AOC/AOP Regulations
Département
- Gironde
Commune of Production
- Fronsac, Saint-Michel-de-Fronsac
Styles and Encépagement
- Rouge:
- Principal Varieties: Min. 80% combined Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot
- Accessory Varieties: Cot (Malbec), max. 10% Carmenère, and max. 10% Petit Verdot
- Until 2015, the combined minimum encépagement for Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot may only be 70%
Assemblage
- The principal varieties must compose the majority of the blend.
Minimum Potential Alcohol
- Rouge: 11%
Minimum Must Weights
- Rouge: 180 g/l (198 g/l for Merlot)
Maximum Residual Sugar
- Rouge: 3 g/l
Élevage
- The wines may not be released until September 1 of the year following the harvest.
Minimum Planting Density
- 5,000 vines per hectare
Maximum Yield (Rendement de Base)
- Rouge: 53 hl/ha
Principle Soils
- sandstone & limestone (w/ clay) in the north (higher elevation; more quality wines). Closer to the Dordogne, alluvial clay.
AOC Established
- 1939 as Côtes de Canon Fronsac; renamed Canon Fronsac in 1964. (last updated 2011)
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