Agenais Rosé

IGP Agenais was established in 2011 to capture the typicity of the wines from the Lot-et-Garonne area of Southwest France. This rosé from the lovely Christophe Avi, our source of Buzet wines, is made from his younger Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon vines. It offers nuanced notes of minerally orange blossom, wet stone, and lime leaf, with lots of grip.

Wine Description

Reviews and Scores

90 Points (2022 vintage review) -Eric Guido, Vinous

87 Points – “Best Buy” – (2023 vintage review) – Wine Enthusiast, “Best of the Year” December Issue 2024

“The 2022 Rosé Christophe Avi Agenais opens with a wildly aromatic display: honeyed florals, cherries, crushed nectarines and exotic spices. It’s round and pliant, almost oily in texture, with ripe orchard fruits propelled by juicy acidity. This leaves a balanced inner sweetness while cleaning up well, with cascading inner florals that resonate.”

-Eric Guido, published by Vinous on May 2023, from A Kaleidoscope of Colors: New Rosé Releases. Suggested drinking: 2023-2024.

Vintage Notes:

2021: After a few stressful nights during the Spring checking temperature dreading the frost, season begins with sun alternative reasonable rain until the end of June. A little frost on June 21st damages some Rosé vines. Summer starts with humidity which could increase the sensibility of disease. Half July and a perfect summer weather, sun and little rains follow one another. The harvest quite fresh vintage due to the rains in the beginning of July. Maturation takes time to be reached under the threat of the return of the rain. It is with a little stress that harvest occurs. The vintage is promising, fruits notes come in first in the mouth then comes minerality.

2020: A nice spring, not too rainy: just what was needed for the vine to blossom, followed by a very dry summer. September was particularly dry. But the wait for the rains at the end of September was very beneficial. The grapes picked up after this one and gained in richness and balance. In summary, it was a stressful year but one that knew how to wait for the rains: a great vintage. The Agenais 2020 offers a complex nose, evoking a basket of fresh fruits with floral notes. On the palate, the wine’s freshness enhances the aromas and their persistence.

About the South-West France:

Located around the town of Agen, between Bordeaux and Toulouse, the Agenais is a discreet region but full of character and part of the Occitania Region.

The history of the Occitania region dates to the pre-Roman Gaul because of the location of the region. Located in the South part of France, it was obviously one of the first piece of Gaulle conquered by Rome, beginning in 121 BC with the establishment of the province of “Gallia Narbonensis” and the founding of the current city of Narbonne. The arrival of the Romans brought major and lasting changes to the region such as the urbanization which followed the Roman patterns, with the development of cities such as Nimes, Arles and Toulouse. Roman influence extended beyond architecture, reshaping local administration, law, and the economy—particularly through the introduction of viticulture. This early Romanization, facilitated by the construction of key roads from Italy to Spain, made the region one of the Roman Empire’s most dynamic cultural centers in Gaul. Thus, the Romans had fundamental influence in the development of the Occitania region, especially regarding the development of viticulture, making the region as one of the oldest vineyards in France.

This lack of recognition is largely tied to the rapid rise of the Bordeaux wine industry during the Middle Ages. The development of the port of Bordeaux enabled easy access to international markets, especially England, which became a key destination for wine exports at this time. Moreover, Bordeaux authorities imposed a commercial monopoly known as the “privilege of Bordeaux Wines”, which restricted the sale of wines from inland regions (especially Occitania via the Garonne River which connects the region to Bordeaux’s ports) until Bordeaux wines had been sold. This practice significantly stopped the commercial expansion of South-Western wines and contributed to their long-standing marginalization.

However, the South-West is home to incredible resources, with a rich diversity of terroirs and a wealth of native grape varieties that are unknown outside the region. The mosaic of vineyards offers a wide range of styles, traditions, and expressions. In recent years, the region has begun to gain new momentum, as winemakers focus on quality, authenticity, and sustainable practices. Thanks to renewed interest from wine consumers, seeking originality and character, the South-West is gradually emerging from the shadow of Bordeaux and carving out its own identity on the national and international market.

IGP Agenais

Next in our series of IGP/IGT wines. Here we are in the Sud Ouest – where Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc grow wild and indigenous. (Cabernet Sauvignon is a 17^th century hybrid of the two).

Indication Géographique Protégée means a delineated area which designates a particular terroir style (weirdly hard to translate this). In this case, Agenais is the IGP, overlapping with Buzet, Cotes du Marmandais and Cotes de Duras and is in the Lot et Garonne Department (47) which refers to the 2 rivers that flow through this stunning landscape, speckled with Gothic and Romanesque architecture. The ancient capital city Agen is 84 miles from Bordeaux. Soils here range from sandy riverbed to limestone hills in the north.

Christophe Avi who also makes our Buzet wine is a farmer with a passion for biodynamic viticulture. In his 40s, he runs his ancestor’s farm that borders AOC Buzet and AOC Cotes de Bruhlois. Since 1992, after a degree in oenology and viticulture, Christophe has honed his skills cultivating what is called ‘the blood of the Garonne.’

Size: 750ml

IGP: Agenais

Soil Type: Sand and Limestone

Varieties: 20% Cab Franc and 80% Cab Sauvignon

Age of Vines: 15-20 years

Farming: Sustainable: HVE 3

Alcohol: 12.9%

Barrel Details: Neutral

Exploitation en HVE (haute valeur environnementale).