Southwest Reformation: Bold Winemakers Revive Historical Vineyards and Reimagine Appellations in France’s Most Stunningly Diverse Wine Region + Southern Transformation in Châteauneuf-de-Pape

The struggle between new and old, youth and authority, innovation and tradition are part of the human drama; in France’s fertile southwest, this clash of cultures has produced marvelous results along with a few setbacks. Some young vignerons have adopted the same techniques that aspirational winemakers have tried in Bordeaux and found that many of them go wrong in their home terroir; some of the issues have been associated with an overall decline in the number of wine drinkers, in France especially. According to Fabien Jouves, from a venerable Cahors farming family, “To make great wine you have to drink great wine, and a lot of vignerons here don’t drink much wine at all.”

But we prefer to dwell of the success stories: Growers who have learned to fine-tune their agricultural practices, paying closer attention to east-facing parcels that are subject to gentle morning sun, less overt new oak in the aging, less extraction. New paradigms are being discovered along with ancient, untended vineyards, and the result is an engaging, postmodern phase of enology in the Southwest, from which we have assembled some top producers.

The Southwest: France’s Hidden Corner

How France’s fifth-largest winegrowing region remains one of its least known (and mostly underappreciated) is another mystery. Tucked away between the Pyrénées mountains in the South, Bordeaux in the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, France’s ‘Hidden Corner’ has twice as many vineyards as Burgundy and boasts some of France’s most beautiful countryside with vineyards scattered across rolling fields and picturesque river valleys.

Roughly divided into four sub-regions, each area has its own personality and unique wine profile: Bergerac and Dordogne, which specializes in dry white blends, full-bodied reds and sweet dessert wines; the Pyrénées, known for rustic Tannat, the variety that dominates the area’s most renowned appellation, Madiran; Garonne and Tarn, famous more for breathtaking scenery that top shelf wine and Lot, home to the incomparable Malbec-based ‘Black Wines’ of Cahors.

Cahors: ‘Lot’ Runs Through It
(The Cradle of Malbec)

While the Colorado River was busy carving out the Grand Canyon, a similar, if slightly less dramatic geological phenomenon was happening in Southwest France, where the Lot River was at work creating the Lot Valley, where, instead of leaving behind a big hole, there are steeped terraces ideal for vine cultivation. The terroir of Cahors is loosely defined by the differing soil types and the exposures created by these terraces.

The Plateau, referred to ‘les Causses’, lies at an elevation of nearly a thousand feet; it contains the Kimmeridgian limestone also found in Chablis and parts of Champagne. In addition, this area holds layers of iron rich clays with sporadic patches of rare blue clay, lending structure and energy to the wines. Below that, the Fourth Terrace, at an average elevation of 788 feet, offers a mix of limestone scree and ancient alluvial soils from the river, creating wines with bright red fruit and rustic earthiness. The Third Terrace is closer to the river, and at an average elevation of 558 feet it is primarily composed of clay, sand and the famous ‘galets roulés’ which imbue the wines with bold, black fruit and supple tannins, adding roundness in the way that Merlot softens Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux.

Domaine Cosse et Maisonneuve
Cahors

Individually, their pedigrees are impressive: Matthieu, Domaine Cosse et Maisonneuve’s winemaker, is a graduate of the Institute of Enology in Bordeaux, and Catherine, the oenologist, holds a BTS viticulture and oenology from Blanquefort. Together, Matthieu and Catherine make magic. In 1999, they took over a 12-acre estate of old Malbec vines in Prayssac, a short distance from Cahors, and set out to make wines intended to transcend the rustic image of Cahors. Their first vintage was ‘Les Laquets’ and they shortly expanded the range to include separate cuvées intended to reflect the identity of the different terroirs of the estate.

Catherine Maisonneuve and Matthieu Cosse, Domaine Cosse et Maisonneuve

Says Catherine: “Wine is the ambassador of a terroir and a winemaker is the interpreter. Thus, to obtain perfect grapes that will clearly express the qualities of the Cahors terroir, everything in the vineyard must be natural.”

