Pezenas is a sub-appellation of the Languedoc appellation in southern France. It is one of several Languedoc sub-appellations, all of which are located on the coastal plains between Narbonne in the west, Montpellier in the center and Nimes in the east.
The area covered by the title is demarcated by the Herault river in the east, the Montagne Noire hills in the north and the Faugeres viticultural area in the west. The town of Pezenas, which gives the title its name, is located at the southern end of the catchment area, and also marks the northern limit of the neighboring Picpoul de Pinet sub-appellation.
The climate here is obviously Mediterranean, with long, hot summers and relatively mild winters helping to bring the grapes to full phenolic ripeness.
The Pezenas title is reserved exclusively for red wines made from Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. The local, but less respected varieties Carignan and Cinsaut were once widely used here but are now limited to a maximum of 30% in any Languedoc-Pezenas wine.
The altitudes of the vine-growing land in Pezenas vary from sea level (on the flat coastal plains in the south) to 1000ft (300m) in the higher areas to the north-west. At this point, the Peyne river – a tributary of the Herault – is dammed by a man-made reservoir, which provides a vital source of water for the otherwise very dry region.
Despite the relatively small size of the area, the Pezenas terroir is measurably varied from north to south. In the north, the terrain alternates between garrigue (the archetypal Provencal landscape of herb-strewn scrubland on limestone soils) and jagged outcrops of ancient rock. The precise local topography and the presence of the Bassin de Thau lagoon mean that the maritime influences here are much less pronounced than in the vineyards slightly closer to the coast.
At the northern end of the Pezanas zone is the village of Cabrieres, itself a recognized source of high-quality wines and a named terroir of the Languedoc appellation.
