Appellation Article
Listrac-Médoc
Last edited on 12/8/2007 by nwinther
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Already very famous in the eighteenth century, the commune came back into favour again at the beginning of this century.
In 1913, Listrac, with 1,380 hectares of vines, was one of the largest vine-growing communes in the Médoc peninsula. The crisis of the thirties toppled this balance.
The history of the Listrac AOC is intimately bound to that of a group of men who managed to get the fame of their wines recognized in 1957 by obtaining the status of appellation of controlled origin. So Listrac-Médoc became one of the six communal appellations in the Médoc thanks to the distinctive individuality and the fame of its wines.
Lying between Moulis and Saint-Julien, Listrac is the "roof of the Médoc" and rises majestically to a height of 43 metres. Three magnificent ridges of Pyrenees gravel on the west, a ridge of Garonne gravel on the east and a central plain on a bed of limestone make up the richness of this terroir, akin to that of Moulis; whence an affinity in the wines which often links the two appellations together in the minds of wine lovers.
The natural slopes ensure that the soils drain well. The relative coolness of the climate together with its windy situation close to the forest favours the slow, even ripening process so propitious to great wines. The majority of the gravelly ridges are planted with Cabernet-Sauvignons which give Listrac wine all its impetuosity whereas on the limestone plateau, the Merlot predominates filling the wines with its fruit and fleshiness.
In the mouth, the wine of Listrac has extraordinary volume filling the palate. It is always present. Well structured, it is the perfect blend of the fruit of the Cabernet and the power of the Merlot. It is full and silky, a blend of spirit and virility.
Its colour takes on a ruby tint with the passing of time. The different elements melt into one another to give, finally, a velvety, full and fleshy wine.
In order to have the right to the Listrac-Médoc appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the commune of Listrac "excluding the land which by the nature of its soil or because of its situation, is unfit to produce wine of this appellation"
- satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare).
In 1913, Listrac, with 1,380 hectares of vines, was one of the largest vine-growing communes in the Médoc peninsula. The crisis of the thirties toppled this balance.
The history of the Listrac AOC is intimately bound to that of a group of men who managed to get the fame of their wines recognized in 1957 by obtaining the status of appellation of controlled origin. So Listrac-Médoc became one of the six communal appellations in the Médoc thanks to the distinctive individuality and the fame of its wines.
Lying between Moulis and Saint-Julien, Listrac is the "roof of the Médoc" and rises majestically to a height of 43 metres. Three magnificent ridges of Pyrenees gravel on the west, a ridge of Garonne gravel on the east and a central plain on a bed of limestone make up the richness of this terroir, akin to that of Moulis; whence an affinity in the wines which often links the two appellations together in the minds of wine lovers.
The natural slopes ensure that the soils drain well. The relative coolness of the climate together with its windy situation close to the forest favours the slow, even ripening process so propitious to great wines. The majority of the gravelly ridges are planted with Cabernet-Sauvignons which give Listrac wine all its impetuosity whereas on the limestone plateau, the Merlot predominates filling the wines with its fruit and fleshiness.
In the mouth, the wine of Listrac has extraordinary volume filling the palate. It is always present. Well structured, it is the perfect blend of the fruit of the Cabernet and the power of the Merlot. It is full and silky, a blend of spirit and virility.
Its colour takes on a ruby tint with the passing of time. The different elements melt into one another to give, finally, a velvety, full and fleshy wine.
In order to have the right to the Listrac-Médoc appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the commune of Listrac "excluding the land which by the nature of its soil or because of its situation, is unfit to produce wine of this appellation"
- satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare).