Faugères

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The geographical zone extends 10 kilometres from east to west and 4 kilometres in width, with a relief of hills that are sometimes steeply sloped and of narrow valleys.
• The delimited parcels for harvest rest exclusively on schists of the Upper Visean, sandy and fissile, grey in colour, sometimes yellow or ochre in the weathered portions.
• The schistous soils are well drained, ensuring a regular water supply at depth, and are often acidic and low in organic matter.
• Sheltered against the final ridges of the Massif Central at between 100 and 350 metres in altitude, the vineyard is protected from cold winter and desiccating summer north winds, with a principal south/south-east aspect favourable to the accumulation of summer temperatures, yielding an annual heat summation of 1,800 °C.
• Mean annual rainfall is below 700 mm, distributed in autumn during the equinoctial rains and in spring, with year-to-year variations characteristic of a Mediterranean climate.
• The dominant winds are the Tramontane, a dry, cold wind that clears the clouds, and the marin, a humid wind that on the contrary brings cloud cover and can sometimes be highly violent. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• The appellation d'origine vins délimités de qualité supérieure was recognised on 18 May 1955, before the appellation d'origine contrôlée 'Faugères' was obtained on 5 May 1982 under the impetus of Jean Vidal.
• Following phylloxera and the vineyard decline in the aftermath of the Second World War, the reconstitution of the vineyard drew on Grenache and Syrah, developed alongside Carignan and Cinsault.

• In their youth, the red wines display a relatively deep colour, complex aromas dominated by ripe fruit and spice with a liquorice-tinged finish.
• The silky tannins of the red wines, which can leave a slight impression of bitterness, allow for a medium ageing potential of between 5 and 10 years, sometimes beyond, the wine gaining in finesse and aromatic power with time.
• The white wines display a colour ranging from pale yellow to deep yellow, with aromas that can recall ripe apricot or dry almond.
• The rosé wines have a pale colour and are easy-drinking on the palate, best consumed within the year.

• The acidity and low fertility of the soils, together with low yields, give the red wines their relatively muted colour and medium ageing potential, two aspects characteristic of the elevated pH that also distinguishes the white 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 6 décembre 2011, JORF 8 décembre 2011
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — CIVL