Saint Chinian is one of the appellations in the Languedoc, located a bit inland with a landscape dotted with remote villages, harsh hilltops and dedicated vignerons. St Chinian in short:
— 20 villages north-west of Bézier
— received its AOC in 1982 and covers 3300 ha, 510 growers, 135,000 hl, 2/3 produced by the cooperative
— Belgium is the biggest export market followed by Denmark (!)
— 89% red, 10% white, 1% rosé (AOC for red since 2004)
— the soil is very varied with both schist, limestone and clay elements, but often not very fertile
— maximum yield is 50 hl/ha but in reality it is often lower
— climate is sunny, dry and windy
— grapes: primarily Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre (min 60%) but also Carignan, Lladoner Pelut and Cinsault
— sometimes macération carbonique is used instead of regular vinification
— the wine style varies with soil, grapes and vinification but is often quite powerful with intense fruit and aromas, often with the typical “garrigue” (wild herbs) style
— www.saint-chinian.com
