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Terrasses du Larzac: The untamed freshness of the high Languedoc

In the decade since it was officially recognised, this wild, other-worldly corner of Languedoc has been garnering increasing attention, both from winemakers keen to set themselves up in the region, and from wine lovers attracted by its fresh, highly drinkable wines.

The mountainous area of the Massif Central occupies about a sixth of France, bordering Beaujolais and the Rhône to the east and Languedoc to the south. The massif’s southern section consists of a number of limestone plateaus – called causses in the Occitan language, from the Latin calx, meaning ‘lime’.

It’s this landscape, with its stalactite-littered caverns and dramatically deep gorges, that gives rise to one of France’s most famous cheeses: Roquefort (also the first product of any kind in France to be granted ‘appellation d’origine’ status under the then-new law of 1925).

It’s also one of these arid, sparsely populated limestone plateaus, the Causse du Larzac, that defines a spectacular wine terroir: the Terrasses du Larzac.


Scroll down for highlights from Terrasses du Larzac



Languedoc charm: 10 wines from Terrasses du Larzac


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