Description

I have felt since I first came to the Languedoc in 1999 that this region is one of the most exciting places to produce wine, and after embarking on this report I am convinced more than ever that quality in the Languedoc-Roussillon has never been higher.

For this report, I travelled from Pic St Loup to Banyuls visiting over 100 wineries and tasting more than 1000 wines to understand how every inch of the varied and diverse terroir is being explored to achieve this goal. It uncovers how the region is not reliant on a single style or a handful of grape varieties but that very high standards are being achieved across all styles and over 50 different varieties!

Included in the report are insights on history, land prices, terroir, winemaking, Co-ops and different approaches to dealing with the changing climate. The bulk of the report, though, is a comprehensive list of tasting notes of the best wines uncovered through the tastings.

The Languedoc-Roussillon has an impressive history of winemaking, over 2000 years, but it has only really been known for quality wines since the late 70s. In the eyes of some consumers it is still not one of the first regions that comes to mind when purchasing more serious wines. I hope that the report goes some way to changing this perception.

Matthew Stubbs MW