On the rugged fringe of the Massif Central, Dominic Rippon uncovers a nook of France the place vineyards cling to cliffs and custom is being reborn…
France is blessed with a wealth of lovely wine areas. Think of Alsace’s fairy-tale hillsides, Jura’s subalpine slopes, or the Roussillon, the place vineyards stretch south into the Pyrenees. Yet Aveyron, little recognized outdoors its borders, would possibly simply outshine all of them. Here within the northernmost reaches of Occitanie, vines are woven into the wild foothills of the Massif Central, a surprising panorama of dizzying terraces and timeless stone villages.
Part of Aveyron’s thriller lies in its small scale. The coronary heart of manufacturing is Marcillac, a patchwork of solely 200 hectares simply north of Rodez. The star right here is the Fer Servadou grape, recognized domestically as Mansois: an historical cousin of Cabernet, it thrives on this excessive, rocky terrain. Thick-skinned and resilient, it produces darkish, spicy cassis-scented reds, with a freshness sharpened by the cool Saltitude and a ripeness coaxed by heat autumn breezes. Until the Sixties, nonetheless, these hills had been higher recognized for digging coal than for tending vines, as wine cellars churned out skinny, tough piquette to slake the thirst of the miners.
When the pits closed, growers needed to change course: vines had been replanted, manufacturing scaled again, and historical terraces had been reshaped to permit for the passage of contemporary tools. Out of that transformation, high quality started to emerge and recognition adopted. The vineyards of Marcillac gained appellation standing in 1990, and in 2011 Estaing, Côtes de Millau, and Entraygues-Le Fel joined the fold. These smaller areas concentrate on full of life whites comprised of Chenin Blanc and Mauzac, whereas Fer Servadou once more shapes the reds – both as a pure varietal or blended with Gamay. In Côtes de Millau, to the south, Syrah provides a distinctly Mediterranean accent to the wines.
Today, the area is regularly discovering its voice once more. What had been as soon as dismissed as humble ‘miners’ wines’ at the moment are capturing the eye of sommeliers and extra adventurous drinkers. Cooperative cellars just like the Vignerons du Vallon have led the revival, inspiring younger winemakers to reclaim the dramatic terraces and rediscover the fantastic thing about working a few of France’s most putting winery landscapes.
DOMINIC’S CHOICE
Domaine du Mioula
www.marcillac.web
Choice wine: ‘Terres d’Ors’ 2022 IGP Aveyron Blanc
Domaine du Cros
www.domaine-du-cros.com
Choice wine: Marcillac Rouge ‘Les Rougiers’ 2018
Domaine Laurens
www.domaine-laurens.com
Choice wine: Marcillac Rouge ‘Cuvée de Flars’ 2021
From France Today Magazine
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