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Elegance"Pays d'Oc" is a protected geographical indication, it covers the south of France bordering the Mediterranean and the area west of the Rhône (in the southernmost section). The legal regulations for "Vin de Pay" (today IGP) apply, which are significantly less restrictive than those for the protected AOC appellations, especially with regard to the permitted grape varieties. Therefore, IGP wines are often (or even mostly) made from grape varieties that are not permitted as AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée - internatonal: PDO - Protected Designation of Origin) in the corresponding area.

Complicated? Hardly understandable for the average consumer. At best, he understands: This wine comes from the south of France, from Pays d'Oc. Those who are more familiar with the region and the French wine law also know that Colombiers (a small town near Béziers) is not located in one of the traditional AOC appellations (PDO) and is therefore marketed under the Pays d'Oc designation of origin.

While in the PDO appellations (formerly AOC) the grape varieties Merlot and CabernetColombiers Sauvignon are not allowed (because they are not terroir-specific), winemakers in IPG appellations use their "freedom" and cultivate grape varieties that are in high demand internationally, for example Merlot and Cabernet, which are prerequisites for the "Bordeaux blend" that is in demand worldwide. This is why the "Elégance" line of the Domaine des Mirabelles is not a typical South French wine but rather made for international marketing. The label on the back of the bottle is written in French as well as in English.

So we are dealing with a "fake Bordeaux" (majority Merlot), which however does not come from the Bordelais, but from the Languedoc. One of the many assemblages, as they are made everywhere in the wine world today. As it were as an alternative to Bordeaux, which has become expensive. But what does the consumer care about the precise origin, above all if the wine meets the taste and is still attractive in price (about 8 euro). This is what the restaurants, the superstores and the many wine shops along the coast, where (in summer) the tourists are flocking, love. In this circle, the "Elegance" can be marketed well and can definitely hold its own there. But wine lovers will quickly forget it: too conventional, too much pushed into triviality. Decent, but not good enough.

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