As such, they are certified organic by Ecocert and farm their vineyards biodynamically with a plan to become Demeter certified as well. Everything done in the vineyard aims at building of balanced soils to produce optimal conditions for ripening the grapes and making harmonious, aromatically complex and precise wines. Today, Domaine Cosse et Maisonneuve totals 42 acres planted predominantly to Malbec, with small amounts of Merlot and Tannat.

All plots are situated in primary locations on the gravel and clay Third Terrace above the Lot River.

6. 2021 Domaine Cosse et Maisonneuve ‘La Fage’, 2021 Cahors ($26)
Still in the bloom of youth, ‘La Fage’ has nose lush with macerated black currant, blackberry and plum. The mouth-coating tannins may require a little more time to settle in, but it is on its way—cellar this wine or drink it tonight with a well-marbled piece of beef.

7. Domaine Cosse et Maisonneuve ‘Le Combal’, 2021 Cahors ($23)
A beautiful example of the ‘new’ Cahors—a finer-grained and elegant Malbec which sacrifices none of the variety’s iron-scented power and structure of traditional Cahors, but focuses on fruit. Black currant and cherry shine through notes of pipe smoke, clay and bitter herbs with tannins that are woven through without a sense of dominance.

5. Domaine Cosse et Maisonneuve ‘Cheval en Tête’, 2022 VdF Southwest-Cahors Blanc ($18)
70% Ugni Blanc, and a 30% blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The wine shows bright grapefruit-infused bitters along with floral and honey notes, finishing with a slight smokiness that resolves in a citrus bite.

Jurançon: Acid Trip in the Far South

Overlapping climates and cultures leads to some odd dichotomies. For example, whiffs of Bordeaux can be scented on the breeze far south of the genuine boundary; in Jurançon, even modest farmhouses are still called ‘châteaux,’ and the weather is similar to that of Graves, but raised up a notch in intensity.

“We’re twenty-five miles from ski slopes and fifty from Biarritz (a luxurious seaside tourist destination),” says Jurançon winemaker Charles Hours to explain the unique terroir of the region. “We are hot and humid, yet produce wines that are alive with acidity. Jurançon, in fact, is a worthy model for fighting climate change.”

Jurançon is known for white wines, dry and sweet, but unlike Graves, where Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc rule, the principal Jurançon grapes are Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng, capable of producing fresh, aromatic, and potentially long-lived wines. The terrain undulates, and most Jurançon vineyards are situated on the upper slopes of the valleys and on the top of the hills where vines confront three soil types: In the northeast, the terroir is dominated by Poudingue de Jurançon (Puddingstone), a pebbly limestone mix often showing as a stony clay topsoil. The southern section is mainly layers of sedimentary rock know as ‘flysch’ alternating between layers of sandstone or limestone and sand or clay, while the appellation’s western limits is a mix of both Poudingue and flysch.

In terms of style, Jurançon lay claim to three: Dry white (sec), sweeter white labeled simply Jurançon and a requiring residual sugar level of 40 gram/liter, and extremely sweet white made from late-harvested grapes (Vendanges Tardives). All are based around two grapes, Petit and Gros Manseng, with the former providing finesse and the latter volume. These two grapes must make up at least half of any Jurançon or Jurançon Sec blend and are the only two permitted varieties in Jurançon Vendanges Tardives—a wine capable of rivaling some of the top-name labels in Sauternes and Barsac.

These are all wines that check all the boxes in what white wine drinkers look for—balanced acidity, memorable aromatics and an ability to mature and become more complex, adding notes of gingerbread and dried apricot. Why Jurançon’s versatile styles are not more celebrated, even by the wine-loving public, is a bit of a mystery. Why the Manseng sisters, Gros and Petit, do not enjoy more prominence on the varietal stage is equally perplexing.

