Fitou is Languedoc’s southernmost appellation. In the past, this was the frontier between Languedoc and Spain. Today, it is the French region of Roussillon that is on the other side of the border. It is mountainous and beautiful with picturesque villages and ruins of Cathar castles on the mountain tops. It is warm, sunny and often dry. Carignan thrives here, a grape that Fitou has made its standard-bearer.
Thanks to the initiative of the growers, Fitou obtained its AOC as early as 1948, becoming the first red wine in Languedoc-Roussillon to have an appellation contrôlée. The Fitou growers were inspired by their neighbours in Roussillon, who in 1936 applied for and received AOC for their Vin Doux Naturel Rivesaltes.
Fitou is a bit special as an appellation because it consists of two parts that are both enclaves in the larger Corbières appellation. One part of Fitou lies in the mountainous hinterland and the other on the Mediterranean coast at l’Etang de Leucate, south of Narbonne. It is a hot and dry climate with sunny and mild winters and low rainfall. By the sea, the lack of precipitation is compensated to some extent by moist sea breezes.
This is a longer version of an article published on Forbes.com.
Carignan
Fitou is a rather well-known name for red wines from the Languedoc despite being a small appellation of 2100 hectares. By choosing carignan as its emblematic grape the producers hope to attract more consumer’s attention. With carignan they want to give the Fitou wines a common identity regardless of whether the wines come from the coast or the mountains. A good choice. You can make fantastic wines with carignan. The grape was previously only associated with volume wines. People’s appreciation of carignan changed at about the same time as the entire Languedoc was transformed into an interesting and exciting wine region around 20-25 years ago.
Carignan is perfect for Fitou. It withstands the forces of the weather: the strong wind that blows one day out of four, the intense sun – they have more than 300 sunny days a year – and the recurring drought.
As early as 1948, carignan was assigned the leading role in the appellation along with grenache. Carignan gives the structure and the hint of harshness that are typical characteristics of the wines of Fitou. Grenache is rounder and gives finesse and softness. Syrah is not typical of the region, but it is widely present in the Fitou blends. Mourvèdre is also used but to a lesser extent.
It is not allowed to make a 100 % carignan in Fitou. You cannot use only one grape variety in your wine; it has to be at least two. The most important grape in the wine cannot make up more than a maximum of 80%. The general opinion is still that carignan is best when blended with some other grape varieties. But it’s still a shame. We would have liked to see some 100% carignan, now that the grape is supposed to represent the appellation. As one of the growers puts it: “Carignan is the future of our appellation; it is resilient, gives freshness and structure”. But with 80 %, the producers still show what carignan is capable of.
The most common blend in Fitou is carignan, grenache and syrah in varying proportions, not infrequently a third of each.
Small and big producers
The cooperatives are strong in Fitou. Of the 215 growers, 180 belong to one of the three cooperatives, the two largest of which are Les Vignerons du Mont Tauch and Les Maîtres Vignerons de Cascastel, both in the hinterland. 35 growers produce and sell their own wines.
Les Vignerons de Mont Tauch is the largest producer in Fitou. The cooperative is located in the small town of Tuchan. You can easily recognize their bottles with the characteristic wild boar head, which has long been their logo; there are plenty of wild boars in the area.
The members of Mont Tauch have 1,100 hectares, which is roughly half of the entire appellation, spread over 5,000 different vineyard plots in Tuchan and the villages of Paziols, Villeneuve-les-Corbières and Durban. This fragmentation has meant that in recent years they have started to work with more precision in the vineyard. Etienne Laris, president of Mont Tauch since 2019, says that they use satellite images to look for homogeneity among the members’ different vineyards. Homogeneous plots are vinified together even if the plots are far apart geographically. They are very happy with the result.
Styles
Does Fitou have a style of his own? Distinguishing the different appellations in Languedoc is never obvious. The Fitou wines have an unmistakable southern feel, with lots of fruit and often a good structure. The traditional style of Fitou is full-bodied, compact wines with plenty of ripe fruit and a slight bitterness. A more modern style is also available, which uses oak sparingly and emphasizes the fresh fruit. There are consumers for both styles, says Jean-Rémy Daurat at Château de Nouvelles.
