Crémant de Bordeaux

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The area extends over 501 of the 542 communes in the Gironde department, excluding the southwest, which is reserved for forestry.
• The zone is influenced by the proximity of large bodies of water such as the Atlantic Ocean, the Gironde estuary and the valleys of the Garonne and Dordogne, which play a thermoregulating role.
• Rainfall is well distributed throughout the year and averages between 700 and 800 millimetres annually.
• The vineyards of the Gironde are drained by the Dordogne watershed to the north and the Garonne watershed to the south, which unite at the Bec d'Ambès to form the Gironde estuary.
• The vineyard's geological formations belong exclusively to the Tertiary and Quaternary, resting to the north on the Jurassic and Cretaceous strata of the Charente margin of the Aquitaine basin.
• On the Tertiary formations, brown calcareous-clay soils dominate, with gravelly clays between the Garonne and the Dordogne and wind-blown silts locally known as "boulbènes".
• Along the rivers, gravel deposits form well-drained, warm terraces, while recent alluvial deposits dominated by clay make up the "palus" soils.

• In the galleries left by stone quarrying, where humidity is high and the annual temperature range is very narrow (3°C on average), the technique of tirage on base wine developed from the 19th century onward.
• The Bordeaux mousseux appellation was recognised by decree on 16 March 1943, and producers subsequently obtained recognition of the Crémant de Bordeaux appellation by the decree of 3 April 1990.

• Crémant de Bordeaux shows a bright colour, a persistent mousse and a long, fruity finish, with fine bubbles and a sparkling appearance in the whites.
• White wines made from Sauvignon and Sémillon are fresh and lively, and develop riper, often buttery or toasty notes during ageing on lees.
• Rosé wines, mainly made from Merlot and Cabernet franc, show fruity notes and are meant to be drunk young.

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 4 juin 2026, JORF 10 juin 2026
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — CIVB