At a time when the world is stubbornly planting the same grape varieties at the risk of standardizing taste,
in south-west France, not far from Toulouse, there is still a pocket of resistance: Fronton.
This small 2,400-hectare vineyard is distinguished by its high proportion of négrette, a grape variety that develops a fascinating aromatic intensity, an intoxicating blend of violets, blackcurrants, blackberries, raspberries, licorice and pepper.
Over the centuries, this black grape – hence the name négrette – has become the exclusive property of the Fronton appellation.
The encounter between négrette and its favorite terroir gives birth to a wine that is unique in the world.
Fronton, in the south-west of France
Fronton may seem remote, but in fact it’s not that far from the main roads between the Garonne and Tarn rivers, just a stone’s throw from Blagnac, Toulouse’s airport. The big city may be close by, but for lovers of peace and quiet and the countryside, it’s a land of milk and honey, a little forgotten by the guidebooks.
Its name – Fronton – resonates in the ears of the initiated like the sound of the pelota clacking on the wall that everyone in the South-West calls a fronton, and in front of which you can play barehanded, “pala”, or leather “paleta”. Coincidence?
Back in the city of aerospace, all you have to do is call out Fronton, and suddenly Toulouse comes to life as Nougaro expresses himself, sending us rolling down the Garonne.
For those who don’t already know, Fronton is Toulouse’s “official” vineyard, the one that regularly puts on a show on the Place du Capitole, while livening up the wine bars from Saint-Sernin to the Jacobins,
the after-match entertainment at the Stade Toulousain and even in the cafés of the Victor Hugo market or the Halle des Carmes.
Red or rosé, like the walls of the city, this is a wine like no other, a virtually exclusive cru made from
its emblematic grape variety, négrette.
An astonishing “vin de coeur” that the whole world can enjoy today, reminiscent of the
agapes so dear to Gascon hearts, where conviviality and local produce make for an eternally good
ménage after the grueling days of harvesting or, in days gone by, harvesting pastel, or even after the
severe but fraternal battle fought to the death on the rugby pitch. In this Midi of the
South-West, which we like to invent in our heads but which is so real, there are rites and traditions
that must not be departed from. Fronton wine has a natural place here, too: it’s
rooted in friendship, but also in the depths of history.
Fronton, the wine of Cocagne
Fronton is a county town with a population of 6,000, equidistant – around twenty kilometers – from Toulouse and
Montauban. It’s a lively, brick-built village that attracts both local farmers
and city dwellers who love peace, quiet, rural living and good wine. Not too hilly, the region is
renowned for its gentle way of life. But it’s also a land of contrasts, where vines have reclaimed their rightful place after
pastel, the giant green and blue lettuce whose juice was capable of dyeing sheets a dazzling blue
, enriched the Toulouse region before indigo from India overtook it. In Occitan, “Coucagno”
referred to the ball of woad, the source of so much opulence.
Thanks to the location of the port of Villemur on the Tarn, Fronton and Villaudric wines could reach
Bordeaux. Today, fields of wheat, rapeseed and corn stand side by side with rows of vines which, in summer,
sometimes experience intense heat.
Two cooperative wineries, including Fronton, which alone accounts for half the production, as well as 40
caves particulières, sell Fronton mainly on the domestic market.
The appellation area covers 2,400 ha. Shown on a map of the South-West, it is reminiscent of a rugby ball!
Starting on the left bank of the Tarn and descending towards the Pyrenees, we can distinguish three terraces
of fluvial origin, which readily imprint their characteristics on the wines.
Boulbènes: alluvium composed of pebbles, gravel, sand and silt from the Massif Central regions drained by the Tarn and its tributaries, characterized by a high silica content and the absence of limestone. They form a superficial mantle overlying the molasse substratum, which is itself made up of white boulbènes with silty-clay layers, sandy boulbènes and stony boulbènes made up of gravels and pebbles with a stony clay-loam horizon.
Rougets: clay-loam soils containing up to 30% clay, found mainly on the
mid-terraces.
Gravels, similar to those found in Bordeaux, are made up of numerous pebbles and gravels on the surface
, resting on deep layers of clay, and are found on the highest terraces.
The world’s first négrette
With 2,100 hours of sunshine a year, little rainfall and cool nights,
the Frontonnais region is often exposed to the autan wind, whose warm but dry breeze helps to purify the
vines, allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and fully.
A highly original grape variety, négrette, thrives particularly well in this climate and on these soils, so much so that
the appellation decree stipulates that it must be the majority grape variety in the final blend, representing at least 40%. However, this does not prevent some winemakers from offering cuvées composed exclusively of
négrette. With the exception of a few hectares in the Vendée region, Fronton is the only appellation in
the world to have made this variety its own. In fact, négrette, also known
as “négret de Gaillac”, brings an intense color to Fronton wines, whether
red or rosé. The result is a wine that is not very acidic, but nevertheless well-structured, with elegant
fruity notes of violet, peony, blackcurrant, blackberry, raspberry and
licorice, with hints of pepper.
The tannins are generally supple, with hints of laurel. A persistent legend has it that the
grape variety was brought over from Cyprus by the Hospitallers of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, who had established
a commandery in Fronton from the 12th century onwards. This grape variety would have been named mavro in Cyprus (“black” in
Greek), which would have derived into “négrette” over the centuries. Although this order had its headquarters in Cyprus, where
a mavro grape still exists today, it has been established that it has nothing in common with négrette, no more
than other varieties from Greece or elsewhere! Today, it’s more than likely that négrette has
its source nearby, somewhere in the Tarn.
While the preponderance of négrette creates a common backbone for Fronton wines, each winemaker
interprets it in his or her own way, letting his or her talent shine through. Never harsh, never rough, never sad, the wines of
Fronton are rich in color, with undeniable aromatic originality and strong tannic structures
but very velvety.
Aware of the importance of this grape variety, and anxious to ensure and develop its qualitative future, the
winegrowers of the area have created a Négrette Conservatory, which has made it possible to conserve and
multiply a collection unique in the world, from the healthiest plants.
The reds
Vinified between 26 and 28°C, négrette gives its best aromatic expression. Syrah and Cabernet are vinified at higher temperatures, around 30°C, with varying lengths of maceration to obtain greater tannic structure. The winemaker’s art lies in blending the different grape varieties, depending on whether he or she wishes to obtain supple wines to drink young or wines to lay down.
The most concentrated cuvées are aged for around 12 months in vats or oak barrels to soften the tannins, increase aromatic complexity and improve ageing potential. Wines designed to be drunk young, on the fruit, are characterized by their
flavors of black fruits (blackcurrant, blackberry), flowers (peony, violet) and spices (licorice, pepper).
Wines for laying down, more full-bodied and robust, are enhanced by notes of leather and venison.
Rosés
Particularly fruity and supple, négrette lends itself wonderfully to the production of
rosés. In Fronton, rosés account for a significant 30% of production.
Thanks to “saignée de cuve”, an intimate maceration process between the must and the grapes themselves,
Fronton rosés offer beautiful aromatic intensity, unusual length on the palate (
) and a lovely fatness. Some cuvées are aged on lees for added complexity.
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