The good news, of course, is that these wines remain ripe for discovery.

Clos de la Vierge
Jurançon Sec

Venerable with gravitas. No two words better summarize the recent past of Clos de la Vierge, where, from the walled acres of Gros Manseng, Anne-Marie Barrère crafted exquisite wine for over fifty years, relying on vines planted by her father in 1945. The clos is a marvelous sight as it snakes up the steep, sunny hillside in curving rows that allow for the maximum sun exposure. The product has been described as ‘… like drinking liquid minerals, bursting in every direction with icicles of gold and silver, then green-gold. Of course, there was fruit, which leaned into tart tropical along with sweet citrus, but the wine was more about sensation.’

Madame and Anne-Marie in the cellar, with Etti, the dog

Barrère retired at 95, and the current proprietor and winemaker is Lionel Osmin, a unique character unto himself. Lionel Osmin & Cie began with a group of friends who shared a passion for wines from France’s occasionally overlooked southwest. With this in mind, they created a quality wine-broking house based on these wines following the example of other regions such as Burgundy or the Rhône.

Says Osmin: “The result is a range of wines whose characteristics are faithful to the region and which are made to share the joy of discovering the vines and wines that are enjoyed and loved.”

1. Clos de la Vierge ‘Le Carré de Peès’, 2023 Jurançon Sec ($23)
* ‘Carré’ means ‘square’ and refers to a plot of favored vineyard similar to a climat or lieu-dit. It appears on many Jurançon labels. The wine is a confident and comforting blend of peach, lanolin and sweet spices showing a creamy palate tinted with grilled pineapple and citrus zest. Mineral-driven throughout, there is a distinct salinity on the finish.

Clos Cancaillaü
Jurançon Sec, Jurançon

When Lionel Osmin purchased Clos de la Vierge, he also took over Close Cancaillaü; another exceptional terroir that faced the Pyrénées and was filled with vines between 40 and a hundred years old.

Clos Cancaillaü

Lionel Osmin

2. Clos Cancaillaü ‘Au Lavoir’, 2022 Jurançon Sec ($32)
100% Petit Manseng from 40-80 year old vines in Lahourcade and Cuqueron. Dry wines crafted from grapes historically devoted to dessert wines often share some of the intense notes of cream and honey, with the sweetness hovering in the wings, present but intentionally repressed. This is a note of complexity that makes this versatile wine shine. The crisp acidic backbone carries notes of pears, lime curd and apple.

3. Clos Cancaillaü ‘Le Dernier Carré’, 2016 Jurançon ($32)
A tropical cornucopia with honeyed mango, pineapple and a touch of butterscotch developing as the wine continues to evolve and mature.

4. Clos Cancaillaü ‘Crème de Tête’, 2017 Jurançon ($28)
A dessert-style wine made from 100% Petit Manseng, traditionally crafted by allowing the grapes to dry on mats before fermentation. This straw-wine method concentrates flavors and evaporates much of the water, leaving tiny quantities of rich, nectar-like juice. The resulting wine is drenched in honey and saffron, with notes of candied pear and dried apricot behind a balancing zing of citrus.
 

Hidden Gem
Clos Joliette
Jurançon

All that is gold does not glitter and all that glitters is not gold, but ‘Cépage Petit Manseng, Barrique No. 2,’ a remarkable elixir known only to a discerning few, is both. It is produced in minute quantities from ungrafted Petit Manseng vines planted in 1929 on a terraced amphitheater 85 miles south of Sauternes. At its point of origin, Maurice Migné cleared a single hectare of forest in Jurançon’s Chappelle de Rousse, a complex terroir of rounded stones, silica, limestone, and clay with a subsoil rich in iron. Bertrand de Lur Saluces (Château d’Yquem’s director for over fifty years) said that the Joliette estate farmed the only terroir on earth that could rival his own.

