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AOC — PDO — Aquitaine
Beneath its golden shells, Noix du Périgord has for centuries preserved the secret of favoured terroirs — lands where the chestnut migrated and where only a handful of heritage varieties reveals all the fruit's finesse.
Fruit from Aquitaine, PDO (AOP) since 2004.
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The walnut tree has been present in Périgord since Roman antiquity, but the earliest documented evidence of its cultivation dates back to the 13th century, through leases granted by the Cistercian abbaye du Dalon. A survey conducted by Cyprien Brad in 1835 recorded the walnut tree across all the cantons of the département: at the time, its oil was used for cooking, lighting, painting and the manufacture of black soap, while the towns of Sarlat, Belvès and Montignac established themselves as major production centres, to the point of importing walnuts themselves from the Massif central, Toulouse or Marseille. This flourishing trade was brought to an abrupt halt by the harsh winter of 1829–1830, which froze three-quarters of Périgord's walnut trees.
Cultivation enjoyed a renewed boom at the end of the 19th century, when silkworm disease followed by phylloxera led farmers to replant walnut trees on a massive scale; in the 1950s, walnuts and walnut timber ranked among the département's primary financial resources. The 1999 storm destroyed 70% of Périgord's walnut trees. As early as 1994, however, growers had founded the Syndicat professionnel de la Noix du Périgord to seek official recognition: Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée status was obtained in 2002, before being elevated to European PDO status in 2004 (EC Regulation No 1486/2004).
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Périgord noir — the former province of Périgord that became modern Dordogne — owes its walnut-growing vocation to a topography of three limestone 'steps' oriented south-west to north-east: Cretaceous causses with brown calcareous soils, deeper Jurassic clay-limestone soils, and finally the Bas-Limousin plateau with acidic brown soils, where the walnut tree establishes itself only on the best-exposed slopes overlooking the Brive basin. The production area, situated in the foothills of the Massif central, benefits from warm summers with high rainfall that replenish the subsoil water reserves needed by the tree; the natural shelter provided by the Massif central against cold downdraughts, combined with the south-westerly exposure of the parcels, also limits damage from spring frosts. The river network of the Dordogne and its tributaries (Vézère, Isle, Dronne), complemented to the south by the Lot valley, gives structure to this walnut-growing geography.
The regional varieties — Corne, Grandjean and Marbot, native to the original heartland, alongside Franquette, well suited to this production basin — were selected over the centuries for their adaptation to these terroirs. Each has a slightly different ripening window, allowing for a staggered harvest from mid-September to late October.
Noix du Périgord is inseparable from the regional culinary culture: walnut kernels stuffed with foie gras, walnut oil, gâteau aux noix and homemade vin de noix are passed down from generation to generation in Périgord households. The Route de la Noix connects more than forty gourmet stops across Dordogne, Corrèze and Lot — walnut groves, oil mills, restaurants and local markets — while the Écomusée de la Noix, located at the foot of the Château de Castelnaud in a 7-hectare organic walnut orchard, recounts the history of walnut farming and traditional oil pressing.
Founded in 1994, the Syndicat professionnel de la noix, du cerneau et de l'huile de Noix du Périgord ensures compliance with the specifications and promotes the product; it has been recognised as an Organisme de Défense et de Gestion since 2007. Four Producer Organisations market Noix du Périgord PDO: Cerno (Cénac-et-Saint-Julien), Perlim (Saint-Aulaire), Promonoix (Martel) and the Coopérative La Périgourdine, whose fruit branch runs the Producer Organisation Les Bitarelles. Huile de noix du Périgord, pressed in traditional mills such as Vielcroze, La Veyssière or Landry, has itself held a PDO since 2021.
Aspect
Shell with a minimum diameter of 28 mm, free from major defects; kernel light blond to blond in colour, the shade gradually darkening after harvest depending on the variety
Odeur
Intense and clean walnut aromas, especially in Franquette; the kernel retains a sweet, fresh scent when properly stored
Goût
Broadly sweet flavour, with a spectrum of nuances depending on the variety — from the distinctly sweet Franquette to Marbot, which displays a slight bitterness on the finish and a pronounced hazelnut flavour
Texture
Kernel more or less oily depending on the variety (Franquette being the richest in the mouth; Grandjean less oily); easy extraction for most varieties, but trickier for the hard-shelled Corne
A hardy, late-ripening variety, originating in the canton of Ayen (Corrèze), with an extension towards Hautefort (Dordogne). Kernel difficult to extract due to a hard shell (35 to 40% of the fruit's total weight), offering a fine fruity flavour and an agreeable crunch.
