Béarn is an appellation for red, rosé and white wines that come from selected areas near the town of Pau, in southwestern France. Vignerons in the area have found the best use for the oceanic climate and varied topography, and the local grape varieties Tannat and Raffiat de Moncade are seen widely in the vineyards of Béarn. Rich, tannic red wines, vibrant rosés and crisp, aromatic whites are the main specialties of the AOC.
The permitted vineyard area of this unusual appellation is not contiguous, covering two separate (but close) stretches of the Gave de Pau river, part of which overlaps the more-famous Jurançon appellation. These two areas in the Pyrenean foothills are joined by a third small satellite area on the edges of the Madiran vineyard area to the northeast. Wines made in any of these areas may use the Béarn AOC title, provided the wine is made to the standards set out in the AOC laws.
Tannat plays a major role in Béarn AOC red wines, and must constitute at least 50 percent of the finished wine, along with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, and to a lesser degree Fer, Courbu Noir and Manseng Noir. Béarn Blanc wines follow a similar structure, with Raffiat de Moncade (which is rarely seen in appellations outside of Béarn) making up at least 50 percent of the finished wine, along with Petit Manseng, Gros Manseng, and smaller amounts of Sauvignon Blanc and Courbu.
The grape varieties favor the terroir of the area, which, although fractured, is relatively homogenous. Vineyards are planted on the hilly countryside at the base of the northern Pyrenees, where the relatively humid, rainy oceanic climate is moderated by dry foehn winds from the mountains. These winds help dry vines, reducing disease pressure, and the natural slope of the vineyards (along with rocky, sandy clay soils) helps to drain water away from the roots. This water stress reduces vigor in the vines, which in turn focuses energy on the development of high-quality grapes.
While rainfall occurs throughout the year, there is a drier period in late summer and early autumn that perfectly corresponds to the ripening period of the grapes. A longer hang time is afforded by this lack of rainfall and so grapes ripen slowly and evenly, developing a balance of aromatic intensity and acidity.
The wines of Béarn have been exported around Europe for centuries, although now, as vineyard land has been diminished somewhat by the steady growth of maize crops, Béarn AOC wines are rarely seen outside of southwest France. Production is dominated by a couple of co-operatives, which has meant that most vineyards have remained as small, independently operated affairs.
