Coteaux d'Ensérune

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The zone extends between Béziers and the département of the Aude, touching to the north the first foothills of the Montagne Noire and spreading to the south across limestone plateaux and molasse hills known locally as puechs.
• Erosion around these reliefs has created terraces and gently sloping hillsides where aspect and water supply are naturally favourable to vine cultivation.
• Calcareous and clay-limestone soils cover almost the entire zone, with highly variable texture and depth, offering the potential to suit a wide range of grape varieties.
• The Mediterranean climate is characterised by hot, dry summers and mild winters, with two rainy periods in autumn and spring and average annual rainfall of 500 to 600 mm, of which fewer than 100 mm fall between June and August.
• In the southern part of the zone, soils rest on a soft rock formed by Miocene sediments and coastal marine sands, while further north, schists and marls interspersed with limestones and molasse predominate. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• The warmth of the growing season is tempered by sea breezes, which cool the grapes and allow them to develop acidity and good phenolic ripeness. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• The Canal du Midi, a UNESCO World Heritage site linking the Mediterranean to the Atlantic, flows at the foot of the hill of Ensérune as it crosses the geographic area of the PGI.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 28 octobre 2011, JORF 9 novembre 2011
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — Confédération des Vins IGP de France