![]() In Bergerac as in Pessac-Léognan and for white Bordeaux more generally, the rise of Sauvignon Blanc is ubiquitous. I’ve picked out this white wine since it showcases ripe Sémillon, blended with 40 per cent Sauvignon Blanc and 10 per cent Muscadelle, fermented with skin maceration and lees contact but no oak: vivacious, exotic, yet creamy too. The de Conti family is a regional star, constantly innovating and re-thinking both in the cellar and the winery. In the ever-hierarchical scheme of French wine grandeur, that means that Bergerac must always (and quite unfairly) cost less than Bordeaux, holding back the region’s potential in a kind of poverty trap. There are some propitious zones in the greater Bergerac area, lying both north and south of the Dordogne river, but the region is almost cursed by its proximity to Bordeaux. Bergerac: Chateau Tour des Gendres, Cuvée des Conti (dry white) Happy hunting! I list the wines by appellation, in alphabetical order. Since 2013 on the Atlantic coast, there have been no truly dismal South Western vintages, so this isn’t a bad time to take pot luck. ![]() I haven’t specified vintages, since you may find a number of different ones in the market all the wines, though, come from outstanding producers crafting the best wine they can manage every year. If you don’t know them yet, here’s a list of ten fascinating wines to hunt down. They export a bit here, they export a bit there, they sell to the locals – and then all the wine is gone, before the world at large has had a chance to wake up and take notice. ![]() Finally many of those appellations are so small that it’s hard for them to make a wave in the market. Another problem South West France faces is that it’s constituted by a cluster of often remote appellations, from Bergerac at Bordeaux’s back door down to Irouléguy in Basque Country, not forgetting Cahors in the historical ‘High Country’ and Béarnais Jurançon. I’ve always thought the region should call itself ‘Greater Gascony’ - though that would upset some members of the South Western confederacy, so it won’t happen. Perhaps the name is a problem: it sounds a little vague. ![]()
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