IGP Côtes de Thongue
where quality is a given
Forget beach wines!
IGP Côtes de Thongue has a noble virtue and that is to produce wines with a distinctive, shared character but where each one also expresses a unique identity stemming from the variety of vineyard sites, and the signature style of the winegrower.
Foundation
August 1
2009
Territory
23
villages
production
48 290 hL
producers
65 independent wineries,
8 co-operatives and
18 wine merchants.
Colours
red
28%
rosé
42%
white
30%
Main grape varieties
authorized for the reds
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Franc
Côt
Syrah
Merlot
Main grape varieties
authorized for the rosés
Meunier
Pinot Gris
Pinot Noir
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Main grape varieties
authorized for the whites
Chardonnay
Sauvignon Blanc
Viognier
Pinot Blanc
Chenin Blanc
terroir
The vineyards of Côtes de Thongue bask in a fairly typical Mediterranean climate, embracing multiple soil types due to the substantial variety of geological formations. Without drilling down deeper, suffice it to say that the vines put down roots in three major soil types – sandy and gravelly marl in the North and East; clay in the central part; and stony terraces dating from the Villafranchian age in the South.
Nearly 120 grape varieties are permitted here, although the backbone of most of the wines draws on a dozen or so varietals, some of them Languedoc born and bred, others from Bordeaux or Burgundy. If you add to this geological and varietal spectrum the winegrower’s signature style, you get wines spanning an array of profiles, both the reds and the whites, though all of them boast the same exciting aromatic complexity.
History
Set between the coastal area and the most southerly fringe of Upper Languedoc, this region has been a significant crossroads, via the Domitian way for instance, since Roman times. It is therefore little surprise that it should have developed as a wine region at such an early stage. It also experienced a significant boom in the 19th and 20th centuries, when the region was renowned for its brandies, before focusing more intently on wine starting from 1850.