Monbazillac AOC

Named after the commune of the same name, the appellation south of the town of Bergerac in the Dordogne department is an enclave within the large Bergerac area in south-west France. The name is derived from Mont Bazailhac (mountain of fire or mountain of gold). There were already vineyards in this area in the 11th century and the wine was exported as far as Rome. Later, French envoys served this wine as a "peace wine" and the statesman Charles-Maurice Talleyrand (1754-1838) served it to his guests at the Congress of Vienna (1813-1814).

Grape varieties & wines

The vineyards cover around 2,500 hectares of vines in the municipalities of Colombier, Monbazillac, Pomport, Rouffignac-de-Sigoulès and Saint-Laurent-des-Vignes. The extremely long-lasting sweet wine in the style of a Sauternes is blended from noble rot grapes of the Sémillon variety (the most important vine with over 70% of the area), Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. The wines with an alcohol content of 15% and at least three years of ageing can be called "Taste d'or" (meaning "taste of gold").

Producers

The best-known producers include Domaine de l'Ancienne Cure, Château de Belingard-Chayne, Château Bellevue, Château la Borderie, Château le Fagé, Domaine Grande-Maison, Domaine du Grand Marsalet, Château de Monbazillac (CV), Château Petit Paris, Château Poulvère and Château Theulet.

Map: From Cyril5555 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, link