📜 Cabardès

Cabardès is a protected designation of origin (PDO, French AOC) for still red and rosé wines from 18 communes of the Aude department in Languedoc, southern France. It became an AOC by decree of 12 February 1999, after holding the status of a delimited wine of superior quality (VDQS) since 1973. The current specification (cahier des charges) was homologated by decree no. 2011-1777 of 5 December 2011 and modified by order of 29 August 2016.

Grapes are harvested and the wine is made and aged in Alzonne, Aragon, Conques-sur-Orbiel, Fournes-Cabardès, Fraisse-Cabardès, Les Ilhes, Lastours, Montolieu, Moussoulens, Pennautier, Pezens, Sainte-Eulalie, Ventenac-Cabardès, Villanière, Villardonnel, Villedubert, Villegailhenc and Villemoustaussou. Grapes must come from parcels approved by the INAO in 1998 and 2016.

The principal varieties are Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Merlot and Syrah; the accessory varieties are Cinsaut, Cot and Fer. In a blend, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot together must make up at least 40 %, and Grenache and Syrah together at least 40 %. The specification calls these two groups the Atlantic and the Mediterranean varieties.

The specification sets a minimum planting density of 4,000 vines per hectare, a yield of 50 hl/ha with an upper limit of 60 hl/ha, and minimum natural alcohol of 12 % vol for rosé (grapes with at least 198 g of sugar per litre) and 12.5 % vol for red (at least 207 g/l). Red wines are aged at least until 1 April of the year after the harvest, and the use of wood pieces is forbidden.

According to the specification, the area is a gently sloping balcony below the Montagne Noire, dominated by the Pic de Nore (1,211 m), facing the Aude valley, with stony soils on schist, gneiss, limestone and molasse, and a climate with Mediterranean and Atlantic influences. In 2009 the vineyard covered 450 hectares and produced 20,000 hectolitres, 85 % of it red.