Appellations of the Languedoc

The Cru Minervois La Livinière was created in 1999 and was first officially applied to examples of the 1998 harvest. It the only official Cru within the AOC Minervois to be recognised by the IANO (the body that authorises and monitors the AOC system in France), although others are being prepared.

The AOC recognition was the culmination of many years of hard work by a group of dedicated local winemakers in the area surrounding the village of La Livinière. The standards imposed by the Cru La Livinière are much more exacting than those required to qualify for the AOC Minervois status. The land used to grow Cru La Livinière has to be specially designated and includes some of the finest wine growing areas in the region. Currently there are only around 700 ha (about 1500 acres) of vineyard that are producing La Livinière out of a total potential area of 2,600 ha. The designated areas are all within the 6 villages of La Livinière, Azillanet, Siran, Cesseras, Félines-Minervois, Azille.

Central to the definition and quality of the Cru is the regulation of the permitted grape varieties and the maximum yields. At only 45 hectolitres per hectare the maximum yield is very low –significantly lower than the major Bordeaux appellation such as Margaux and Pauillac for example- and the harvest has to be done by hand. In reality many of the Cru La Livinière producers have yields well below the maximum permitted. The grape varieties are focused on the cépages améliorateurs, the high quality grape varieties which are adapted to the local climatic conditions. The principal components of the blend are Syrah and Mourvèdre, which must make up a minimum of 40% of the blend; and along with Grenache Noir should constitute a minimum of 60% of the final blend. The ‘traditional’ varieties of Carignan and Cinsault cannot constitute more than 40% of the final blend. Other permitted varieties are Lladoner-pulut Noir, Picpoul Noir and Terret Noir. Vignerons are permitted to make a pure Syrah cuve, and many Cru La Livinière wines have a very high Syrah content, but in typical French style you are not allowed to say this on the label.

The grapes must be picked ripe as the natural alcohol level must reach a minimum of 12%. Chaptalisation, the additional of sugars to boost the alcohol content, is not permitted. The wine must be bottled at source at the wine making facility and so can not be shipped in bulk elsewhere and bottled as is the fate of many lower quality generic wines. Ageing can be in barrel or vat and the wines cannot be released until a minimum of 12 months after the harvest. All Cru La Livinière wines are subject to a strict round of tasting by an independent panel before being allowed to be released on the market and indeed many cuvees fail to reach the required standard and are rejected at this stage.

There is no doubt that the creation of the cru has accelerated the improvement in the quality and complexity of the wines from within the designated area of Cru La Livinière, and has acted as a spur to other producers in the region. It has helped to focus attention on the quality of the terroir and on the role of hand harvesting and longer ageing of the wine. Our Partner Vineyard, Domaine de Cantaussel produces two excellent examples of Minervois La Livinière. Why not visit Jean-Luc and Claude at the Domaine and try them for yourself, or alternatively order them directly from the Vineyard Partners Website.