Cérons

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• The Cérons plateau is situated 35 kilometres upstream from Bordeaux and is separated from Barsac by a small stream tributary of the Garonne, the Saint-Cricq.
• The geographical zone extends across three communes in the Gironde département — Cérons, Illats, and Podensac — on the left bank of the Garonne.
• Certain soils specific to the appellation are formed from ridges of residual gravel over a more or less sandy clay-limestone bedrock, separated by generally sandy hollows, aligned along the left bank of the former Ciron and the Saint-Cricq stream.
• In autumn, the confluence of the Garonne and its tributary streams generates morning mists that blanket the vineyards; these are dispersed by sunny afternoons and natural air circulation, which dry and concentrate the grapes, encouraging the development of Botrytis cinerea, known as noble rot.
• The ocean, the Garonne, and the vast forest of the Gironde Landes nearby create a temperature-moderating effect beneficial to the vine, with mild, humid winters and summers of restrained heat.
• The Cérons landscape alternates between river and forest of acacias or pines, where the Sable des Landes — a Quaternary aeolian sand — covers the formations to the west or between the gravel ridges.

• The name Cérons shares its etymological root with the river Ciron, and the region appears under the Latin name Sirione on the Antonine Itinerary and the Tabula Peutingeriana.
• Harvesters select with scissors the botrytised (rôti) berries during a first, highly selective pass (trie), followed by two or three further passes decided according to the climatic alternations that favour the fungus.

• Botrytis cinerea triggers biochemical transformations of aromatic compounds and concentration of sugars in the berries, conferring on the wines great sweetness and complex aromas sometimes reminiscent of citrus, honey, and acacia.
• The wines are highly aromatic, refined, fruity, and fresh with a certain liveliness, showing good breadth and considerable richness on the palate.
• The wines are produced principally from Sémillon, a grape variety originating in the Sauternais, accompanied by Sauvignon and Muscadelle, varieties particularly well suited to botrytisation.

• The diversity of sites suitable for production — once waterlogged soils and the Garonne alluvial flats (palus) are excluded — adds complexity to the aromatic expression of the crus.

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 17 novembre 2023, JORF 25 novembre 2023
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — CIVB