Southwestern wines to discover

© T. Joly
Southwest of France is not only home to the Bordeaux wine region. It also boasts several other more or less known appellations producing excellent wines that are sometimes made from grape varieties not grown elsewhere.

One of the best examples is Gaillac, north of Toulouse where several winemakers have reintroduced local grape varieties such as Loin de l'Oeil which gives dry and sweet white wines, Mauzac and Ondec also used in the making of these wines, Prunelart that produces single varietal red or blended ones in association with Duras and Braucol.
Nearby, one of the most planted varieties in the Fronton appellation is the Négrette while a little further north, in the Aveyron, the Marcillac vineyard is the land of Fer Savadou grape, another name for Braucol.



© Thierry Joly
In southern Aquitaine, Jurançon winemakers produce dry and sweet white wines with local grapes for some of them very rare called Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng, Petit Courbu, Lauzet and Camaralet. The first three are also found in the neighboring appellation of Pacherenc du Vic Bilh, known for its dry and especially sweet whites, where they are associated with Arrufiac. In the same region, Madiran is a better known red wine appellation where the most common grape variety is the Tannat. The latter is also grown in some estates of the AOC Cahors where the emblematic grape is Malbec.
Near Bordeaux, the Buzet, Duras, Bergerac, Pécharmant and Montbazillac appellations essentially grow the same grape varieties as their prestigious neighbor. However, a bit of Ondenc is found in Montbazillac and Duras as well as Mauzas in the second. As for the vineyards of Côtes du Marmandais, they are partly planted with a local red grape, the Abouriou, and a bit of Fer Savadou.
Here is our selection :


Bergerac
- Château La Tour des Gendres
Red wine, Les Anciens Francs 2017 : €23.90
24240 Ribagnac, tel : 0553571243
- Vignoble des Verdots
Red wine, Les Tours des Verdots 2016 : €10.50
24560 Conne-de-Labarde, tel : 0553583431

Buzet
- Domaine Courège-Longue
Red wine, Family 2015 : €8.90
47230 Feugarolles, tel : 0610809396

Cahors
- Château du Cèdre
Cèdre blanc 2018 (IGP Lot) : €28
Red wine, Le Cèdre 2015 : €35
46700 Vire-sur-Lot, tel : 0565365387
- Château Lamartine
Red wines, Cuvée Particulière 2015 : €13, Expression 2015 : €23
46700 Soturac, tel : 0565365414
- Domaine Cosse Maisonneuve
Red wines, Le Combal 2017 : €11, Les Laquets 2016 : €28, La Margueritte 2016 : €55
46700 Lacapelle Cabanac, tel : 0565242237

Comté Tolosan
- Domaine de Ribonnet
Red wines, Pinot Syrah 2016 : €7, Merlot 2015 : €12
31870 Beaumont-sur-Lèze, tel : 0561087102

Duras
- Domaine Mouthes-Le Bihan
White wine, La Pie Colette 2018 : €9.50
Red wines, Vieillefont rouge 2015 : €14, Les Appentis 2015 : €20
47120 Saint-Jean-de-Duras, tel : 0553830698

Fronton
- Château Plaisance
Red wines, : Thibaut de Plaisance 2017 : €10.50, Tot ço que cal 2016 : €18.50
31340 Vacquiers, tel : 0561849741
- Domaine Le Roc
Red wines, : Folle Noire d’Ambat 2017 : €8, Don Quichotte 2016 : €12.50
31620 Fronton, tel : 0561829390

Gaillac

- Domaine du Moulin Hirissou
Red wines, Vieilles Vignes 2015 : €10.50, Cuvée Faucon 2016 : €16.50, Cuvée Florentin 2016 : €23
81600 Gaillac, tel : 0563572052
- Domaine Rotier
White wines, Esquisse 2018 : €9.30, Les Gravels 2017 : €9.10, Renaissance 2017 : €12.40
Sweet white wine, Renaissance vendanges tardives 2014 : €25.20
81600 Cadalen, tel : 0563417514
- Vinovalie
Sweet white wine, Astrolabe Vendanges Tardives 2014 : €12.50
81370 Saint Sulpice, tel : 0563571810

Jurançon
- Clos Lapeyre
White wine, Evidencia Nature 2018 : €15.60
Sweet white wine, La Magendia 2016 : €18.30
64100 Jurançon, tel : 0559215080
- Clos Thou
White wine Cuvée Guilhouret 2018 : €13
Sweet white wine, Terroir de la Cerisaie 2016 : €25
64110 Jurançon, tel : 0559060860
- Domaine Bellegarde
White wines, Unique 2018 : €10, La Pierre Blanche 2017 : €12.90
Sweet white wine, Cuvée Thibaut 2016 : €16.50
64360 Monein, tel : 0559213317
- Domaine Bordenave
White wine, Encore et Encore 2018 : €13
- Domaine Nigri
White wines, Confluence 2018 : €9.30, Pierre de Lune 2018 : €10.50
Sweet white wine, Pas de deux 2017 : €10.50
64360 Monein, tel : 0559214201

Madiran
- Château d’Aydie
Red wine, Odé Aydie 2016 : €12
Red sweet wine, Tannat Vintage Maydie 2015 : €16.50
64330 Aydie, tel : 0559040800

Marcillac
- Domaine du Cros
Red wines, Lo Sang del Païs 2017 : €8, Les Rougiers 2014 : €15
12390 Goutrens, tel : 0565727177

Côtes du Marmandais
- Domaine Elian Da Ros
White wine : Coucou blanc 2017 : €20.90
Red wines, Le Vin est une Fête 2017 : €10.90, Clos Baquey 2015 : €30
47250 Cocumont, tel : 0553207522


Pacherenc du Vic Bilh
- Château d’Aydie
White wine, Odé d’Aydie 2016 : €15
Sweet white wine, Château d’Aydie 2016 : €12
64330 Aydie, tel : 0559040800
- Clos Basté
White wine, Clos Basté 2017 : €15
64350 Moncaup, tel : 0559682737

Pécharmant
- Château Barouillet
Red wines, Pécharmant 2017 : €11, Hécate 2016 : €18
24240 Pomport, tel : 0553584220

Montbazillac
- Vignoble des Verdots
Sweet white wine, Les Tours des Verdots 2016 : €16.50
24560 Conne-de-Labarde, tel : 0553583431


September 06, 2019
Thierry Joly