South West France
South West France
Stretching south of Bordeaux from the foothills of the Pyrenees out to the Atlantic, the Sud-Ouest is France's great reservoir of indigenous grapes — nowhere else in the country holds such variety.
The black Malbec of Cahors, the muscular Tannat of Madiran, the noble Petit Manseng of Jurançon, and a host of ancient varieties surviving in Gaillac and Irouléguy.
Flourishing since the Middle Ages alongside the pilgrim routes, the wines of this region have always lived in Bordeaux's shadow — and have been honed instead in the company of a food culture entirely their own.
These are savoury, unadorned wines, born to be shared with duck confit, with foie gras, with cheeses from the mountains. We bring you the South-West's undiscovered originals, each with the story of where it comes from.
