Coteaux de Béziers

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The vineyard lies mainly between two coastal rivers, the Libron and the Orb, which flow from the foothills of the Cévennes down to the Mediterranean.
• The marls and colluvium covering the northern part of the zone formed during the Tertiary era, in the Miocene basin of the Hérault, while the south is dominated by Quaternary alluvial deposits on Villafranchian terraces.
• The sandy soils formed from the "sables de Corneilhan" cover substantial areas, owing to a geological formation reaching 40 metres in depth.
• The Mediterranean climate is characterised by hot, dry summers and mild winters, with two rainy periods in autumn and spring, and rainfall ranging from 400 to 800 mm across the zone.
• In the part of the area closest to the sea, the sea breeze exerts a moderating influence during periods of intense heat.
• The Libron has shaped a landscape of small pine-wooded hills known in Languedoc as "les Soubergues", where varieties destined for red wines and full-bodied rosés are predominantly planted.
• The Orb has shaped, over the centuries, more fertile soils well suited to the production of white wines and certain lighter red wines.

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 13 janvier 2022, JORF 20 janvier 2022
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — Confédération des Vins IGP de France