Cadillac
Styles
Principal grape varieties
Terroir
Natural factors
- 22 communes in the Gironde, with pronounced relief up to 120 m, stretching over approximately 30 km north–south around Cadillac (40 km from Bordeaux). (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
- A limestone bedrock of Astéries covered by more or less sandy-gravelly decalcification clays, a medium well suited to the vine.
- The plain: sands, gravels, and pebbles of low river terraces; low-lying areas ('palus'): silty-clay and sandy-silt soils.
- Autumnal mesoclimate: morning mists from the Garonne alternating with warm, sunny afternoons, favouring the development of noble rot.
Human factors
- Trade with Holland in the 17th century: the practice of ageing in barrels and bottles was introduced around 1750 via 'l'allumette hollandaise' (a sulphured wick).
- Overripeness is required: hand-harvesting by successive passes ('tries successives') targeting noble rot and/or passerillage, across 50–250 ha depending on the vintage.
Terroir / wine link
- The Garonne creates autumnal morning humidity that favours Botrytis cinerea, the fungus responsible for the production of sweet wines.
Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.