Friday Read: The Languedoc’s new varieties

By James Lawrence

Published: 26 July, 2024

From the offset, there were moans and groans about the weather from our hosts in the Languedoc. Yet excessive heat and sunstroke (for once) were not the subjects of their ire.

“It has rained all spring” complained one grower in the vineyards of La Clape, situated on the outskirts of Narbonne. Another told me they'd “experienced near-record amounts of rainfall in April and early May,” with a concomitant rise in fungal diseases. I count myself lucky: the sun shone all week during a press trip in late May. And, according to my friend in Béziers, “July has been pretty dry and warm overall”.

Interestingly, other producers described 2024 as “a return to normal” – a season that, so far, has little in common with the punishingly torrid conditions of 2022. That year, growers in the appellation of Fitou began picking on 24 July. I visited the region at the start of the harvest; many winemakers were talking in terms of a dress rehearsal for the vintages to come. So, from that perspective, a very inclement and unseasonably cool spring was (almost) a cause for celebration.

Read more: Rediscovering the magic of Marsala

Few people in the Languedoc, however, are being complacent about climate change – whether the consequences are 50°C heatwaves or a biblical deluge in May. In between the visits, dinners, cellar tours and terroir workshops, the subject of adaptation was a constant talking point; the memory of drought-ravaged 2022, 2020, and 2019 harvests has not yet faded. This has encouraged a growing number of wineries to experiment with new grape varieties – especially those of a more robust constitution.

Greek aromas

Grapes like Assyrtiko, for example. “This year will mark our inaugural harvest of Assyrtiko vines planted at Chateau Capitoul as an experiment – we’ll finally be able to taste and evaluate its potential,” explains Thomas Bonfils, business developer at Vignobles Bonfils. “So far, the vine has grown perfectly well on the soil we chose for it and we did not have any mortality out of its plantation.”

Indeed, Greece's signature white grape can retain its acidity even in the driest of climates, which is exactly why he believes it may have great potential in the Languedoc.

Bonfils is one of the area's largest producers, comprising 15 estates and cultivating more than 1600 hectares of vines. For many decades, it has prioritised indigenous grapes and regional accents; GSM blends, Marsanne, Clairette, and Bourboulenc whites. But climate pressures, as Thomas Bonfils concedes, are upending attitudes to tradition and vine heritage in the Languedoc. And where Bonfils goes, others are likely to follow.

“When we look at how the climate is changing (more and more heat but less and less water) and also the evolution of consumer tastes for wine, it is certain that we, as vintners, need to adapt to all of that and think of new grapes to produce new styles in the years to come,” he says.

“My cousin Louis and our agronomists are focused on this mission. They are already debating and discussing which ancient grapes varieties and/or varieties from abroad that we will plant soon.” Meanwhile, he hopes that the appellation council will eventually “recognise Assyrtiko as an official variety in La Clape.”

Come rain or shine

This innovative approach – embracing viticultural alternatives rather than 'nurse-maiding' classic grapes through earlier harvests and canopy management, etc, is becoming a de facto policy in many influential wineries. But heat and drought stress isn't the only concern or criteria for vine selection. Today's vintner wants it all: varieties that show a resistance to fungal diseases, a tolerance to heat and drought, and grapes that can help a business reduce its carbon footprint by way of fewer tractor passes for treatments and lower water requirements.

“We have a long-standing commitment to sustainable winegrowing. In fact, the process began in 2001 when the group signed the very first collective land use contract in France. Six years later, another milestone was reached when we established vineyard blocks designed for experimenting with grape varieties geared to the needs of tomorrow’s winegrowing,” reveals Gabriel Ruetsch, head viticulturist at Vignobles Foncalieu.

He continues: “We waited until the varieties were authorised in 2016 before planting them with the aim of drastically reducing our use of synthetic inputs.”

According to Ruetsch, Foncalieu began to cultivate experimental varieties (two whites and two reds) in the Hérault department in 2007 – German and Swiss grapes were then planted in 2010. “We then started trialling Artaban and Vidoc in 2016/2017,” he says.

Their goal was to be the first wine producer to fashion and market a cuvée from a new wave of French vine varieties – “a sign of boldness and innovation”, to quote Ruetsch.

“Our idea was to cultivate a variety capable of naturally adapting to climate change, respecting the environment, winemakers and consumers, while being a pioneer in terms of progressive viticulture. The first commercialised vintage was the 2018 red vintage (Artaban, with 4000 bottles), followed by the 2021 vintage where we introduced white and rosé into the range (Artaban and Vidoc for the red and rosé, and Floréal for the white).

Meanwhile, Foncalieu is launching two new cuvées in 2024: Esprit Artisan and Atelier No. 10, based on the hybrid grape Souvignier Gris. It was pioneered by a German scientist, Dr Norbert Becker, in 1983. Back then, French vignerons would have probably spat venom if you suggested that this laboratory union of Seyval Blanc and Zähringer (no, I'd never heard of it either) should be planted in the ancient soils of the Languedoc. But new challenges require new thinking.

Of course, no one is throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The viticultural totems of the Languedoc – Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Mauzac – are not about to be grubbed up like a parcel of phylloxera-riddled vines. Yet the allure of hybrids and imports – robust, reliable, and possibly a damn sight easier to grow – is here to stay.

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