Quatourze Wine

Quatourze is a communal appellation within the La Clape sub-appellation of the Coteaux du Languedoc. This means that as a recognized source of higher-quality wines, the village may append its name to the Coteaux du Languedoc appellation titles on wine labels.

Located at the very western edge of the Coteaux du Languedoc zone and covering the community of Narbonne, Quatourze is geographically an extension of the Corbieres appellation. It is not as well-known as La Clape, which is home to some of the Languedoc's most respected producers, but the modernization of the local wine industry is creating new opportunities.

With the vineyards of Quatourze being situated less than eight miles (20km) from the southern French coast, the climate is definitively Mediterranean, bringing long, hot, summers and relatively mild winters. The soils are largely free draining and sandy, with a presence of mineral-rich clay. Most of Quatourze's vineyards are located on a low plateau, scattered with galets (large, smooth pebbles). The nearby Etang de Bages and Etang de Ayrolle lagoons provide the mesoclimate with temperature-moderating influences and are closely linked with the local soil types.

Quatourze red wines are produced from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre grapes, the local cepages ameliorateurs ('improver' varieties). More usually associated with the wines of the Rhone region, these three varieties are being widely used across the Languedoc region to make the traditional Carignan-based wines more complex and approachable.

White wines represent only a small proportion of the total Quatourze output; they are made from the Bourboulenc, Grenache Blanc and Clairette grape varieties.

The Coteaux du Languedoc appellation was replaced by the appellation Languedoc AOC in 2007, but the two names ran concurrently until 2012.