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PGI — Midi-Pyrénées
A milk-fed lamb from mountain pastures, suckled at its mother’s udder amongst wild flowers — tenderness incarnate.
Lamb from Midi-Pyrénées, PGI (IGP) since 2012.
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Agneau des Pyrénées is part of a pastoral tradition dating back more than seven thousand years in the massif. It comes from ewes of local Pyrenean breeds, including three dairy breeds — Manech Tête Rousse, Manech Tête Noire, and Basco-Béarnaise — whose milk is also used to make PDO (AOP) Ossau-Iraty cheese. Throughout the year, these ewes alternate between periods spent entirely outdoors, periods in the sheepfold, and mixed periods, grazing for at least two hundred and ten days a year. The "Agneau des Pyrénées" Protected Geographical Indication was registered by European Regulation No 900/2012 of 2 October 2012, recognising this farming system deeply rooted in the Pyrenean territory.
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The Pyrenean massif combines high mountains and foothills: the mountain areas, unsuited to arable farming, are dedicated to pastoralism, whilst the foothills allow the cultivation of forage crops. The mountain climate, with harsh winters and mild, sunny summers tempered by oceanic influences, coupled with high rainfall, encourages abundant grass growth ideal for grazing on the estives. Ten local sheep breeds — including the three dairy breeds mentioned above — have differentiated according to the climatic gradients of the massif, each adapted to its terroir. Fed exclusively on mother's milk, milk-fed lambs develop white to pale pink meat; butcher lambs, suckled for at least sixty days and then supplemented with cereals and fodder, develop pink meat.
Agneau des Pyrénées embodies one of the most traditional pastoral systems in France. Names like Barèges, Cauterets, or Saint-Gaudens evoke the epic tale of shepherds passing down their savoir-faire across generations. Every lamb, born and reared in the demarcated geographical area of the PGI, forms part of this chain of transmission.
Appearance
White to pale pink meat for milk-fed lamb (under 45 days); pink meat, firm to very firm fat, white to slightly coloured for butcher lamb (60 to 160 days).
Aroma
Discreet, with no pronounced animal note, typical of young lamb meat.
Taste
Subtle flavour; mother's milk imparts to the meat, according to Alain Ducasse, "the sweetness of milk […] right into its mystical dimension" and "a slight taste of spice".
Texture
Juicy meat, with a very tender texture.
the lambs are born and reared within the demarcated geographical area of the PGI.
the ewes graze for at least 210 days a year, alternating between fully outdoors, the sheepfold, and mixed periods.
milk-fed lamb is a seasonal product, slaughtered from 15 October to 15 June.
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Pairings: Dry Jurançon, young Madiran, Corbières rosé.
Since: 2012
Area covered: Ariège, Haute-Garonne, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Hautes-Pyrénées, Gers (1 commune), Aude (partial), Pyrénées-Orientales (partial)
Key requirements: Ten local Pyrenean sheep breeds; milk-fed lamb (≤ 45 days, exclusively mother's milk) or butcher lamb (60–160 days, suckling ≥ 60 days then supplementation possible); born and reared in the geographical area.
Association
Meat merchant
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