terroir et vins

Unlike most of the region’s other AOCs, which are shaped by an exclusively Mediterranean climate, Cabardès is influenced by two distinct climatic forces. It lies in a transition zone between the hot, dry Mediterranean climate and the cooler, wetter oceanic climate coming from the Atlantic.

Its territory is swept by two winds: the Cers, which blows from the west, and the Marin, which comes from the Mediterranean Sea. Alongside geology here, the soils consist of clay-limestone, lacustrine limestone and schist climate is an essential component of terroir.

This highly distinctive climatic setting has a significant influence on the character of the vineyards, particularly on the grape varieties grown here.

Elsewhere in the Languedoc, carignan, mourvèdre, grenache, syrah and cinsault generally take centre stage. Here, the last three share the spotlight and the appellation’s production specifications—with grape varieties that are unusual in the Languedoc.

These include merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon, the flagship grapes of Bordeaux; côt, better known as malbec in Cahors; and fer servadou, which is widely planted in the vineyards of Aveyron and in the Gaillac appellation near Albi.