Everything About Marcillac Grape

Origin: Southwest France

History: Fer Servadou, often simply referred to as 'Fer', is a red French wine grape variety primarily grown in Southwest France. It is most notable for its role in the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) wines of Gaillac, Marcillac, and Béarn, but can also be found as a minor component in the wines of Madiran, Cabardès, and Bergerac. The grape is also featured in red blends from several vin de pays regions in the southwest, with significant plantings in the Aveyron department. The name 'Fer' is French for iron, a reference to the very hard and 'iron-like' wood of the vine's above-ground canopy. This characteristic makes the vine difficult to prune and trellis. Fer has a long tradition in the southwestern wine regions of France and is possibly indigenous to the area. For centuries, many of the full-bodied red wines of the region included some percentage of Fer in the blend, prized for the color and concentration it added. However, viticulture and cultivation can be challenging due to its extremely hard wood stock. The grape was nearly wiped out following the 19th-century phylloxera plague but held on after a coal mine opened in Marcillac, along with thirsty miners. Since then, its growing appeal to modern tastebuds has seen plantings steadily increase, although Fer Servadou wines are still something of a rarity.

Appearance: Small to medium-sized, thick-skinned berries with a deep blue-black hue when ripe.

Growing Traits: Fer Servadou is a hardy grape that flourishes in the stony, iron-rich hills of Southwest France. It is resistant to frost and diseases, particularly gray mold and mildew, but is susceptible to leafhoppers. The vine's hard wood makes it difficult to prune and trellis. It requires a long growing season to fully ripen, often resulting in irregular fertility, and must be pruned long. Frequently, a substantial part of the buds do not burst. The clusters keep well on the vine trunk and have peduncles that lignify.