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AOC/AOP Saint Chinian

AOC rouge, rosé depuis 1982 et blanc depuis 2005; Saint Chinian-Berlou / Saint Chinian-Roquebrun 2005

Appellation area

Situated at the northwest of Béziers in the Hérault, at the foot of the Massif du Caroux and the Espinouse, it covers twenty villages.

Geology

The terroir of Saint Chinian is divided by the river of the Orb and of the Varnazobres. In the north, schist and sandstones occupy 90% of the volume of the soil from 40 cm of deep. This kind of acid soil retains very little water, and vine has to adapt to important droughts. In the south, it is the limestone deposited by the sea which is married with bauxite and clay. We discover a set of small plates with a layer of small earth which requires very long roots of the vine.

Climate

Typiquement méditerranéen. Moyenne annuelle des températures : 14 °C.

Grapes

Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre, Carignan, Cinsault, Lladoner Pelut for red and rosé wines. Grenache blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Rolle for white wines.

Vinification

• Red wines: traditional fermentation or carbonic maceration.
• Rosé wines: by saignée, draining or direct pressing.
• White wines: by direct pressing.

Appellations

Berlou and Roquebrun

Key figures

• 3 300 ha classed

Average yield

• 42 hl/hectare

Average production

• 130 000 hl

Sales

• GD: 29% Export: 29%