Tursan

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The geographical zone is located 70 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean, south of the Landes forest, within a triangle formed by the valleys of the Gabas, the Adour, and the Lées.
• The climate, under oceanic influence, delivers abundant rainfall of 900 to 1,000 millimetres per year over 180 days, decreasing from west to east.
• Easterly winds bring incursions of fine weather and intense summer heat, but sometimes also carry the risk of spring frosts.
• The geological formation most widely represented at the surface, and on which the bulk of the vineyard is planted, dates from the Serravallian and corresponds to the 'sables fauves' (tawny sands), composed mainly of sands but also of gravel beds and clay lenses.
• The most recent formations are pebble sheets, including the 'nappe de Maucor' on the high points, which colluviates down the slopes and gives rise to soils very rich in pebbles.
• The oldest geological formations that outcrop date from the Eocene and consist of quartzitic sandstone appearing as large isolated blocks near Coudures.
• The most prevalent soils are well-aerated brown soils that develop on the long valley-side slopes over a sandy-calcareous, low-silt substratum.

• The historic centre of the appellation, Geaune, was founded in 1318 by the Seneschal of Gascony, anchoring the name 'Tursan' to a historically defined region.
• The appellation was recognised as a vin délimité de qualité supérieure on 11 July 1958 before becoming an appellation d'origine contrôlée by decree on 19 May 2011.
• The traditional red grape blend is built on Tannat, a robust variety that resisted phylloxera well, combined with Cabernet franc, which brings finesse to this otherwise robust wine.
• Before 1850, the white grape blend rested essentially on Claverie, a very fragile variety that could only be partially saved following the arrival of powdery mildew (oidium).

• The red wines are characterised by supple tannins and a youthful fruitiness that requires little or no ageing to express itself, yielding direct, clean wines.
• The rosé wines, produced by direct pressing, are generally fresh, fruity, and structured, with a well-marked tannic structure that makes them wines for the table.
• The white wines generally display a degree of aromatic complexity and a balance between freshness and richness on the palate, with dominant aromas of white flowers and exotic fruits.

• The combination of hillside aspect and the draining character of the soils allows the full expression of freshness and fruity aromas in the red, rosé, and 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), JORF 24 novembre 2016
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — IVSO — Interprofession des Vins du Sud-Ouest