Today’s video is a look into five wines from Southwest France, some of the most overlooked wines of the entire country. Three of the five wines were purchased at Total Wine, good examples can also be found in international markets. These are some of the most exciting and interesting wines in all of France, wines that don’t receive the attention they deserve. They are likley the best wines that you’re not drinking.
The focus here is on the part of France that is east and south of Bordeaux, west of Languedoc-Roussillon, and north of the border with Spain against the Pyrenees. It’s not one single prominent wine region, but rather a patchwork of many different wines that are distinctively different from one another.
2023 Beligard Bergerac Blanc, it’s made from 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Semillon, and 20% Muscadelle. The high percentage of Muscadelle adds a lifted floral character. It’s meant to be consumed within a few years of the vintage. I picked it up at Total Wine for $16.99, before any discounts. It also has good international availability. A good alternative to New World Sauvignon Blanc or Entre-deux-Mers.
Jurançon is home to some of the most distinctive wines in France. 2023 Domaine du Cinquau Sensations made from Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng, and Petit Courbu. This is a white wine-only appellation. This is the dry version; interesting, sweet examples are produced as well. This one will be the most difficult to find in today’s video. If you can’t find this specific one, look for other wines labelled Jurançon Sec. The price on this bottle is around $25.
The next wine is from Irouleguy, located in the far SW of France in the foothills of the Pyrenees near the Spanish border, not far from the Atlantic Ocean. 2022 Domaine Ilarria is made from Tannat and Cabernet Franc, aged for just over one year in older French oak barrels to soften the wines. The region is experiencing a revival after years of decline. I picked it up at K&L Wine Merchants for $32.99.
Madiran is the rolling foothills of Pyrennes, it’s synonymous with Tannat. This is the oldest wine in today’s video, 2018 Domaine du Moulie. It’s aged for over twelve months in oak barrels. The wines are meant for cellaring. I picked it up at Total Wine for $17.99 before any discounts.
Next, we’re off to what is broadly considered the homeland of Malbec. Cahors is a couple drive from Bordeaux. 2019 Château de Mercues: predominantly Malbec (85%), with 15% Merlot; oak-aged. I picked it up at Total Wine for $32.99 before any discounts.
#frenchwine #cahors #bergerac #totalwine #wineeducation #wineenthusiast #winelover #bestwine #malbec #tannat #sauvignonblanc #finds #masterofwine #bobpaulinski
Chapter Markers:
00:00 – 00:50 Intro Wines of Southwest France
00:51 – 03:05 Belingard Bergerac
03:06 – 04:44 Domaine du Cinquau Jurançon
04:45 – 06:32 Domaine Ilarria Irouleguy
06:33 – 08:33 Domaine du Moulie Madiran
08:34 – 10:34 Chateau de Mercues Cahors
10:35 – 11:04 Wine Video Wrap Up
30 Comments
Great video, its hard to navigate lesser known appellations in France. Videos like this help a lot.
Are you a fan of the wines from SW France?
Most are new to me, except Cahors- love those “black wines” ❤
next up: Bandol ? 😅
Excellent subject for a video Bob!
I have drunk all of these appellations over the years, some more than others. Haven't drunk Bergerac, Jurancon or Cahors for many years – not sure why. I have some Madiran in the cellar and the 2004 was one of my wines of the year a few years ago. All good recommendations, though, Bob.
Bob! Another outstanding video!! Love Tannat and will definitely go pick this one up to see what the difference is between what I have had compared to the French Tannat. Have a Mabec on deck but again, will pick up this French Malbec for sure. Just picked up my first Bordeaux which I've yet to open, and had the first white wine that I have enjoyed. Until now white wine enjoyment has been elusive! It was a dry French SB. Les Franches 2023. Really good. As always thank you for the content and suggestions!
I’ve been to the Gascony region in south west France. That was mostly Armagnac tasting though . I have a bottle of Mas Jullien Terrasses du Larzac wine in the cabinet, which is more the Languedoc-Roussillon region.
Great video. Madiran, Cahors, and Bergerac are included in my WSET 3 classes, so this was very interesting. I love learning about the not so well known areas. I would love it if you did a similar video on Languedoc. Thanks again, Bob
Reminds me of flogging a Nissan Primera Turbodiesel across that region every morning looking for wines my boss drank the night before. Cases fell off the pallet in the consolidator's warehouse in Marseille. Our local guide was afraid of them. They wrapped it (sort of) and then announced the only accepted cash. I was going to tell them in French if they won't take my credit card I will find someone who will but the guide pulled me back. Ridiculous Europe.
