Pecharmant wine district

Pécharmant is a wine appellation in the hills to the North-East of the market town of Bergerac, France. Pécharmant is the best known of the wines from the Dordogne subregion and the wines have been classified as AOC since 1936. The identification "Pécharmant" dates from 1946 and new AOC since March 13, 1992.

First produced in the eleventh century, Pécharmant is the oldest collective of vineyards in the region of Bergerac. "Pécharmant" comes from the words "Pech" ( "Hill") and "Charmant" (Charming), thus meaning "the charming hill." Pécharmant vineyards are well exposed to the sun and the soil consists sand and gravel from the Perigord, and containing a deep layer of ferruginous clay called "Tran."

Pécharmant is a blend of at least three varietals predominantly Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Côt, and Malbec. These varietals produce a wine suitable for holding from four to ten years, typically tannic and full-bodied, ruby colored with fruity aromas, that can be served with the game, Perigord charcuterie, confits, duck, red meats and strong cheeses.

The land used for growing Pécharmant was previously used to grow grapes for producing Rosette, a delicate white wine produced in the Bergerac region.

One of my favourites are Domaine des Costes. The Domaine des Costes gets its name from old French meaning hillsides or slopes.This hillside is a part of the rare areas of Pécharmant where the soil is stony, sandy-clay over rolled gravel, soil that is very favourable for the maturity of cabernet, which represents more than 50% of the estate’s grape varieties.

Replanting in narrow vines, small yields and good knowledge of the soils thanks to a complete cartography, make it possible to create full Pécharmant wines that are concentrated and long-keeping, with delicacy and elegance.

In 1998, a new vintage was born, the Grande Réserve. It corresponds with the selection of the best pieces of land and is completely aged in new casks.

In 2003, the vineyard was run without using synthetic products. In 2004, request for Organic Agriculture certification was made and with 2005-2006 as reconversion years, the 2007 will be the first ORGANIC vintage. Biodynamics is our next goal, in order to obtain the best harmony possible among people, the land, and the plants.

The wines are very much like Medoc wines at a more favourable price (less than 20 euro). This is a very good value for money ratio.....BUY

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