IGP Coteaux du Pont du Gard wines awarded at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge

I.G.P.

The IGP Coteaux du Pont du Gard covers 112 communes on the eastern side of the Gard department, at the meeting point of Languedoc, the Rhône valley and Provence. The vineyard spreads over a landscape of limestone hills and plateaus, the last reliefs before the Camargue and the Mediterranean Sea. The soils combine outcrops of Urgonian limestone in the south with Miocene sandstone across the rest of the area. The climate is Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers marked by the mistral wind, tempered in autumn by breezes coming off the sea. The grape varieties combine Mediterranean varieties - grenache, mourvèdre, cinsault, carignan, syrah - planted on the driest soils, with varieties from other French wine regions - cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, roussanne, marsanne - planted on deeper soils. This position at the crossroads of several wine regions of southern France explains the diversity of the authorized grape varieties.

Grape varieties: Vins rouges et rosés : carignan, grenache, cinsault, syrah

The wines of this appellation

The appellation produces red, rosé and white wines. The reds, made in particular from grenache, mourvèdre, syrah, cabernet sauvignon or merlot, are powerful and warm, carried by present tannins and aromas of very ripe red fruit - strawberry, raspberry - and dark fruit such as blackcurrant and blackberry. The rosés, some of which are vinified as primeur, show a nose of red fruit and a fine, ample palate; they are best enjoyed young, as an aperitif or with summer dishes. The whites, made in particular from chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, roussanne or marsanne, show primary notes of white-fleshed fruit and a pleasant liveliness; they too are best drunk while young. The reds pair well with grilled and roasted meats, while the rosés and whites go with Mediterranean cuisine, fish and summer salads.