Marcillac is an ''
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical bou ...
'' for
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
in
South West France and is located 20 km to the north-west of
Rodez in the
Aveyron
Aveyron (; oc, Avairon; ) is a department in the region of Occitania, Southern France. It was named after the river Aveyron. Its inhabitants are known as ''Aveyronnais'' (masculine) or ''Aveyronnaises'' (feminine) in French. The inhabitants ...
department. It is located close to the Lot river which flows into
Garonne
The Garonne (, also , ; Occitan, Catalan, Basque, and es, Garona, ; la, Garumna
or ) is a river of southwest France and northern Spain. It flows from the central Spanish Pyrenees to the Gironde estuary at the French port of Bordeaux – ...
.
History
From Antiquity to the Middle Ages
This wine-growing area developed under the auspices of the Abbey of
Conques over a thousand years ago.
Modern period
Initially a thriving business, wine production met the needs of the local population. The wines were held in high esteem by the middle classes and by the clergy of Rodez, whose superiors sited their country residence in the wine-growing area. They were also consumed by miners and agricultural workers. However, a public health crisis at the end of the 19th century, the frosts of the early 20th century and the decline of the mines combined to bring down wine production, and it reached its lowest point ever in 1965. It was at this point that a handful of producers decided to take action in order to prevent the wine industry from becoming completely extinct. In 1965 they decided to apply for
VDQS status (''Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure''), i.e. the classification immediately below AOC wine, which it was granted under the name ''Vin de Marcillac''. The growers re-landscaped the vineyards, creating terraces in order to allow maximum mechanisation of their work. In 1990 the wine-growing area was granted AOC status under its present name, Marcillac.
Geographical location
This appellation is located to the north-west of
Rodez in the Aveyron department. Production is spread across the communes of
Marcillac-Vallon
Marcillac-Vallon (; oc, Marcilhac) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Aveyron department
The following is a list of the 285 Communes of France, communes of the Aveyron Depart ...
,
Balsac,
Clairvaux-d'Aveyron,
Goutrens,
Mouret,
Nauviale,
Pruines,
Salles-la-Source,
Saint-Cyprien-sur-Dourdou,
Saint-Christophe-Vallon and
Valady.
Geology
The vines are planted in red
clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4).
Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
soils rich in iron oxide that are known locally as rougiers. The individual plots either cling to steeply sloping hillsides or are cut into terraces. Together they form a kind of amphitheatre that faces due south, ensuring that the grapes ripen well.
Climate
The climate varies according to the season. In winter it is possible to detect the influence of semi-continental weather patterns, while in summer Mediterranean influences are more apparent. Approximate annual sunshine stands at an impressive 2,200 hours.
Carte de l'ensoleillement en France
More often than not, the winters are extremely harsh and the summers very hot and sunny, not dissimilar to those experienced by towns bordering the Mediterranean.
Temperatures for Rodez, which is located next door to the Marcillac wine-growing area:
Wine-growing area
Profile
The wine is a red wine. In 2004, 8,000 hectolitres of it were produced from .
Grape varieties grown
The main variety grown (90%) is Mansois, the local name for Fer
Fer (also known as Fer Servadou, Pinenc, Mansois and several other synonyms) is a red French wine grape variety that is grown primarily in South West France and is most notable for its role in the ''Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée'' (AOC) ...
Servadou. The remainder is made up of Cabernets: Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
Terroir and wines
This particular red wine tends to be light and fruity, with a predominantly raspberry aroma and is usually drunk within two years of vinification. For a more detailed guide to individual viniculteurs, see Paul Strang (2011) 'South-west France:the wines and winemakers'.
Types of wine and gastronomy
Marcillac wine is locally often paired with aligot à la saucisse (potato puree mixed with melted cheese, cream and garlic, served with sausage) or tripoux (stuffed sheep's tripe), also with local cheeses such as Roquefort, Cantal
Cantal (; oc, Cantal or ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France, with its prefecture in Aurillac. Its other principal towns are Saint-Flour (the episcopal see) and Mauriac; its residents are known as Cantalians (fren ...
, Laguiole
Laguiole (; ''La Guiòla'' in Languedocien) is a commune in the Aveyron department in southern France.
It is known for its Laguiole cheese, which has an ''Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée'' (label of guaranteed origin), and as the birthpl ...
, Salers
Salers (, ) is a commune in the Cantal department in south-central France.
It is famous for the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) cheeses Cantal and Salers. It is also famous for the Salers breed of cattle that originated in this com ...
and Rocamadour.
Notes and references
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South West France AOCs