Some producers put whole bunches of carignan in the tank for a semi-carbonic fermentation, which gives an easy drinking, succulent style, often with aromas of raspberries and strawberries. It all depends on the producer and what style they want for their wine. And since all producers make several different wines, they also make several different styles.
Are the coastal wines different from the mountain wines? It’s not obvious either. The soil is not the same. Out on the coast, there are clay and limestone soils and some alluvial soils, and the climate is, of course, more humid. In the dry and warmer interior, the soil is predominately schist, but there are also limestone soils.
“Out schist soil is fragmented, which provides good drainage, and the roots can benefit from the rain directly,” says Max Saury, president of the cooperative Les Maîtres Vignerons de Cascastel. Here, the vineyards are also more affected by the northern tramontane wind, which partially keeps the fungal diseases away. “We are often affected by powdery mildew but rarely by downy mildew.”
The final result depends more on each individual producer than the geographical location.
Tasting Fitou
Here are tasting notes from our visit to Fitou in June. We enjoyed tasting these wines. Many of them are excellent value for money. One of the conclusions we made is that the Fitou wines benefit from having a lot of carignan in the blend. And also, the winemakers should be careful with the oak and not hesitate to age the wine only in steel tanks.
Tasting Côté Montagne – The mountain wines
Les Vignerons de Mont Tauch Château de Montmal 2019
Carignan, grenache, syrah. Relatively light in a pleasant and characteristic style with the typically dried herbs. Balanced oak ageing for 9 to 12 months. (13 euros)
Les Vignerons de Mont Tauch Hommage 2019
Syrah, grenache, carignan. Delicious wine, powerful but balanced. Dried herbs, spices, good complexity, balanced oak. Prolonged skin contact, 3–5 weeks. 9–12 months of oak ageing. (19 euros)
Les Maîtres Vignerons de Cascastel La Cascastel 2019
Carignan, grenache and syrah. Pleasant aromas, fresh fruit, good balance and structure, although not so powerful, more light in style. Excellent and good value for money. Carignan and syrah are vinified with carbonic maceration, and the grenache bunches are destemmed and fermented traditionally with skin contact for 30 days. Aged in stainless steel. (9.90 euros)
Les Maîtres Vignerons de Cascastel Accord Parfait 2020
Carignan, grenache, syrah. Fresh, rather tight tannins, structured and with aromas of black cherries. As above, carignan and syrah are vinified with carbonic maceration, and the grenache bunches are destemmed and fermented traditionally with skin contact for 30 days. (8 euros)
Château de Nouvelles Vieilles Vignes 2019
Carignan, grenache, syrah. This is a powerful wine with ripe fruit in the traditional Fitou style. It needs a nice dinner to go with it. Aged 2/3 in tank and 1/3 in 300-litre barriques for 14 months. (13.50 euros)
Château de Nouvelles Augusta 2020
Syrah, grenache, carignan. Also, quite traditional in style, with ripe fruit and a good tannin structure. It is balanced, and the absence of oak (ageing in tank only) makes room for the fruit. (10 euros)
Domaine Le Cigalet Ardoises 2019
80% carignan, 20% grenache. Excellent wine. Lots of freshness, powerful but balanced, good tannin structure, pleasant fruit aromas. Oak ageing four months in three-year-old barrels. (9 euros)
Domaine Le Cigalet Anglades 2019
80% carignan, 20% grenache. Powerful and compact with balanced tannin and fresh acidity. 9 months ageing in tank. (8 euros)
Domaine de Rolland Tradition 2020
A bit jammy with very ripe fruit, it feels slightly volatile.
