GG_N53_PORT_Complet-web_V2

AN AUTUMN LANDSCAPE
AT DOMAINE NIGRI
CLUSTERS OF THE CAMALARET
DE LASSEUBE GRAPE VARIETY
they too have resources and more importantly, amazing natural conditions
and signature varietals. Winegrowers have switched their focus to
quality, by lowering yields and restructuring their vineyards, enabling the
four appellations to rank among the finest. “Bordeaux sells nearly 4 million
hectolitres of wine a year, compared with less than 50,000 for Fronton”,
stresses Benjamin Piccol, director of the AOP Fronton wine centre. “The
two cannot be compared in size”. Relatively speaking, though, Fronton
displays a measure of vitality and is being rejuvenated. For the past
five or six years, many wineries have been taken over by a new generation,
and 15% have even been bought by novice winegrowers from other
regions, creating healthy competition within the region. The nearby city
of Toulouse has also boosted this vitality, which is shared by Bergerac,
Gaillac and Jurançon, all of which know how to stand out from the crowd,
progress and secure awareness. They also benefit from grape varieties
that are either very well-known or extremely local and help produce novel,
on-trend wines that pique the curiosity of consumers and opinion-leaders
alike in export markets.
22 AUTUMN 2023 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE