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Appellation · France

Marcillac

A tiny upland appellation in the Aveyron making sharp, peppery red from Fer Servadou on red iron-rich soil.

Marcillac AOCcontinentalcool
What to expect in the glass

Light-bodied, high-acid red with raspberry, redcurrant, black pepper and a savoury iron note. Serve slightly chilled.

About Marcillac

Marcillac is a few hundred hectares in a valley in the Aveyron, at 350–600 m, on distinctive red iron-rich soils known as rougier.

The wine is almost entirely Fer Servadou, and it is unmistakable: sharp, light-bodied, with raspberry, blackcurrant leaf and a pronounced peppery, iron-like edge.

It is the classic accompaniment to the region’s tripe and charcuterie, and it is one of France’s more genuinely distinctive small appellations.

What the name means

Legal name
Marcillac AOC
Type
Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée / Protégée (AOC / AOP)
Set by
INAO
Recognised
1990
Regulates
Origin, plus grape varieties, maximum yields, minimum ageing.

The delimited area, permitted varieties, maximum yields, minimum alcohol, pruning and training methods, and in many cases minimum ageing. Administered by INAO.

Worth knowing

At least 90% Fer Servadou, known locally as Mansois.

Grapes

Wines from here

red

Light-bodied dry red

Pale, low-tannin reds with bright acidity and red-fruit character — the reds that suit a light chill and don’t overwhelm food.

Rules worth knowing

Confirmed in the EU register

Marcillac is registered as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), file number PDO-FR-A0818, protected at EU level since 1973.

Article 107 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013

Specification published: Ares(2015)2831751 · Official Journal

Only the rules that change what to expect in the glass or on the label. WineHQ does not reproduce production specifications, and each entry carries the date it was last checked because appellation rules change.

The designation is confirmed above. WineHQ has not read this appellation’s production specification, so it publishes no yields, ageing minima or permitted-variety lists for it — those come from the document linked above, not from a summary of it.

What to eat, and how to serve it

Derived from this region’s signature styles. Each is listed separately, because a region does not have one serving temperature.

Light-bodied dry red

Serve at 12–15°C (lightly chilled).

Try with fillet steak, turkey or tortilla española.

Where to go next

Places worth trying if you like this one — neighbours, rivals, and the obvious step across.

  • Gaillac — One of the oldest vineyards in France, on the Tarn, growing a set of local varieties found almost nowhere else.
  • Cahors — Malbec’s original home, on the river Lot, and the source of the "black wine" that made the variety’s reputation long before Argentina existed as a wine country.

Sources

Sources consulted