The Southwest Wine Region
Take a trip from the Périgord to the Pyrenees, the Massif Central to the Ocean, via the Aveyron, Garonne and Tarn rivers, the Lot valley and Gascony to the Basque Country. Often sighted by critics as France’s greatest undiscovered wine region, Southwest France is home to 42 appellations under continental and mediterranean influences and a vast array of wine styles.
Native Grape Varieties
Colombard - Gros Manseng - Petit Manseng - Loin de L'oeil - Mauzac - Cabernet Franc - Malbec - Fer Servadou - Braucol - Duras - Tannat - Prunelart - Arbouriou - Negrette - Bouysselet - Muscadelle - Sémillon - Sauvignon - Syrah - Merlot
Colombard - Gros Manseng - Petit Manseng - Loin de L'oeil - Mauzac - Cabernet Franc - Malbec - Fer Servadou - Braucol - Duras - Tannat - Prunelart - Arbouriou - Negrette - Bouysselet - Muscadelle - Sémillon - Sauvignon - Syrah - Merlot
300 different grape varieties grow in Southwest France, and 130 are indigenous. They were cultivated by the Romans, propagated by pilgrims on all the trails to St Jacques de Compostelle and gave birth to many of the varieties that we know today. In Gaillac, for example, you find Prunelart, the papa of Malbec, and Duras which is a parent of Cabernet Franc which itself spawned Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
In the 70s and 80s, thousands of local vines were uprooted and replaced by international varieties. They would have been forgotten if not for the growers who replant them to protect their terroir and wine culture.
Tasting these rare varieties is an act of resistance in the face of climate change and global standardisation. It opens the mind and the palate!
Artisan Winemakers
Most of our wines come from artisanal producers near us in Gaillac, Cahors and Quercy or further afield in Fronton or the Gers. They are all part of a vibrant community of like-minded grower-makers spread across the region: a new generation of talent who share the same ethics in the vineyard and the winery to craft deliciously different wines with a distinct identity. Our aim is to fill our cellar with fine and natural wines from all over Southwest France, including Bergerac, Marcillac, Madiran, Jurançon and Irouleguy and shine a light on a region that’s still under the radar.
“I think the wines of the Southwest are among the best in the world and we shouldn’t be afraid to say it. We have a mosaic of terroirs, an incredible diversity of grape varieties and an amazing group of talented growers who share the same philosophy. It’s a mini-France, you find wines that are ultra-fresh and ultra-quaffable and wines that you can forget about for 25 years in the cellar.”
Mathias Marquet, Chateau Lestignac
