AOC/AOP Regulations
Département
- Var
Communes of Production
- Bandol, Le Beausset, La Cadière-d’Azur, Le Castellet, Évenos, Ollioules, Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer, Sanary-sur-Mer
Styles and Encépagement
- Blanc:
- Principal Varieties: 50-95% Clairette, plus Bourboulenc and Ugni Blanc
- Accessory Varieties: Max. 20% combined Marsanne, Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino and Sémillon (none of these four grapes may exceed 10%)
- Min. 20% Clairette and 10-30% Sauvignon Blanc through the 2014 harvest
- Rosé:
- Principal Varieties: 20-95% Mourvèdre, plus Cinsault and Grenache
- Accessory Varieties: Max. 20% combined Bourboulenc, Carignan, Clairette, Syrah, and Ugni Blanc (none of these five grapes may exceed 10%)
- Min. 10% Mourvèdre through the 2014 harvest
- Rouge:
- Principal Varieties: 50-95% Mourvèdre, plus Cinsault and Grenache
- Accessory Varieties: Carignan and Syrah (neither may exceed 10%)
Assemblage
- per encépagement
Minimum Potential Alcohol
- Blanc/Rosé: 11.5%
- Rouge: 12%
Minimum Must Weight
- Blanc/Rosé: 187 g/l
- Rouge: 207 g/l
Maximum Residual Sugar
- 3 g/l (4 g/l for rouge wines with potential alcohol greater than 14%)
Harvest Method
- Manual harvest is mandatory.
Élevage
- Blanc/Rosé: May not be released before March 1 of the year following the harvest
- Rouge: Min. 18 months in wood, may not be released before May 1 of the second year following the harvest
Additional Regulations
- Chaptalization is prohibited
Minimum Planting Density
- 5,000 vines per hectare
Maximum Yield (Rendement de Base)
- 40 hl/ha
Principal Soils
- Limestone, Sandy Marl, Sandstone
AOC Established
- 1941 (last updated 2011)
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