Coteaux du Quercy

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The first unit, at the centre of the zone, comprises molassic hillsides at elevations of between 150 and 280 metres, bearing brown calcareous or calcareous-clayey soils.
• To the north, limestone plateaux at a mean elevation of between 250 and 300 metres carry rendzinas and belong in part to the small natural region known as the 'Quercy blanc', a name that refers to the colour of the soils.
• To the south, on the alluvial terraces of the Aveyron, more or less leached soils combine silts, sands of varying coarseness, gravels and clays, locally overlying the underlying tertiary molassic hillsides.
• The climate is Atlantic with continental and Mediterranean influences, mean annual rainfall ranging between 600 and 800 millimetres and distributed fairly evenly except for a spring peak.
• The prevailing westerly winds bring cloud formations and precipitation, while the Autan wind, warm and dry and coming from the south-east, blows in short spells in spring and autumn.

• Viticulture developed in earnest from the tenth century on the ecclesiastical lands of the region's abbeys, notably at Montpezat-de-Quercy, Puylaroque, Bruniquel and Vazerac.
• The appellation d'origine vins délimités de qualité supérieure Coteaux du Quercy was recognised on 29 December 1999, before acceding to appellation d'origine contrôlée status on 29 October 2011.

• The red wines display a deep, sustained colour, with a nose of complex, powerful aromas dominated by red fruits, accompanied by vegetal and occasionally floral notes.
• On the palate, red and black fruit aromas combine with vegetal notes such as green pepper, with mentholated nuances and a long aromatic finish.
• These red wines result from blending the grape varieties Cabernet franc, Merlot, Cot, Tannat and Gamay, and may be enjoyed young or, depending on the vintage, after up to five years of cellaring.
• The rosé wines, obtained by direct pressing or saignée, display a more or less vivid pink colour with complex aromas often revealing fruity, vegetal and sometimes floral notes, and a long aromatic finish.

• The Autan wind sometimes blows strongly at the end of summer, which promotes grape ripeness and dries out the vines after August storms, limiting the development of fungal diseases.

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 19 septembre 2025, JORF 25 septembre 2025
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — IVSO — Interprofession des Vins du Sud-Ouest