Pacherenc du Vic Bilh AOC is a white wine from the Pyrénées Atlantiques department in South West France. It is made in both dry and sweet late-harvest styles. Because Pacherenc du Vic Bilh comes from the same geographical area as Madiran AOC it is dubbed ‘the white Madiran’.

Production zone: The delimited zone covers 6,300ha across 37 communes–29 in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, 6 in the Hautes-Pyrénées department, and 3 in the Gers department.

Communes | Arricau-Bordes. | Arrosès. | Aubous. | Aurions-Idernes. | Aydie. | Bétracq. | Burosse-Mendousse. | Cadillon. | Cannet. | Castelnau-Rivière-Basse. | Castetpugon. | Castillon (Canton de Lembeye). | Conchez-de-Béarn. | Corbère-Abères. | Crouseilles. | Diusse. | Escurès. | Gayon. | Hagedet. | Lascazères. | Lasserre. | Lembeye. | Madiran. | Mascaraàs-Haron. | Maumusson-Laguian. | Moncaup. | Moncla. | Monpezat. | Mont-Disse. | Portet. | Saint-Jean-Poudge. | Saint-Lanne. | Séméacq-Blachon. | Soublecause. | Tadousse-Ussau. | Vialer. | Viella.

Vineyard area & wine production: 2002 9,180hl from 277ha (Guide Hachette des Vins 2004, p.835). | 2016 4,413 hl were produced from 122ha (source: Customs viticulture service)

Bibliography

Oxford Companion to Wine 4th edition ed. Jancis Robinson MW and Julia Harding MW (Oxford University Press, 2015).

Oz Clarke 2015, Oz Clarke Wine A-Z (Pavilion, 2015), p195.

Tom Stevenson, The Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia 5th Edition (Dorling Kindersley, 2011).