Buzet

France · AOC · South-West

Styles

Natural factors

Three types of viticultural soils: brown limestone ('terrefort'), podsolised boulbènes, and clay-ferruginous 'rougets'
Oceanic climate with a southerly tendency: rainfall peaks in May and December, with the hot, desiccating Autan wind sweeping up the Garonne valley in autumn (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
To the west, the boundary of the zone coincides precisely with the limit of advance of the Landes aeolian sands, halted by the Gélise-Baïse river network as far as Barbaste

Human factors

As early as the Middle Ages, wine featured in the charter of Buzet as an essential product; cooperative revival in 1946, AOC status granted in 1973

Product characteristics

Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant reds: deep colour, aromas of fruit and spice, smoky notes (toasted bread, coffee, vanilla), tannic structure, and a velvety texture after ageing
Rosés from cabernet franc and cot: fruity and lively, with aromas of fruit and flowers and a gentle acidity; those made with merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon evoke 'clairet', with a softer, more supple character

Terroir / wine link

Garonne gravels (high terrace): good drainage and early warming lead to phenolic ripeness in the cabernets and aromatic intensity in the sauvignons

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.