Cabernet d'Anjou

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The geographical area extends across two major geological units: the Precambrian and Palaeozoic basement of the Massif Armoricain to the west, and the Mesozoic and Cenozoic substratum of the Paris Basin to the east.
• The western part, known locally as the Anjou noir, is characterised by the presence of schists, notably slate-bearing ones, while the eastern part, the Anjou blanc, is defined by the chalky tuffeau around Saumur.
• The soils derived from the various geological formations are generally poor, have a moderate water-holding capacity, and display good thermal behaviour.
• The north-west/south-east-oriented relief acts as a shield against the westerly winds, which are often moisture-laden; the geographical area receives relatively low rainfall and benefits from a foehn effect, with around 585 millimetres of annual precipitation compared with nearly 800 millimetres in the Choletais.
• The temperate oceanic climate, with fairly small temperature ranges, is regulated by the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean, the thermal influence of the Loire and its tributaries, and the positioning of the vineyards on hillside slopes.
• As of 2023, the geographical area covers 68 communes in the southern half of Maine-et-Loire, as well as 11 communes in Deux-Sèvres and 9 communes in Vienne.

• The existence of a vineyard in Anjou is attested from the first century AD, continuing without interruption to the present day.
• After the phylloxera crisis, plantings of Cabernet franc and then Cabernet-Sauvignon accelerated, steering winemaking towards the so-called rouget, a light wine consumed in cafés at the beginning of the twentieth century.
• Combined with the Grolleau and Grolleau gris varieties, which yield lightly coloured, claret-style wines, the Cabernets contributed to the development of the emblematic rosé wines Cabernet d'Anjou and Rosé d'Anjou.
• The production of red wines expanded from the 1960s onwards, driven by experience gained in matching grape varieties to planting sites and by improved command of winemaking techniques.

• The Cabernet d'Anjou and Rosé d'Anjou rosé wines contain fermentable sugars and a more or less pronounced sweetness, with an intense aromatic persistence, most notably in the case of Cabernet d'Anjou.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF) — approved 12 janvier 2024, JORF 21 janvier 2024
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — InterLoire