For much of the estate’s century-long history, this wine was only made in select vintages and was sold privately to friends and a handful of restaurants.

When Lionel Osmin purchased the now-neglected vineyard, he struck a deal that allowed him to also buy the private stock from 1993 to 2009; he singled out the best old vintages and released the best of these for sale. Critics were, needless to say, blown away.

Clos Joliette

What distinguishes vintage Joliette from other wines made in this style is that the grapes for each cuvée were picked at various stages of maturity, so the portfolio ranges from nearly dry to fully moelleux depending on the year, and even the barrel. Lionel Osmin categorized each ‘unicorn’ lot by color-coding their wax capsules to indicate residual sugar.

Among the more remarkable benefits of the remarkable Jurançon climate is that to produce late-harvested wines, hang-times can (and do) extend into December and beyond, by which point frost and intense sun has shriveled the grapes nearly to the raisin stage.

Clos Joliette ‘Yellow – Cépage Petit Manseng, Barrique No. 2’, 2018 Jurançon ($620)
The yellow cap indicates residual sugars between 10 and 30 gram/liter. The grapes were treated with minimal intervention throughout vinification, bottled without fining or filtration, having enjoyed six years aging long aging in oak barrels sourced from Sauternes’ Château de Fargues. The wine displays a depth that is rare to encounter anywhere; it’s loaded with toasted nuts, beeswax and honey, vanilla and dried stone fruit.

Golden Treasures
Domaine Cauhapé
Jurançon

“Cauhapé’s approach is special,” says grower and winemaker Henri Ramonteu. “It involves a unique dialogue with nature to express the quintessence of the typical and forgotten grapes of our unique Jurançon appellation.”

Cauhapé vineyards spreads over more than a hundred acres of steep hillsides. With a south, south-east exposure and differing altitude between the parcels of vines (the highest 400m) the vines benefit from optimum climatic conditions.

Henri Ramonteu (center), Domaine Cauhapé

Says Ramonteu, “We cultivate five local grape-varieties. Petit Manseng contributes to the making of great sweet wines and equally to great dry wines. Gros Manseng and Courbu bring finesse and fruit. Camaralet and Lauzet are ancient varieties that we are reintroducing little by little to give birth to a new generation of dry Jurançon wines.”

Domaine Cauhapé ‘Quintessence du Petit-Manseng’, 2000 Jurançon ($198) 375 ml
100% Petit Manseng harvested the second half of December after three or four sortings, from a south-facing vineyard where the soil is silicate with 39% clay. The wine is 100% barrel-fermented in new oak and sees two years aging. The finished produce reflects the praline and orange notes vibrant with acidity and a lengthy finish that show hints of bitter chocolate.

Domaine Cauhapé ‘Quintessence – Folie de Janvier’, 2000 Jurançon ($270) 375 ml
The last grapes for this wine are picked after the January frosts, and yet the wine itself is crafted to maintain freshness. Yields are restricted to six hectoliters per hectare (Château d’Yquem’s yields range from eight to 10 hectoliters per hectare) and the grapes are treated to extensive sorting before being fermented on new wood. The wine displays honey, orange marmalade, nougat, roasted apple with spice notes of white pepper.

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Southern Transformation
Domaine de Panisse
Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Fresh air is always welcome in any southerly, somewhat hidebound appellation, and no one better to bring it in to Châteauneuf-du-Pape than siblings Marilou and Axel Vacheron and partner Antoine Robert. In 2020, the trio took over the 15th century Panisse farmhouse in the far northeast corner of the appellation, where they sensed (correctly) that the terroir had not yet reached its full potential.

The property was filled with Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault vines that had been planted in the 1920s. In fact, Panisse’s oldest-vine parcel, located in lieu-dit ‘La Janasse,’ is reserved for its rarest blend.

