AOC/AOP Regulations

Département

  • Pyrénées-Orientales

Communes of Production

  • Banyuls-sur-Mer, Cerbère, Collioure, Port-Vendres  

Size

  • 927 ha

Styles and Encépagement

  • Vin Doux Naturel Blanc and Ambré: 
    • Principal Varieties: Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Macabeu, Tourbat (Malvoisie du Roussillon)
    • Accessory Varieties: Max 20% combined Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains and Muscat d’Alexandrie; max. 10% combined Marsanne, Roussanne, Vermentino, and Carignan Blanc
  • Vin Doux Naturel Rosé:
    • Principal Varieties: Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Macabeu, Tourbat (Malvoisie du Roussillon)
    • Accessory Varieties: Max. 20% combined Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains and Muscat d’Alexandrie
  • Vin Doux Naturel „Rimage“: (Vintage-dated Rouge)
    • Principal Varieties: Grenache
    • Accessory Varieties: Max. 10% combined Carignan, Cinsault, Counoise, Grenache Gris, Syrah, and Mourvèdre
  • Vin Doux Naturel „Traditionnel“: (Rouge)
    • Principal Varieties: Min. 50% Grenache, plus Grenache Gris
    • Accessory Varieties: Max. 10% combined Carignan, Cinsault, Counoise, Syrah, Mourvèdre
  • Vin Doux Naturel „Hors d’Age“

Assemblage

  • per encépagement

Minimum Potential Alcohol

  • 21.5% (15% acquired)

Minimum Must Weight

  • 252 g/l

Enrichment

  • Chaptalization is prohibited

Minimum Residual Sugar

  • 45 g/l

Mutage

  • Min. 96° neutral alcohol in 5-10% proportion to wine

Harvest Method

  • Manual harvesting in successive tries is mandatory.

Élevage

  • „Blanc“ and „Rimage“: Wines may not be released until May 1 of the year following the harvest
  • „Ambré“ and „Traditionnel“: Wines may not be released until March 1 of the third year following the harvest
  • „Hors d’Age“: Wines may not be released until September 1 of the fifth year following the harvest

Minimum Planting Density

  • 4,000 vines per hectare

Maximum Yield (Rendement de Base)

  • 30 hl/ha

AOC Established

  • 1936 (last updated 2011)

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