Bonnezeaux
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Terroir
Natural factors
- Vineyard spread across 3 south-west-facing slopes: "La Montagne", "Beauregard", and "Fesles"; a band of 2,800 m × 500 m with gradients of 15–20%.
- Bedrock of schistose-sandstone "série de Saint-Georges-sur-Loire" (Upper Ordovician – Lower Devonian), occasionally overlain by Cenomanian deposits.
- Shallow soils, very high in coarse elements, grey-green or "wine-lees" in colour, water-holding capacity below 100 mm, excellent drainage.
Human factors
- Chenin B at 100%, a variety described as "rustic" that expresses its full potential "in situations where soil constraints are severe".
Product characteristics
- Powerful, sweet wines (high levels of fermentable sugars), with aromas of dried fruits, exotic fruits, and white flowers; a lightly golden robe with green highlights.
- Ageing potential: the balance of acidity, alcohol, and richness leads to greater complexity over time.
Terroir / wine link
- Skeletal soils combined with prevailing winds lead to on-vine withering of the berries, concentrating Chenin B before successive tris.
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 20 décembre 2025
- Official INAO text (show_texte)
- INAO product entry
- Official trade body site — InterLoire