Axel (center) and Marilou Vacheron with husband Antoine Robert (left) at Domaine de Panisse

“Grapes are harvested by hand in small crates,” says Marilou Vacheron, “and currently, we bring them to the cellars at Le Clos du Caillou, just five minutes to the south, to be vinified. Grapes are fermented on indigenous yeasts in temperature-controlled tanks—stainless steel, cement or tapered wooden casks, then aged in demi-muids or barrels for approximately 15 months. We bottle unfined and unfiltered, with minimal added sulfites.”

The current place of vinification is fitting; it’s a family affair. Caillou owner Sylvie Vacheron is the mother of both Marilou and Axel; both were trained by Caillou winemaker Bruno Gaspard.

Winemaker Bruno Gaspard and Sylvie Vacheron

Domaine Vacheron, whom we have written about affectionately, is one of the most influential and elite estates in Sancerre. At the helm, Jean-Dominque and Jean-Laurent Vacheron currently farm 84 acres of Sauvignon Blanc and 27 acres of Pinot Noir, most in top terroirs including the Les Romains vineyard. Recently, they the property has begun acquiring vines in the most Guigne Chèvre, En Grands Champs, Paradis and Chambrates, among the most sought-after , silex-heavy lieux-dits in Sancerre.

Extending the Vacheron influence beyond the Loire, Jean-Denis Vacheron and his wife Sylvie, (the daughter of Le Clos du Caillou manager Claude Pouizin) began to run Caillou in 1995. Tragically, Jean-Denis Vacheron died in an accident in 2002.

The purchase of Panisse required a leap through more hoops than a wedding band: “It was difficult to acquire the estate as several important families in Châteauneuf-du-Pape also wanted to buy it,” says Marilou. In the end, SAFER (the French land management agency) chose Marilou, 27, and her brother Axel, 24, because of their youth.

Regarding the property’s terroir, Antoine Robert adds, “The surrounding area—with cypress and pine trees, fields of lavender and olive trees—helps to maintain a rich biodiversity which feeds the soils and keeps vineyards healthy. What’s more, the mix of terroir here, with sand and clay and large quartz stones, is particularly drought-resistant, a necessary trait amid ever warmer growing seasons.”

8. Domaine de Panisse ‘Le Mas’, 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape ($56)
55% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 20% Mourvèdre, 5% Cinsault. ‘Le Mas’ refers to the fifteenth century farmhouse. The wine displays all the nuance and depth of a classic CdP; ripe black cherries, licorice, wild rose, brown spices with ginger and white pepper on the finish.

Domaine de Panisse ‘Le Mas’, 2021 Châteauneuf-du-Pape ($119) 1.5 Liter
A magnum of the same wine, capable of aging longer and more gracefully over what could conceivably be decades.

Vintage 2021: Year of the Vignneron

Châteauneuf-du-Pape saw a difficult vintage in 2021. 18 different grapes are permitted under the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOP regulations, and it is fair to say that some varieties fared better than others. This is where art of blending reaches its apogee, and where we find that the variance of vintage may create a number of unexpected masterpieces when winemakers are required to dig deeply into their tool-box to build a presentable product.

2021 was such a vintage, and as such, it has been referred to as ‘The Year of the Vigneron.’

Of 2021 at Domaine de Panisse, Axel Vacheron reports, “Following a very mild winter, spring began with a frost episode on the night of April 7 to 8, killing young buds and slowing down the vine’s growth cycle. The season remained cool and then gave way to a summer marked by episodes of heat as well as some precipitation, including a good shower in early August, which spared the vineyard from water stress. Finally, the cool summer nights coupled with the spring frost created a heterogeneous yield between the plots, but whose health remained intact. In the fall, however, the harvest was slowed down by significant storms that led us to modify our practices and make decisive choices to meet the demands of a very trying vintage. The result is fresh and enjoyable wines in their youth, making 2021 a vintage reminiscent of those of the 90s, and with good aging potential.”

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Posted on 2025.05.27 in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cahors, France, Wine-Aid Packages, Southern Rhone, South West