AOC/AOP Regulations
Département
- Vaucluse
Communes of Production
- Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Orange, Bédarrides, Courthézon, Sorgues
Styles and Encépagement
- Blanc
- Rouge
- Permitted Grape Varieties: Grenache (Noir, Gris and Blanc), Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cinsault, Counoise, Bourboulenc, Roussanne, Brun Argenté (Vaccarèse), Clairette, Clairette Rosé, Muscardin, Picardan, Piquepoul (Noir, Gris and Blanc), Terret Noir
- For red wines, all varieties are permitted, but white and red musts need to be blended prior to vinification
Minimum Alcohol
- 12.5%
Minimum Must Weight
- Grenache: 216 g/l
- Other Red Grapes: 207 g/l
- White Grapes: 196 g/l
Enrichment
- Chaptalization is prohibited for red wines.
Maximum Residual Sugar
- 3 g/l (4 g/l if potential alcohol is greater than 14%)
Minimum Planting Density
- „En Ligne“ (line): 3,000 vines per hectare
- „Au Carré“ (square): although not explicitly stated, the vine spacing corresponds to 2,500 vines per hectare
Maximum Yield (Rendement de Base)
- Rendement de Base: 35 hl/ha
- Maximum Yield including Râpé: 42 hl/ha
Additional Requirements
- Hand-harvesting is required
- A min. 2% of the harvested grapes must be used for table wine or discarded (râpé)
- Flash-pasteurization is permitted for wine
AOC Established
- 1936 (last updated 2011)
Links
Soil Structure and Natural Features
- Principal soil types include clay (argillaceous), sand (siliceous), limestone (calcareous), and marl (molasse). Topsoils are diverse, and include several sizes and types of stones. In the north and northwest, galets roulésare common. These large round stones comprised of quartzite and silica are the remnants of retreating Alpine glaciers from thousands of years ago, polished smooth by the Rhône River. The galets help to retain daytime heat and moderate temperatures in the vineyard.
Production Data (2016)
| Total Production | 108,000hl |
| Total Production (Red Wine) | 100,440 hl (93%) |
| Total Production (White Wine) | 7,560 hl (7%) |
| Total Hectares Under Vine | 3,173 ha |
| Production data sourced from www.rhone-wines.com |