Domaine Bertrand-Bergé La Boulière 2019
50% mourvèdre, 25% each of carignan and grenache. From a vineyard with rolling stones where mourvèdre thrives well. An excellent wine, very fresh, complex, and balanced. (19 euros)
Domaine Bertrand-Bergé Origines 2020
60% carignan, 40% grenache. Delicious and easy-drinking with warm and ripe fruit, balanced, ageing in steel tank. (9.50 euros)
Gabinato Fresquet, Bonhomme de Chemin 2019
Carignan, grenache, syrah. Ripe fruit, a hot-year character with lots of spices and balanced despite its 15%. Ageing 10 months in steel tank. (11 euros)
Gabinato Fresquet Sacré Bonhomme 2019
100-year-old carignan and grenache. Full-bodied Fitou with good structure, solid tannins and 15.5% alcohol. But still balanced. Ageing 10 months in steel tank. (17.50 euros)
Clos Padulis Sérénité 2020
A bit fiery with ripe fruit, a nice wine, though. (15 euros)
Clos Padulis, Fitou Padulis 2020
50% carignan, 30% syrah, 20% grenache. Very ripe fruit, relatively compact with a slight bitterness at the finish that refreshes the palate. (11 euros)
Domaine Esclarmonde Partage 2020
Syrah, carignan, grenache. Long skin contact, 25-28 days. Good structure and length, sweetish fruit in the finish. Aged in steel tank 9 months (10 euros)
Domaine Esclarmonde La Cuvée 2 Guy 2020
80% carignan, 20% grenache. Excellent and very drinkable with somewhat harsh tannins. Long skin contact, around 30 days. Ageing 9 months in steel tank. (13.50 euros)
Tasting – Coté Mer – Sea wines
Château Champ des Soeurs Bel Amant 2019
Grenache, carignan, mourvèdre. Classic Fitou with ripe fruit, really powerful but balanced. Aged in tank for 18 months. (13 euros)
Château Champ des Soeurs La Tina 2019
80% carignan, 15% grenache, 5% mourvèdre. Fresh fruit, lovely acidity, tasty and delicious with balanced tannins and dark fruit (16 euros).
Domaine de la Rochelierre A Deux 2020
Carignan 80%, grenache 20%. Complex, full-bodied wine with lots of berries and fruit. Fresh acidity. Balanced. An excellent wine that “shows the freshness and power of the carignan”, says winemaker Jean-Marie Fabre. Aged for 10 months in oak barrels, very lightly roasted to preserve the fruit. (40 euros)
Domaine de la Rochelierre Tradition 2021
Carignan, grenache, syrah. Fresh and fruity with clean and lovely fruit and all the herbs from la garrique in the finish. Very nice. (9 euros)
Château Abelanet Roma 2019
Carignan, grenache, syrah. Pleasant wine with complexity and layers of fruit aromas. Fermentation and ageing in barrique. (17 euros)
Château Abelanet Vieilles Vignes 2019
Traditional Fitou with delicious fruit and fresh herbs. Balanced. (9 euros)
Vignobles Cap Leucate Le Belvédère 2020
Carignan, mourvèdre, grenache. Pleasant wine with ripe fruit combined with good acidity and freshness. Oak ageing 8 months. (10 euros)
Vignobles Cap Leucate Les Murailles de Cézelly 2020
Carignan, grenache, mourvèdre. Lovely fruit, powerful wine but with refreshing juiciness on the palate. 12 months of oak ageing. (19.70 euros)
Domaine de la Grange Fonteius 2020
Somewhat dry and bitter, maybe due to overripe berries, in the traditional style. (12 euros)
Domaine de la Grange Domitius 2020
60% carignan, 20% grenache, 20% syrah. Delicious and excellent value for 8 euros. A typical Fitou with warm fruit but with balance and fresh acidity. (8 euros)
Mas des Caprices Retour aux Sources 2018
45% carignan, 20% grenache, 10% mourvèdre and 25% syrah from schist. Good acidity, ripe fruit but not jammy. 20% whole bunches in the fermentation tank. Ageing 10 months, half in concrete and half in 20-25 hl oak tanks. (16.00 euros).
Mas des Caprices Ze Fitou 2020
45% mourvèdre, 25% grenache, 25% carignan and 5% syrah from limestone. Pleasant wine with a warm climate fruit, balanced with fresh herbs and some tannin. Spontaneous fermentation and careful extraction. (13 euros)
Château Les Fenals Fitou 2020
Carignan, grenache, syrah. Fresh and clean fruit with good acidity and balance. Excellent. Ageing in steel tank. (9.50 euros)
Château Les Fenals Cuvée Julie 2020
Carignan, grenache. Aromatic, intensely fruity, warm-climate style but still very fresh with a hint of tannin. Aged in steel tank. (16 euros)
Domaine Màmàrutà Raid 2021
Natural wine with some volatile acidity. No added sulphur. Five months ageing in five-year-old oak barrels. (11.60 euros)
Domaine Màmàrutà Coupe Soif 2021
Carignan, grenache. For the natural wine enthusiast. Slightly volatile, easy-drinking and fruity. (12.60 euros)
