Wines from Pays d’Herault

Learning about IGP Pays d Hérault Wines

The Pays d’Hérault, which is one of the IGP titles in France, is referring to the wines that are being produced in the department of Hérault.

As such, this department is found to be a part of the larger wine region called Languedoc-Roussillon in the southern part of France.

We can see that this IGP title is covering the entire department irrespective of the terroir and its catchment area includes almost everything from mountains to plains.

It has been observed that the Hérault department is one of the highest productive regions in terms of viticulture. So, without any further delay, let’s learn about this regions viticulture and viniculture here…

Geography and Climate of Hérault

As I mentioned earlier, Hérault is in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region of France and is found to be located on the Mediterranean coastline.

This department is found to be having the department of Aude as its border in the southwest.

Monrouby – Grenache Carignan IGP Pays d’Herault 2011 12x 75cl Bottles
€95.42 Find merchant

The Hérault department is dominated by the mountains in the northern and western sides. The terroir is found to be either Mediterranean or limestone hills/plateaus.

The climate is found to be milder during the winters, whereas, it will be hotter and drier during the summers.

Most of the rains are expected during the springs and autumns here. We can see that the temperature in Hérault is being moderated by the refreshing breeze from the sea especially during the growing seasons.

These sea breezes are found to be sweeping through the vineyards that are located on the lower slopes of the Montagne Noire hills and on the coastal plains.

Thus, these winds are producing a cooling effect to the wine grapes thereby, slowing down the ripening process.

About the Appellation

The IGP appellation Pays dHérault was created in the year 1968 and is found to be covering a larger area to the southwest of the Nîmes city.

Primarily, this IGP aims to provide the wine producers the options on both the grape varieties, as well as the land outside of the AOC appellations.

Terre des Anges Cabernet/Syrah – The vineyard Domaine La Grange
€8.70 Find merchant

In general, this IGP title is referring to the still range of red, white, and rosé wines that are being produced in the department of Hérault.

These wines can hold the name of either the grape variety or the geographical units. The geographical units, which are allowed under this title, are as follows:

Bérange
Bénovie
Pays de Bessan
Cassan
Pays de Caux
Cessenon
Collines de la Moure
Coteaux de Bessilles
Coteaux de Fontcaude
Coteaux de Laurens
Coteaux de Murviel
Coteaux du Salagou
Côtes du Brian
Côtes du Ceressou
Mont Baudile
Monts de la Grage

At present, this IGP wine region is found to be producing almost 120 hectolitres of wine per year. In other words, we can say that the region is producing about 65 to 70 hectolitres of wine per hectare of vineyard.

Grape Varieties

The allowed grape varieties are many and the major ones among them are as follows:

Altesse
Bourboulenc
Pinot Meunier
Roussanne
Gamay
Syrah
Vermentino

Apart from these varieties, the international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are also allowed.

Other grapes in IGP Pays dHérault

Carignan
Chardonnay
Cinsault
Grenache
Mourvèdre
Pinot
Sauvignon

As such, we can see that the wines from this IGP are carrying the fruity aromas although the intensity and nature of the wines are different from one another.

When it comes to red wines, the extractions are being used for obtaining the tannins, whereas, for the white and rosé wines, the fruitiness is preserved. Primarily, these wines are intended to be consumed immediately.