as it should be – traditional but not afraid of experimenting.
The best known wines of the south west are Cahors and Madiran, both famous since the Middle Ages. Waitrose, Oddbins and Majestic will stock these and a few other south west wines. Large specialist wine shops and the French wine chain Nicolas, which has several shops in central London, will have a more comprehensive range.
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