Sable de Camargue

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The vines are grown exclusively on sandy and calcareous soils of the Rhône delta, formed by fluvial, marine, and aeolian deposits, and almost entirely devoid of clay and silt.
• The vineyard sits at an average of one metre above sea level, in an environment where coastal lagoons and salt marshes alternate.
• A network of channels called roubines surrounds the vineyard and allows joint management of both the level and the salinity of the water table, with the fresh-water supply to the vines maintained by a water table lying just a few centimetres below the surface.
• The Mediterranean climate is moderated by the influence of the sea, the lagoons, and the salt marshes, which create a high level of humidity, with annual rainfall generally below 600 mm.
• Wind patterns are characterised by a regime of sea breezes and the Mistral in summer, and an easterly wind in winter, which continuously shifts the sandy deposits of Rhône, marine, and aeolian origin.
• In February, violent, freezing winds — the Tramontane and the Mistral — contrast with a milder spring marked by calm, pleasant weather. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)
• The appellation area extends across 14 coastal communes spread between the Hérault, the Gard, and the Bouches-du-Rhône.

• The sand-based vineyards are mentioned as early as the fourteenth century and are attested by letters patent of Charles VI in 1406 and Charles VII in 1431 regulating their trade.
• The designation evolved from the Simple Appellation of Origin 'Vin des Sables' (1961–1973) to the vin de pays des Sables du Golfe du Lion in 1973, and then to the PGI 'Sable de Camargue' recognised by the decree of 26 October 2011.
• The distinctiveness of the production rests on an output consisting exclusively of vins gris, which are the majority, and gris de gris.

• The vins gris and gris de gris display a pale salmon colour with a palate that combines suppleness, roundness, and freshness, along with iodine-tinged notes linked to maritime influence.
• The wines are characterised by a fruity or floral aromatic range that develops towards a finish with mineral notes, while the gris de gris wines, made solely from the Grenache gris variety, display a paler colour and more subtle, more refined aromas.

• Maritime climatic conditions during the ripening period favour an original sugar-to-acid balance, with a high content of malic and lactic acid in the grapes.

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 6 mai 2022 publié au JORF du 10 mai 2022, JORF 10 mai 2022
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — CIVL