Languedoc (formerly Coteaux du Languedoc) is a key appellation used in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region of southern France. It covers Dry table wines of all three colors (red, white and rosé) from the entire region, but leaves Sweet and Sparkling wines to other more specialized appellations. About 75% of all Languedoc wines are red, with the remaining 25% split roughly down the middle between whites and rosés. The appellation covers most of the Languedoc region and almost a third of all the vineyards in France.
The typical Languedoc red wine is medium-bodied and Fruity. The best examples are slightly heavier and have darker, more savoury aromas, with notes of spice, undergrowth and leather. The Grape varieties used to make them are the classic southern French ones: Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, often with a touch of Carignan or Cinsaut. The white wines of the appellation are made from Grenache Blanc, Clairette and Bourboulenc, with occasional use of Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne from the Rhône Valley.
Mauzac is a grape variety, black or white (the white one is better known), originating from the South-West. It is mainly cultivated in the vineyards of Gaillac and Limoux (where it is called blanquette), on about 5,000 hectares. mauzac has medium-sized bunches, composed of berries whose colour can vary from green to red depending on the maturity of the grapes. This grape variety likes limestone and clay-limestone soils, and it is here that it is most productive. Its white wines are fat, with little acidity and marked by aromas of ripe apple, pear, honey, quince, vanilla and violet, typical of the great sweet wines of Gaillac. mauzac also produces the famous Blanquette-de-Limoux in rural method. In this region, Mauzac is competing with Sauvignon, Chenin and Chardonnay, especially for sparkling wines which are more similar to Champagne. It is also used in some appellations such as Entre-deux-Mers, Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux, Côtes-de-Duras, Vins-de-Lavilledieu...
sparkling wines from the region of Languedoc-Roussillon go well with generally quite well with dishes of pork, rich fish (salmon, tuna etc) or vegetarian such as recipes of baked pumpkin, sliced tuna with tomato sauce or spinach and goat cheese quiche.
On the nose in the region of Languedoc-Roussillon often reveals types of flavors of citrus, fennel or red currant and sometimes also flavors of cranberry, banana or orange. In the mouth in the region of Languedoc-Roussillon is a powerful with a nice vivacity and a fine and pleasant bubble.
At the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards, the world’s largest wine competition saw its biggest year to date, with 18,094 wines tasted from 56 countries. Over 15 consecutive days in June 2021, almost 170 expert wine judges, including 44 Masters of Wine and 11 Master Sommeliers, awarded 50 Best in Show, 179 Platinum, 635 Gold, 5,607 Silver and 8,332 Bronze medals. Join Decanter at our Fine Wine Encounter NYC this June, where you will have the opportunity to sample 23 of these top awarded Gold, Plati ...
The largest-ever year for entries, an incredible 18,244 wines were judged at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards – with just 163 wines awarded a Platinum medal. ‘Winning a Platinum medal is something really exceptional’ said Decanter World Wine Awards Co-Chair Sarah Jane Evans MW. ‘Platinum is like the stratospheric level’ she commented, ‘so it’s really saying to the winemaker: this is a great wine.’ Making up just 0.87% of the total wines tasted at the 2022 c ...
The Roussillon is home to a range of wine styles, at varying price points. Sweet fortified wines (vin doux naturel) used to dominate production, with still dry wines (vin sec) in the minority. In the last 30 years, however, this has completely changed, and vin sec now makes up the majority (80%) of the Roussillon’s output. The recent Wines of Roussillon tasting, held in London, not only highlighted many good quality dry wines being produced, but also cemented the idea that Roussillon whites are ...
