The Tour Bermonde with its battlements, arrow-slits and dungeons was once a fortress belonging to the Seigneurs of Uzès. The Tour des Prisons was, in its day, the royal castle and temporary home to Louis XIII, while the Tour de l’Horloge (clocktower) was originally owned by the bishops (Uzès has been a bishopric since 419) and now belongs to the town. A charter dating back to 1088 tells us that the town was once governed by Seigneurs, men so fiercely loyal to the crown that they rose swiftly through the ranks to become viscounts, counts and eventually dukes.
The Seigneurs of Uzès
The Birth of the Duchy
In 1632, the last Duke of Montmorency, also First Duke of France, rebelled against the king. He was beheaded, and the title of First Duke passed to the Duke of Uzès as the next most senior figure, as the rank of Duke of Uzès lay just below that of royal descendant. The Dukes of Uzès were also Knights of Honour to the Queen Mother, bearing the sceptre and crown at royal coronations. At state funerals, it was their role to utter the words, “Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi” - the king is dead, long live the king!
Twenty-one Dukes of Uzès have been killed or wounded in battle. Legend has it that Louis XVIII once expressed his surprise to the then Duke of Uzès that none of his family had ever reached the rank of Marechal of France. “But Sire!” the Duke protested, “We all get killed before we have that honour!”
The Duché d’Uzès appellation logo reflects the dignity of its historic past. Three fleurs-de-lis represent its connections with the monarchy, and the family motto “Ferro non Auro” (by iron not by gold) is echoed in its coat of arms: “Field gule (red) with three bands or.”
“The Best Wine in the Kingdom” (Racine)
Wine is a key part of this region’s history. For many years production was driven by religious practice, particularly by the need for communion wine. It’s also said that the Bishop of Uzès would gift one of his best wines to any newly-wed couple who made it through the first year of marriage without arguing. Uzès vines were described as “vines with strong branches, fruitful vines...so beautiful there could be none better,” producing wine so special it could “bring the dead back to life.” Meanwhile Louis XIV grew his ‘royal vines’ here in the Pays d’Uzège, in the village of Arpaillargues-et-Aureilhac, and had the resulting wines shipped to the royal court in Paris.
But the most famous champion of the local wines was none other than playwright Jean Racine, who lived in Uzès from 1661 to 1662. Racine, who went on to pen Bérénice, wrote to a friend in Paris describing Uzès wines as “the best in the kingdom,” and famously claiming that “we have nights more beautiful than your days...”
Strong characters, particularly women, feature prominently in the history of Duché d’Uzès. Dhuoda, Duchess of Septimania, the first woman in the western world to write a book, wrote it while living in exile in Uzès in 841-843 AD. The work was a handbook to guide her son through life, and survives to this day. Then there was Anne de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Duchess of Uzès and a friend of Louise Michel: an ardent feminist, she was the first woman in France to hold a driving licence in 1897, and the first to be fined for speeding - when driving at 15km per hour! In 1951, Marie-Louise Béziers, Marchioness of Crussol, took back possession of Uzès, and with support from her friend André Malraux (then Charles de Gaulle’s Minister of Culture), campaigned to have the area recognised for its historic worth. In 1964, a 12-hectare stretch in and around the city officially became a heritage site.
Towards AOP Accreditation
By limiting production and improving quality, Uzès winegrowers have produced a wine that expresses the true potential of their terroirs, full of character and dignity. In 1989 the winegrowers of Uzège and the Garrigues launched a bid for appellation (AOC) status, forming the Syndicat des Vins du Duché d’Uzès (Union of Duché d’Uzès wines) in 1991.
In the 2000s, they applied to INAO for VDQS (Vins Délimité de Qualité Supérieure) accreditation, which is often seen as a gateway to AOC status. They worked closely with INAO’s Montpellier and Avignon offices for several years to determine which areas should be included in the appellation and to give Duché d’Uzès wines a distinctive character to call their own.
From PGI to AOC… First of all, the production area was reduced from 130 villages to 77, then yields (for reds) were capped at 48 hectolitres per hectare rather than 52. Planting density (3,500 vines per hectare for existing plantings and 4,000 for new) was strictly monitored, and priority was given to specialist local varieties: Syrah/Grenache for red and rosé blends and Viognier/Grenache Blanc for whites, with at least one additional complementary variety chosen from Roussanne, Marsanne and Vermentino.-
Success!
In 2009, INAO’s National Committee approved the application for AOC status in principle, referring it to a Commission of Enquiry for further scrutiny. On June 29th 2012, they returned a positive verdict; the official decree was published on July 19th 2013 and Duché d'Uzès AOC was born.
The Syndicat des Vignerons du Duché d'Uzès (Duché d'Uzès Winemakers’ Union) is managed by a Board of Directors made up of 15 winegrowers and headed up by the President, Michel Souchon (Durfort, La Cave) and Vice President, Luc Reynaud (Domaine Reynaud). Currently on the Board are: David Baron (Les Collines du Bourdic), Didier Blanc (Domaine St Firmin), Cyril Caffarel (Cave de St Gély), Patrick Chabrier (Domaine Chabrier Fils), Patrick Compan (Cave St Maurice), Hubert De Morogues (Château de Roux), Patrick Fabre (Les Vignes de l'Arque), Gérard Ferrand (Les Vignerons de Montaren), Jean-Michel Guibal (La Tour de Gâtigne), Philippe Moutet (Les Coudérousses), Thomas Olivier (Domaine Le Sollier), Nicolas Souchon (Mas des Volques) and Pascal Vincent (Domaine Castelnau). For further support with growth and development, the winegrowers have joined Inter Rhône, the trade body representing Côtes du Rhône and Rhône Valley wines.