Fitou

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• Two separate entities: 5 coastal communes (foothills of the Corbières maritimes) and 4 communes around Mont Tauch (917 m).
• Coastal soils are clay-limestone or alluvio-colluvial; mountain soils are on schists, limestone, or sandstone; all are stony, shallow, and heat-retaining.
• The coastal area is highly windswept (200 days of northerly/westerly winds), with rainfall of ~600 mm/year, offset by maritime humidity.
• The Tramontane blows roughly one day in four, bringing summer coolness to the coastal zone. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• Leucate takes its name from the Greek 'leukos' (white); the Greeks and then the Romans developed viticulture here, with wines traded along the Via Domitia.
• The AOC Fitou, exclusively red, was recognised by decree on 28 April 1948, following an initial application lodged as early as 1935.

• The wines are enjoyable young but have strong ageing potential; serve between 17 and 19°C.

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

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF), JORF 2 mai 2019
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — CIVL