Limoux report 2023: Latest releases tasted

Limoux 2022 vintage rating: 4 / 5

Limoux 2021 vintage rating: 3.5 / 5

The wines of Limoux stand somewhat apart from many of the other wines of Languedoc; the use of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Franc seems at odds to the use of Mediterranean varieties like Carignan, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre elsewhere.

But the reality is that the climate here is different; it’s cooler and wetter, less baked by the southern sun. Mediterranean varieties would have a tough time of ripening. Driving south from warm, dry, windy Carcassonne, the clouds descend and the air becomes more moist. Both Atlantic and Mediterranean climatic influences are felt here.

See the Languedoc report 2023 homepage

Four distinct terroirs have been identified in the Limoux area:

Terroir Méditerranéen – to the northeast of the town of Limoux and the closest area to the Mediterranean sea, this is the warmest of the four terroirs, with sea breezes, an altitude of 100m-200m, and an average of 650mm rainfall per year, with the earliest harvest.

Terroir d’Autun – just to the southeast of Limoux, this has the least amount of average rainfall per year at 570mm, and is warmer and drier.

Terroir Océanique – to the west of Limoux, this terroir has the highest average annual rainfall at 780mm. Altitude rises from 200m-300m, and it’s a more temperate and humid climate, with Atlantic influence as opposed to Mediterranean.

Terroir Haute Vallée – the highest and coolest of the four terroirs, with high average annural rainfall at 750mm. Altitude can reach over 300m, in the foothills of the Pyrenees.

Figures obtainted from the Sydicat des Vins AOC de Limoux