Since Roman Times
The Lirac appellation delimits 6.60 square kilometres of vineyards in the communes of Lirac, Roquemaure, Saint-Geniès-de-Comolas and Saint-Laurent-des-Arbres, in the department of Gard, north-east of Nîmes, Southern Rhône wine region, South of France.
Just opposite the Châteauneuf-du-Pape terroirs, the Mediterranean climate is typically Rhone, with hot and dry summers, irregular rains and generally relatively weak, and wonderful sunshine. It is located on the plateaus and gentle slopes of the right bank of the Rhône; the vines flourish on the limestone soils of the hillsides and the sandy terraces covered with rolled pebbles.
Noticeable Quality in Wines
Initially recognized for its rosé wines as its prestigious neighbor of the AOC Tavel, the Lirac vineyards now produce 2, 010,000 liters of wines in each year, averagely, in whites (mainly white Grenache, Clairette, Bourboulenc) red and rosé (Grenache noir, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault).
Vinified in vats or oak barrels, and constrained by proportions of encépagement to strengthen the identity of the appellation, AOC Lirac offers elegant wines that have charm and personality: great reds, refined and balanced, with notes of scrubland, flowers, and fruits; powerful and bold rosés, still full of aromas of grapes; as well as dry whites preferably round in the mouth, with harmonious aromas of flowers and fruits.
A part of the important features of Lirac appellation for red wines are as follows:
- Soil: Limestone.
- Taste: Powerful, robust, tannic.
- Wine color: Red.
- Aromas: Spicy.
- Aging potential: 2 – 20 years.
- Serving temperature: 14 to 16° C
A part of the important features of Lirac appellation for white wines are as follows:
- Soil: Limestone.
- Taste: Well balanced.
- Wine color: White wines with golden color.
- Aromas: Fruits, white flowers, even almonds, hazelnuts, and cinnamon.
- Aging potential: 1 – 5 years.
- Serving temperature: 10 to 12° C
A part of the important features of Lirac appellation for sweet rose wines are as follows:
- Soil: Limestone.
- Taste: Balanced.
- Wine color: Rose.
- Aromas: Fruity.
- Aging potential: 1 – 2 years.
- Serving temperature: 11 to 12° C