Aop la livinière and aop boutenac - finally, the end of the road!

A HISTORIC TURNING POINT FOR TWO JEWELS OF THE LANGUEDOC REGION

AFTER APPROVAL BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT, THE EUROPEAN UNION HAS JUST REGISTERED, BY DECREE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION (JOUE), THE NAMES AOP LA LIVINIÈRE (JOUE OF 26/03/2024) AND AOP BOUTENAC (JOUE OF 14/03/2024).

This recognition follows an adventure initiated almost 40 years ago by visionaries such as Maurice Piccinini and Roger Piquet for La Livinière, and Gérard Bertrand with Yves Laboucarié for Boutenac. In their wake, these pioneers brought about a collective determination to assert themselves in the high-end segment and to promote the uniqueness of terroirs within their core AOP , Minervois and Corbières. This initial phase led to the official recognition by the INAO of the Minervois-La Livinière AOC in 1999, followed by the Corbières-Boutenac AOC in 2005 (names linked to their base appellations). Today, both have acquired a reputation of their own, enabling them to obtain recognition as AOP La Livinière and AOP Boutenac. They are now part of the select circle of Languedoc communal appellations.

Guy Sabarthès, President ofAOP La Livinière: " For us, this recognition is an opportunity to formalize our status as a communal appellation, the highest level in the hierarchy of appellations defined by the INAO ". For David Latham, President of the BoutenacAOP : " This recognition reinforces the personality of our Cru, which is now more clearly identifiable. It is a concrete affirmation of our identity.

TWO NAMES BUT... A COMMON DNA

Although they are rooted in distinct terroirs - one anchored in the foothills of the Montagne Noire in the Minervois, the other nestled around the Pinada massif in the heart of the Corbières - the La Livinière and Boutenac appellations share a common DNA: an exclusive production of elegant, powerful and expressive red wines, with Mediterranean grape varieties (essentially Syrah for La Livinière and Carignan for Boutenac); an obligation to bottle within the appellation area; a minimum ageing period; an average selling price at the cellar of between €15 and €20.

SHARED VALUES

It's hardly surprising, then, that they also share the same values: a commitment to know-how, terroir and personality. These values led them to join the prestigious Cercle des Terroirs du Languedoc, a group of appellations that orchestrates collective initiatives to promote terroirs and local appellations, and to raise the profile of Languedoc AOP .

AND A SHARED AMBITION

Thanks to the recognition of their appellations, the winegrowers of La Livinière and Boutenac are now equipped to differentiate and structure their offer, reflecting a shared ambition to develop the attractiveness of the territories while preserving the image of the vineyards. According to Etienne Besancenot of Château de CaraguilhesAOP Boutenac), this approach " reflects the motivation of winegrowers who aspire to build a richer, more structured vineyard, imbued with the culture of winegrowing ". For Delphine Glangetas of Domaine de l'OstalAOP La Livinière): " winegrowers who also aspire to preserve their living environment in order to pass on a healthy, living heritage to future generations ".

KEY FIGURES

La Livinière (Hérault/Aude)