Lirac is like Chateauneuf du Pape, only cheaper

Anyone looking for a soft, herby, winter warming red with liquorice and blackberry flavours should head to the best value appellation in southern France – the currently little known Rhône Cru, Lirac.

This quiet unassuming village and vineyards hidden amongst low hills on the left bank of the river in the Southern Rhône was once much better known. With a long history to pre-roman times, in the 16th century Lirac wines were enjoyed by popes and kings. They were shipped from Lirac’s Roquemaure river port – which was the premier wine centre in those days rather than its neighbour Chateauneuf du Pape.

In 1863 Lirac village gained a dubious legacy. It was believed to be the place where the phylloxera pest originated in France, when a winegrower at Chateau de Clary in Lirac attempted to plant Californian vines which proved fatally disease-ridden. The Lirac name temporarily disappeared, changed to Côtes du Rhône.

In 1945, Lirac gained appellation status for its whites, reds and rosé – but it was Lirac’s easy-drinking rosés which dominated production (whilst neighbour Chateauneuf du Pape banned rosé production). Lirac rosés were sold in bulk here until the late 1960s, until a decline in their popularity meant that growers had to change focus to improve Lirac’s whites and reds again – and focus on quality.

One of Lirac’s great benefits is its soils, which range from ferruginous clay soils to limestone – to the same large round drift boulder pebbles (galets roules) that are found across the river in the much larger and more famous appellation of Chateauneuf du Pape. The key to the galet soils is that they help to absorb valuable moisture and retain heat during the day which is then slowly reflected back on the grape vines at night. This crucially aids much better and more even grape ripeness.

Not only do they share the same soil and climate as Chateauneuf du Pape, but Lirac’s wines are made from similar grapes. Lirac reds are made from grenache (minimum 40 per cent), syrah, mourvedre, cinsault and carignan. Grenache provides the round soft texture, smooth tannins, high alcohol and peppery herby notes, whilst syrah adds more tannin, structure, acidity, liquorice and minty notes.

One interesting new development in Lirac is the increase in the use of mourvedre in Lirac red blends. Mourvedre needs moisture-laden soils and low cropping, which the better producers of this commune are beginning to understand; it can get badly affected by drought. At its best, mourvedre can add structure, depth and gamey notes to softer rounder grenache.

To the west, Lirac is surrounded by Côtes du Rhône and Côtes du Rhône Villages vineyards – and it borders with rosé-only outpost Tavel as its southerly neighbour. Tastewise, Lirac reds are rather like upmarket Côtes du Rhône Villages. Currently the Lirac appellation produces the best whites and reds of the Gard – and is one of the best kept secrets of the Rhône.

With just 700 hectares and 50 wineries, the Lirac appellation is fairly small compared to its popular neighbour; Chateauneuf du Pape in the Vaucluse has 3,200 hectares and 250 producers. Whilst Lirac will never achieve the top quality and longevity of the wines of the best estates of Chateauneuf du Pape, the current quality of Lirac reds offer excellent value compared to many humdrum commercial overpriced Chateauneuf du Papes sold in our supermarkets.