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Label Rouge — PGI — Aquitaine
Farmhouse beef from the meadows of Chalosse — tender, marbled meat, the result of nearly three years of grass rearing followed by long maize fattening, in a land of gentle rolling hills between the Gave de Pau and the Adour.
Beef from Aquitaine, PGI (IGP) since 1996.
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Chalosse is a region of heavy soils, gently sloping hills, and lush meadows that geologists readily contrast with the sand and pines of the Grande Lande. Lying between the Gave de Pau and the Adour, this verdant enclave at the heart of the Landes has always been a land of mixed farming. The prominent role of beef cattle in Chalosse agriculture is documented from the early 19th century: every Saturday, a renowned market was held in Dax, and the animals also made their way to the fairs of Saint-Sever, before being sold as far afield as Tarbes, Bordeaux, Montpellier, or Perpignan.
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In the late 1980s, the local sector went through a crisis: the spread of maize monoculture and poultry production turned Chalosse farms away from rearing large cattle, while breeders were encouraged to export their calves for young bull production — so much so that by 1988, some butchers could no longer source Bœuf de Chalosse. In 1989, a small group of butchers and farmers founded the Association Bœuf de Chalosse, with the aims of encouraging local farmers to fatten cattle and promoting the meat to consumers; four years later, the association already had more than 160 members. The specifications required grass rearing for nearly three years — with calves staying alongside their mothers for several months —, complemented by a grazing period of at least six months a year. This collective initiative soon bore fruit: Label Rouge was obtained at the end of 1991.
Five years after Label Rouge, in 1996, the PGI geographically anchored production to the territory of Chalosse, which extends from the north of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques to the south of the Landes. Label Rouge distinguishes the product's superior quality, whilst the PGI guarantees its origin and the territory's know-how.
Appearance
Bright cherry-red meat, fine grain, regular intramuscular marbling, creamy-white outer fat
Aroma
Aromas of mature, grassy beef, with a lightly buttery note from grazing on natural meadows
Taste
Delicate and slightly sweet flavour, aromatic complexity derived from the grasses of the Chalosse meadows, sustained length on the palate
Texture
Melting, succulent flesh, remarkable tenderness resulting from nearly three years of extensive grazing and the long fattening phase
The breeds authorised under the PGI are the Blonde d'Aquitaine, the Limousine, and the Bazadaise, as well as their crosses — three local beef breeds renowned for their butchery qualities. Bœuf de Chalosse refers to males castrated before the age of one year as well as cows and heifers fattened according to the specifications, slaughtered at a minimum of 32 months for steers and 30 months for females.
The meat is marketed after a 7-day maturation period following slaughter.
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Bœuf de Chalosse entrecôte is ideally prepared on a plancha or on the grill, seared quickly and enjoyed medium-rare to preserve its juiciness. Landes tradition accompanies it with a sauce bordelaise with cèpes, or a simple garlic persillade. In a pot-au-feu, cuts of paleron or oxtail yield a broth of incomparable aromatic richness. Madiran wines — great Tannats of the Pyrenees — are the traditional partner to this beef: their tannic power balances the rich fattiness of the meat.
Since: 1991
Area covered: Landes (Chalosse)
Key requirements: Blonde d'Aquitaine, Limousine, Bazadaise breeds; grass-reared, long fattening
Since: 1996
Area covered: Landes (southern Chalosse), neighbouring Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Key requirements: Grazing ≥ 6 months/year; approved breeds; fattening 6 to 12 months; hormone-free
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