The most widely planted variety across the Périgord growing basin, late-ripening. Light blond kernel filling the shell well (45% of the fruit's weight), intense aromas, sweet flavour and an appreciated oily consistency.
A medium-sized round walnut, typical of the Sarladais, primarily intended for cracking into kernels. Highest fill rate among the five varieties (47% of the fruit's weight), low-oil texture, marked balance between sweet and bitter.
The earliest-maturing of the varieties, a large round walnut enjoyed from mid-September, found notably around Meyssac, Beaulieu and Argentat (Corrèze). Kernel sweet upon first taste with a gentle bitterness on the finish and a distinct hazelnut flavour (43% of the fruit's weight).
A recent variety (a Franquette × Lara cross, planted as early as 1995 at the Creysse experimental station in Lot), late-ripening, recognised in the PDO specifications alongside the four heritage varieties since the approved amendment in 2026. Very pale kernel, flavoursome and keeping well; pronounced walnut flavour, gentler and more balanced than the Franquette from which it originates.
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Noix du Périgord is best enjoyed plain, as a dried fruit for an aperitif or at dessert. In traditional Périgord recipes, it features in salade périgourdine aux noix (salad leaves, gésiers confits, walnut kernels and walnut oil), moist and caramelised gâteau aux noix, or homemade vin de noix, traditionally prepared in June using green walnuts, red wine, sugar and a few spices. Walnut oil, pressed in Périgord mills, adds a wonderful touch to vinaigrettes, fresh cheeses and toasted bread. Accompanied by a glass of Monbazillac (a sweet moelleux wine from Périgord), it makes for a classic regional pairing.
Since: 2002
Area covered: 632 communes across the départements of Dordogne, Lot, Corrèze, Charente, Lot-et-Garonne and Aveyron, primarily in Dordogne
Key requirements: Five recognised varieties: Corne, Franquette, Grandjean, Marbot and Fernor; controlled planting density (maximum 125 trees/hectare, 208 for Fernor); average yield capped at 4 tonnes/hectare; harvesting at optimum maturity, warm-air drying not exceeding 30 °C; full traceability
Since: 2004
Area covered: 632 communes across the départements of Dordogne, Lot, Corrèze, Charente, Lot-et-Garonne and Aveyron, primarily in Dordogne
Key requirements: European registration of the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, confirming the requirements of the national specifications.
Trade association
Cooperative
Co-operative
Cooperative
Cooperative
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Request a listingCooperative
Perlim describes itself as an apple orchard operator and apple distributor in France and Europe. It also grows walnuts. It markets several varieties under its own brands — Evelina®, Rubis Gold®, Dolce-vita®, Opal® Bio, and Mandy® Bio — alongside the Pomme du Limousin.
| Address | 199 Rte de la Coopérative, 19130 Saint-Aulaire, France |
| 05 55 25 94 00 | |
| perlim.com | |
| Visits | No — industrial site |
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All production is certified organic, since 2011. |
Co-operative
Cerno is an agricultural co-operative based in Cénac-et-Saint-Julien, in the heart of the Périgord Noir, which presents itself as a partner to the walnut sector for more than forty years: in-shell walnuts, walnut kernels, and organic walnuts. It is among the Producer Organisations that market Noix du Périgord PDO (AOP), alongside Coopérative La Périgourdine, Perlim Noix, and Val Ca Dis.
The co-operative holds IFS Food v8 certification and highlights its investments in optical sorting, cold storage, and packaging.
| Address | La Borie, 24250 Cénac-et-Saint-Julien, France |
| 05 53 28 61 61 | |
| cerno@cerno.fr | |
| cerno.fr | |
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Part of the production is certified organic, since 2001. |
Cooperative
La Coopérative Agricole La Périgourdine, an agricultural group founded in 1947 and led by a board of directors of Dordogne farmers, oversees the Les Bitarelles Producer Organisation in Notre-Dame-de-Sanilhac, one of the four that market Noix du Périgord PDO (AOP). The group operates across Dordogne, Lot-et-Garonne, Corrèze, Gironde, Haute-Vienne, and the Charentes, through fourteen companies spread across three divisions — plant, animal, and retail consumer. Its network of Boutiques des Producteurs markets products including walnuts and walnut oil under the overarching brand Coopérative Périgourdine.
| Address | Bitarelles, 24660 Notre-Dame-de-Sanilhac |
| 05 53 35 73 00 | |
| bitarelles@laperigourdine.com | |
| laperigourdine.com | |
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Part of the production is certified organic, since 2007. |
