The vast South-West wine region in France is home to many different grape varieties, many of them local ones, which grow on diverse types of terroirs. It covers 52,000 hectares, stretching from Aveyron to Dordogne and the Basque Country. Vines first arrived there when the Romans controlled the area, and today, the region produces red, white, rosé, sweet and sparkling wines as well as grape-based spirits. This rich tapestry of wines means that everyone can find a bottle to suit their preferences, which is exactly what wine enthusiasts did in iDealwine’s 2022 auctions. Let’s take a closer look.
Opportunities galore!
When we analysed the region’s highest-priced wines sold in our 2022 auctions, seven out of the Top 10 were sweet cuvées coming from Monbazillac and Jurançon. The first three places were taken up by Jurançon wines that were from somewhat mature vintages (2000, 2001 and 2007). On the other hand, those from Monbazillac took much longer to reach a similar value (with the bottles coming from the 1937, 1945 and 1959 vintages). The exception to that being Château Tirecul La Gravière‘s Cuvée Madame from 2004 which was the highest-placed Monbazillac.
It should be noted that the Jurançon region has been in vogue over the past few years and is prized for its crisp and balanced sweet and dry white wines. Three classic names from the region took the podium spots in 2022’s Top 10 with their iconic wines; they are Les Jardins de Babylone by Dagueneau, Clos Joliette and Domaine Cauhapé respectively.
However, the opposite could be said for the wines from Monbazillac. With the exception of Château Tirecul La Gravière which appears regularly in our auctions, the other three domains are much more unknown, and it was very likely their age that helped them obtain these brilliant prices. Three red wines also made the list, with one bottle from Madiran and two others coming from Cahors. Château Montus, the region’s symbolic winery, represents the Madiran region, with its brilliant La Tyre cuvée in a ready-to-drink vintage from 2005. Château Lagrezette and Clos Triguedina are standard bearers of Cahors and are also known for their wines’ amazing ageing potential so it’s no wonder that they ended up in last year’s top highest-priced wines.
But what about the dry whites?
Even though, no dry white wine made the South-West’s Top 10 last year, the region produces a wonderful range of this style of wine. In the fixed-priced section of our website, you will find many beautiful bottles with brilliant price to quality ratios made from the region’s many local white varieties and the Sauvignon Blanc that can be found around Bergerac. Gros Manseng and Petit Manseng feature in the blend that make up Camin Larredya’s Jurançon La Virada, while Domaine de Plageoles’ Gaillac is solely made from Mauzac Vert. Château Montus, mentioned above for its excellent red wine, also produces a beautiful white from the Petit Courbu and Petit Manseng varieties.
Don’t let the wines from this relatively unknown region pass you by. It is full of unique wines that you wouldn’t want to miss.
Take a look at what jewels you can find from the region on the iDealwine website!
