The marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Henry II of England brought Aquitaine into the Plantagenet Empire. A flourishing wine market developed from the port of Bordeaux. The winegrowers of Bordeaux obtained the Bordeaux privilege from King Henry III of England in 12416: wines from the high country could not enter the port of Bordeaux before Christmas6. By then, navigation was more difficult and many ships had already left loaded.
This privilege allowed the Bordeaux winegrowers to sell their production. The King of France became the suzerain of Bordeaux after the battle of Castillon in 1453. To gain the respect of his New subjects, he renewed the privilege. It was finally Louis XVI who settled the conflict more than five centuries later in 17736, by setting up a mediation between the wine growers.
Fer or Fer Servadou, which means "easy to keep" in Occitan, or Mansois in Aveyron or Braucol in Gaillac, is a black grape variety grown in the southwest. It owes its name to its shoots and wood, which are "hard as iron", with medium-sized bunches and firm, juicy berries, and is characterized by its herbaceous taste (which is also found in Cabernet Franc). Iron is a grape variety resistant to frost and disease. Its buds come out late, but its growth accelerates and it matures quite quickly. For a good production, it prefers long pruning. Iron is used alone for the AOC Marcillac wines and in blends for the wines of the Gaillac, Madiran, Béarn and Fronton appellations. These wines have a deep colour, expressive tannins, they are round and fruity (blackcurrant, raspberry and green pepper...)
red wines from the region of Haut-Pays go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or poultry such as recipes of roast beef in a foie gras and chanterelle crust, lamb tagine with prunes and dried fruits or stuffed peppers.
On the nose in the region of Haut-Pays often reveals types of flavors of oak, cherry or smoke and sometimes also flavors of earthy, blackberry or blueberry. In the mouth in the region of Haut-Pays is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.
