Grignan-les-Adhémar

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The geographical area covers 21 communes in the Drôme, situated between the Rhône to the west and the Enclave des Papes to the east, on a moderately elevated relief of around 200 metres.
• The bedrock is composed mainly of Middle Miocene formations, with marly sands and marls interbedded with molasse to the east, known as the 'Molasses de Grignan'.
• To the south, the commune of La Baume-de-Transit features Würmian terraces with clay-limestone and stony soils deposited by the river Aygues.
• To the north, the ancient fluvial terraces covered with calcareous scree, formerly garrigue scrubland, were not colonised by the vine until the decade 1960–1970.
• The Mediterranean climate is characterised by irregular rainfall ranging between 700 and 1,000 millimetres per year and high sunshine totals of around 2,500 hours per year at the Montélimar weather station.
• The Mistral frequently intensifies the aridity of the hillsides given over to viticulture, and this climate is further tempered by continental influences arising from a succession of hills that obstruct the Rhône valley.

• Recognition as a VDQS 'Coteaux du Tricastin' was granted by the decree of 13 March 1964, before the appellation d'origine contrôlée was obtained on 27 July 1973.
• The appellation 'Coteaux du Tricastin' was renamed 'Grignan-les-Adhémar' by a decree officially enacted on 16 November 2010, at the request of producers.
• Following the phylloxera crisis of 1885, the vineyard land was replanted with lavandins, peas, cereals, and truffle oaks, or reclaimed by garrigue scrubland, reducing the vineyard to 365 hectares by 1965.

• Grenache noir, grown here at the limit of its ripening potential, contributes finesse, elegant fruitiness, and roundness to the red wines, complemented by Syrah for tannic structure and depth of colour.
• The rosé wines, produced by direct pressing or saignée, display a pale pink to light red appearance, a palate marked by freshness and suppleness, and dominant aromas of red fruits.
• The dry white wines, made from a blend of southern and northern varieties, develop great aromatic complexity encompassing floral, fruity, and mineral notes, with an acidity counterbalanced by roundness.

• The blending of several varieties planted on carefully selected parcels with poor, often free-draining and warm soils gives the red wines their distinctive character — supple, fruity, and yet structured — and endows the dry white wines with a broad aromatic palette.

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 29 novembre 2023 publié au JORF du 6 décembre 2023, JORF 6 décembre 2023
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — Inter Rhône