I drank a young Tannat from Uruguay last week. It was much better on day 2.
Yes, yes I am a fan for this region. And between two seas too. Great info
Fantastic, Bob. Really informative and very well done. I learned a lot! Really appreciate your willingness to act on input. When I think of the region, I always think of the reds, so learning about the whites was eye-opening for me. They sound delicious. Thanks again.
Great stuff Bob! Love seeing these wines from alternative regions. Hoping to get over to Jura in the weeks ahead. My unique surprise of the week was picking up an Alsace GC Muscat on sale. Outstanding. Dry, structured with loads of white flower aromatics. Not a style which is easy to find! Be well, cheers!
Drinking Madiran fairly regularly, Cahors occasionally. It's been a few decades since I had Jurançon, but I still remember discovering it through Domaine Cauhapé, both the dry and sweet versions.
Fantastic video (as always) Bob, loved the region and varietals you chose for this one a lot! I've been a fan of Tannat, mostly had it from Uruguay, along with the other reds you had on today, and the whites sound delicious too. I'm seeking out the 2022 Domaine Ilarria and 2018 Domaine du Moulie as soon as possible. Love the editing of your videos too, very professional! Thanks again for sharing your knowledge, it's always so appreciated, and Cheers.
I've had an entry-level bottling from that same Cahors producer and had a great time with it. It's the only one I've tried from any of these regions. Hair looks great.
These wines are hard enough to get in Europe never mind USA but I’m sure they would be half the price in Europe if you can find them. Excellent wines all round. Can’t beat France.
One of the best wine videos I have seen in a very long time. I love SW France. The countryside, Medieval cities, cuisine, and the wine. My wife and I had a wonderful bottle of Madiran while visiting France in 1987. We were visiting a friend at his home in Beaune. He was the US rep for a Burgundian negotiant, and new to the wine business. He gave us a bottle of Madiran to try. The only caveat was that the wine needed to breath. So the next day, we opened the bottle in the morning, before we went out for the day. When we returned later in the afternoon, we poured ourselves a couple of glasses of the well aired Madiran. We were overwhelmed by the beautiful aromas that jumped out of the glass. The wine was stunning. It seemed odd, sitting in the heart of Burgundy, enjoying a glass of wine from the SW of France. But I am glad we tried it. BTW, Cahor is fantastic.
This was interesting, I certainly learned a lot. Thanks.
Great way to close the video. 😊
Love this approachable tasting!
This was a fascinating video. I haven't tried any wines from these regions, but I'm definitely going to search for some of these. Might be interesting to taste the Tannat and Malbec based wines alongside some South American examples.
Gigondas seems to be rising in favor and cost. Fortunately, Costco has a very nice new vintage available 😂
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️👍🏼
I'm from the Dordogne and must say I'm quite torn on Sud Ouest wines.
I'd say good wines from the southwest are exceptional, and have unique personality. They also tend to be a lot cheaper than more well marketed regions. The varietals are often underrated and have great potential…
That said, the vast vast majority of the wines you'll find from the Southwest aren't made by artist winemakers, and are just bulk production table wine which are often austere, and both too tannic and acidic, managing to maintain an incredibly boring character.
I'm delighted that Bergerac (and the Perigord in general) has become a hub for natural/low intervention wine makers who are trying to break the mold a bit, because honestly a lot of the wine from the region has historically just been "imagine if Bordeaux was medicore". Really heavy depressing wines that your grandparents might enjoy.
Chateau Barouillet is one I recommend to check out for anyone who has had a bad experience with Bergerac wines, as they're really well done and for an exceptional price too!
I was wondering if you could answer a question for me. The other night, I opened a bottle of Bordeaux and it had a distinct odor of fish. At first, I thought it was my glass because sometimes our tap water can smell fishy. I thoroughly washed out the glass and allowed the wine to sit for about an hour. Still a smell of fish. So I let it sit for another hour. I was ready to return the bottle, but decided to wait another hour. By then it had dissipated somewhat. After another hour it was almost gone but still had a hint of the odor. My question is: What causes this? And how do you know which wines to allow to "breathe"? Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Nice call on Cahors Malbec. I had that wine on my Total Wine wish list. It’s going in the cart.
I do like SW French wine when the reds aren’t too hot/jammy but don’t hve much exposure to the whites. Allways excellent value.
I drank a 2009 Domaine du Cayron Gigondas on Saturday and it was excellent.
Nice video as always. Just Curious,what wine book was that?