AOC Bellet wines awarded at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge

A.O.C./A.O.P.

Bellet is a minute appellation set in the hills overlooking Nice. Very few wines are actually produced here but their reputation is well-established. Virtually all of them are sold in the hotels along the French Riviera, making them difficult to come by. Vineyard soils are formed of pebbles intermingled with very pale sand and the occasional seam of clay. The site also enjoys an outstanding micro-climate with 2,700 hours of sunshine annually and just the right amount of rainfall. The varietal range is quite unusual: Braquet, Folle noire, Cinsault and Grenache noir for the reds. Rolle, Roussanne, Spagnol as well as Clairette, Bourboulenc, Chardonnay, Pignerol and small-berry Muscat for the whites.

Grape varieties: Vins rouges, rosés : braquet, folle noire, cinsaut. Vins blancs secs : rolle, roussane, mayorquin

The wines of this appellation

Bellet produces equal amounts of white, red and rosé wines. The whites, with their deep, bright hue, are full and suave. They develop aromas of hawthorn, honeysuckle and ripe pear and sit nicely alongside fish in a cream sauce, veal cutlets with mushrooms and Comté cheese. The rosés are soft, lively but not too sharp, with a delicate bouquet (wild rose, pepper). Served with lamb and sweet pepper kebabs, they form an unrivalled match. The reds are rich, elegant and vigorous. They exhibit pleasant aromas of peony, pepper and pine forests. Try them with a grilled leg of lamb with herbs or pork roast with prunes.