Beaumes de Venise
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Accessory grape varieties
BourboulencBrun ArgentéCarignanCinsautClairette (Clairette Blanche)Clairette RoseCounoiseGrenache Blanc (Garnacha Blanca)Grenache Gris (Garnacha Roja)MarsanneMuscardinPiquepoul BlancPiquepoul NoirRoussanneTerret NoirUgni Blanc (Trebbiano Toscano)Viognier
Terroir
Natural factors
- Among the most geologically complex terroirs on the left bank of the Rhône: Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous substrates surrounded by Oligocene and Miocene formations.
- The 'Suzette-Gigondas diapir': Triassic gypsum-bearing deposits pushed to the surface along the Nîmes fault under Alpine compression.
- Four soil types: hard limestone, Jurassic and Miocene marls, Triassic clay-silt soils, and Miocene molasse, sands, and sandstones — all low in fertility and free-draining.
- A strongly Mediterranean mesoclimate: south-facing exposure, natural shelter provided by the Dentelles massif, and the Mistral keeping the vineyards healthy.
Human factors
- According to Abbé Allègre, the wines of this terroir 'were already delighting the Papal Court of Avignon in the fourteenth century.'
- The Beaumes-de-Venise red AOC was recognised in 2005, following a period as a Côtes-du-Rhône Villages with the named village designation 'Beaumes de Venise' since 1979.
Product characteristics
- Deep colour, broad and rounded structure, silky tannins, and fruity, spiced notes that evolve toward animal complexity.
Terroir / wine link
- The Dentelles de Montmirail provide shelter from the Mistral, creating a mesoclimate that sets Beaumes de Venise apart from neighbouring Rhône appellations.
Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.
Sources
- Product specification (BO Agri, PDF), JORF 16 février 2021
- Official INAO text (show_texte)
- INAO product entry
- Official trade body site — Inter Rhône