© Christian Ferrer
Vicomte d’Aumelas is the IGP title for red, rosé and white wines produced from the land between the Herault river and the Aumelas hills in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. The region has a long history of viticulture, and today most production is focused on classic Mediterranean grape varieties like Grenache, Carignan and Syrah, along with more international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.
The official vineyard zone of Vicomte d’Aumelas covers around 8 miles (12km) of the eastern banks of the Herault river, on low, rolling hills that rise up to the Aumelas castle atop an imposing limestone plateau. Here, the Mediterranean climate of hot, dry summers and mild winters is moderated somewhat by the presence of the river, which delivers cooling influences to the vineyards.
The landscape is typical of this part of southern France, with characteristic garrigue scrubland covering the nearby hills. The soils in the region are dominated by the limestone of the nearby hills, and range from alluvial sand, to gravel and marl. Fertility is varied, and vines are planted both on the fertile alluvium nearer the river to poorer sandy terraces on the sides of the hill.
Despite its lack of AOC-level appellations, the area has a long history of grapegrowing, stretching as far back as Roman times. It was officially recognized as Vin de Pays de la Vicomte d'Aumelas in 1982, although in 2009 it was renamed as Vicomte d’Aumelas IGP. This has been a part of French-wide law changes: the Vin de Pays category has been replaced with Indication Géographique Protégée since 2009, bringing French wine law closer in line to that of the European Union.
Wines from the region that meet certain requirements may also append their names with the geographical indicator Vallee Doree.
