Brulhois
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Terroir
Natural factors
- The zone straddles the Garonne valley between Agen and Valence d'Agen, with calcareous plateaux on the right bank composed of Aquitanian limestones.
- On the left bank, the bedrock is formed by the limestones and molasse of the Oligocene and Miocene, with high gravelly terraces on the first slopes overlooking the Garonne valley.
- Three main soil types are identified: the clay-limestone soils of the calcareous plateaux, the boulbènes of the molasse ridges derived from extensive leaching of calcareous brown soils, and the podzolised soils on Garonne alluvium with accumulation of rubefied clays at depth.
- The vineyard is subject to both the maritime influence of the Atlantic and the more southerly influence of the Mediterranean, owing to its position midway between Bordeaux and Toulouse.
- The vent d'autan blows in autumn and pushes Atlantic weather systems north-eastward, drying the atmosphere and promoting healthy ripening of the grapes in the absence of rot.
Human factors
- In 1306–1307, the Brulhois sold 5,542 casks of wine on the Bordeaux market, a volume equivalent to that of the Tarn vineyard and greater than that of the Lot vineyard.
- The recognition of the wines of Côtes du Brulhois as an appellation d'origine vin délimité de qualité supérieure took place on 21 November 1984, following the revival of the denomination by four winegrowers in 1964.
Product characteristics
- The red wines display a deep purple colour, an open and complex nose with aromas of black fruits, prune, liquorice, violet, and spice.
- The palate of the red wines is solid and well-structured, with firm, distinguished tannins that are somewhat bitter in youth, while the fruit contributes its softness and roundness, leading to a long finish.
Terroir / wine link
- The vent d'autant, linked to Mediterranean influences, blows in autumn and limits the risk of grey rot while allowing optimal phenolic maturity in the grapes.
Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.
About this boundary
On the map, at overview zooms, this appellation is drawn as a silhouette of its vineyard generalised at 250 m from the INAO parcel delimitation; the parcels themselves appear as you zoom in.
Sources
- Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 24 octobre 2024, JORF 31 octobre 2024
- Official INAO text (show_texte)
- INAO product entry
- Official trade body site — IVSO — Interprofession des Vins du Sud-Ouest
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