Lirac AOC
Encyclopedia
Lirac is a wine
-growing Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
(AOC) in the department of Gard
situated in the low hills along the right bank of the Rhône
river in the southern Rhône wine region
of France
. It is named after the town of Lirac
. Bordering on the neighbouring cru of Tavel AOC
, a rosé-only cru in the next village, Lirac is one of the 13 crus of the Rhône valley family. On the opposite river bank is the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape
vineyard.
and Louis XIV served them regularly in court known only as Rhône wine. In the mid 17th century the right-bank district of Côte du Rhône had issued regulations to govern the quality of its wine and in 1737 the king ordered that casks of Lirac wine shipped from the nearby river port of Roquemaure
should be branded with the letters CDR to introduce a system of protecting its origin. The rules for its Côte du Rhône thus formed the very early basis of today's nationwide AOC system governed by the INAO. Production was very high in those days. In 1774 the vintage yielded more than 8000 hl. of wine. Later, less happy news arrived. In 1853 phylloxera
arrived in Lirac and the appellation is believed to be the origin of the pest in France, as an experimenting winemaker at Château de Claby thought of planting Californian vines which proved exceptionally disease carrying.
The name was changed to Côtes du Rhône when the left-bank wines were included in the appellation some hundred years later. The appellation received full recognition by a High Court decision in 1937. In the 1930s, Count Henri de Régis, the owner of the Château de Ségriès in the heart of the village of Lirac improved the quality of his wines until in 1945 he obtained the highest distinction, a cru
, of the Côtes du Rhône. Two years later in 1947 the appellation was confirmed by government decree. Lirac is the oldest wine in the Côtes du Rhône region and was the first to be produced in all three colours: red, rosé, and white.
In recent years, the planted vineyard area of Lirac has been increasing, and more high-quality wines are being produced.
that is only 5 km. away. In the relatively newly planted vineyards one finds plenty of galets roulés that retain heat. The area is slightly cooler that the lowlands.
Red wines are made from Grenache Noir (minimum 40%), Syrah and Mourvèdre
(minimum of 25% together), Cinsault, and Carignan (maximum 10%).
Rosé: The same varieties are used as for the red, and up to 20% of the allowed varieties for white wine may be used.
White wines are produced from Clairette, Grenache Blanc
and Bourboulenc
. No variety may be used in a proportion greater than 60%.
The minimum alcohol for all three colours is decreed at 11.5%.
The style of red Lirac often resembles a soft Côtes du Rhône-Villages, but the more ambitious wines are often similar to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Rosé Lirac is usually similar to Tavel.
The vineyards are located in the four communes of Lirac
, Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres
, Saint-Geniès-de-Comolas
, and Roquemaure
.
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
-growing Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
(AOC) in the department of Gard
Gard
Gard is a département located in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.The department is named after the River Gard, although the formerly Occitan name of the River Gard, Gardon, has been replacing the traditional French name in recent decades, even among French speakers.- History...
situated in the low hills along the right bank of the Rhône
Rhône
Rhone can refer to:* Rhone, one of the major rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France* Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in Switzerland...
river in the southern Rhône wine region
Rhône (wine region)
The Rhône wine region in Southern France is situated in the Rhône river valley and produces numerous wines under various Appellation d'origine contrôlée designations...
of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is named after the town of Lirac
Lirac
Lirac is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-External links:*...
. Bordering on the neighbouring cru of Tavel AOC
Tavel AOC
Tavel is a wine-growing Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in the southern Rhône wine region of France, across the Rhône River from Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC and just north of Avignon. Tavel wines are all rosé wines and must have a minimum alcohol content of 11%...
, a rosé-only cru in the next village, Lirac is one of the 13 crus of the Rhône valley family. On the opposite river bank is the famous Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC
Châteauneuf-du-Pape is a French wine Appellation d'origine contrôlée located around the village of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhône wine region in southeastern France. It is the most renowned appellation of the southern part of the Rhône Valley...
vineyard.
History
Lirac wines have been produced in the region since pre Roman times and were the favourite wines of kings and the papal community in Avignon at the time of the schism. Pope Innocent IV ordered 20 casks of wine from there in 1357 and Henry IV of FranceHenry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
and Louis XIV served them regularly in court known only as Rhône wine. In the mid 17th century the right-bank district of Côte du Rhône had issued regulations to govern the quality of its wine and in 1737 the king ordered that casks of Lirac wine shipped from the nearby river port of Roquemaure
Roquemaure, Gard
Roquemaure is a commune in the department of Gard in southern France. The small town is a centre of local wine production, especially of Lirac AOC, and is located on the right bank of the Rhone. The city Avignon is nearby.-History:...
should be branded with the letters CDR to introduce a system of protecting its origin. The rules for its Côte du Rhône thus formed the very early basis of today's nationwide AOC system governed by the INAO. Production was very high in those days. In 1774 the vintage yielded more than 8000 hl. of wine. Later, less happy news arrived. In 1853 phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
arrived in Lirac and the appellation is believed to be the origin of the pest in France, as an experimenting winemaker at Château de Claby thought of planting Californian vines which proved exceptionally disease carrying.
The name was changed to Côtes du Rhône when the left-bank wines were included in the appellation some hundred years later. The appellation received full recognition by a High Court decision in 1937. In the 1930s, Count Henri de Régis, the owner of the Château de Ségriès in the heart of the village of Lirac improved the quality of his wines until in 1945 he obtained the highest distinction, a cru
Cru (wine)
Cru is a French wine term which is traditionally translated as "growth", as it was originally the past participle of the verb "croitre" . As a wine term it is closely connected to terroir in the sense of an "extent of terrain having a certain physical homogeneity ....
, of the Côtes du Rhône. Two years later in 1947 the appellation was confirmed by government decree. Lirac is the oldest wine in the Côtes du Rhône region and was the first to be produced in all three colours: red, rosé, and white.
In recent years, the planted vineyard area of Lirac has been increasing, and more high-quality wines are being produced.
Climate and geography
The small town of Lirac is placed on the western side of the river in the Gard depardement a little over 10 km. due west of Châteauneuf-du-Pape on the opposite side. Besides Lirac itself, the appellation includes the towns Saint Laurent des Arbres, Saint Géniès de Comolas and Roquemaure which forms a girdle around the appellation. The terroir in Lirac is somewhat similar to Châteauneuf-du-Pape both in variety and hours of sun (2700). The best terroir for red wine is perhaps on the windy plateau Vallongue, shared with TavelTavel, Gard
Tavel is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
that is only 5 km. away. In the relatively newly planted vineyards one finds plenty of galets roulés that retain heat. The area is slightly cooler that the lowlands.
Wines
Mourvèdre
Mourvèdre , Mataró or Monastrell is wine grape variety used to make both strong, dark red wines and rosés. It is an international variety grown in many regions around the world....
(minimum of 25% together), Cinsault, and Carignan (maximum 10%).
Rosé: The same varieties are used as for the red, and up to 20% of the allowed varieties for white wine may be used.
White wines are produced from Clairette, Grenache Blanc
Grenache Blanc
Grenache blanc is a variety of white wine grape that is related to the red grape Grenache. It is mostly found in Rhône wine blends and in northeast Spain. Its wines are characterized by high alcohol and low acidity, with citrus and or herbaceous notes. Its vigor can lead to overproduction and...
and Bourboulenc
Bourboulenc
Bourboulenc is a white wine grape variety primarily grown in southern France. The variety is found in the regions Southern Rhône, Provence and Languedoc....
. No variety may be used in a proportion greater than 60%.
The minimum alcohol for all three colours is decreed at 11.5%.
The style of red Lirac often resembles a soft Côtes du Rhône-Villages, but the more ambitious wines are often similar to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Rosé Lirac is usually similar to Tavel.
Economy
The Lirac wines are produced by a total of 100 concerns which include 93 growers, 43 private wineries, 6 cooperative wineries, and one producer/merchant. Many producers in Châteauneuf-du-Pape also produce Lirac wine.The vineyards are located in the four communes of Lirac
Lirac
Lirac is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-External links:*...
, Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres
Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres
Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Saint-Geniès-de-Comolas
Saint-Geniès-de-Comolas
Saint-Geniès-de-Comolas is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Population:-References:*...
, and Roquemaure
Roquemaure, Gard
Roquemaure is a commune in the department of Gard in southern France. The small town is a centre of local wine production, especially of Lirac AOC, and is located on the right bank of the Rhone. The city Avignon is nearby.-History:...
.
See also
- Rhône (wine region)Rhône (wine region)The Rhône wine region in Southern France is situated in the Rhône river valley and produces numerous wines under various Appellation d'origine contrôlée designations...
- Côtes du Rhône AOCCôtes du Rhône AOCCôtes du Rhône is a wine-growing Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for the Rhône wine region of France, which may be used throughout the region, also in those areas which are covered by other AOCs...