Appellation
Chiroubles
Identity card
VillageAOPRed
Beaujolais · Recognised on 11 September 1936
- Village
- Regional
Key points
- Vines at 260 to 600 m: the highest vineyard in Beaujolais.
- At most 56 hl/ha, at least 10.5% natural alcohol; at least 6,000 vines/ha.
- Sorting is compulsory; released from 1 February after the harvest.
Grape varieties
Red wine onlyGamay
Allowed as a small share of the red wine: Aligoté, Chardonnay, Melon de Bourgogne (15% at most of the vines in each plot)
Only interplanted among the vines, and fermented with the Gamay
Production rules
56
hl/ha
Maximum yield
10.5
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
6,000
vines/ha
Minimum planting density
Minimum ageing: At least until 15 January of the year after the harvest
- Maximum yield
- How much wine a hectare may produce under the appellation (a higher, exceptional ceiling often exists). The lower it is, the less can be made: one of the levers on how concentrated the grapes are. For reference: 35 hl/ha to 80 hl/ha across 67 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum natural alcohol
- The alcohol the grapes' own sugar must be able to give, without enrichment: a ripeness threshold at harvest. For reference: 9 % ABV to 12.5 % ABV across 63 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum planting density
- The fewest vines allowed per hectare. For the same yield, more vines means fewer grapes on each. For reference: 4,000 vines/ha to 9,000 vines/ha across 75 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum ageing
- A minimum ageing period the specification requires before the wine may be sold to consumers.
Terroir
- Lie of the land: A granite bowl open to the south-east, 260 to 600 m
- Soils: Lean, acid, free-draining granite sand
- Climate: Marked summer heat that often lasts into autumn
Wine style
- light ruby colour
- floral and fruity
- low in tannin, fine
- finer after a year or two
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
20 February 2024
Order of 20 February 2024 approving the specification of the AOC “Chiroubles” (JORF no. 0046 of 24 February 2024, text no. 19; NOR AGRT2322441A). Appellation first recognised by the decree of 11 September 1936.
Labelling terms
- A registered lieu-dit may follow the appellation name
- "Cru du Beaujolais", "Vin du Beaujolais" or "Grand Vin du Beaujolais"
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Chiroubles »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) / Ministère de l'agriculture
- Trade bodySite officiel des vins du Beaujolais (Inter Beaujolais)— Inter Beaujolais — interprofession des vins du Beaujolais
- Reference bookThe Oxford Companion to Wine— Oxford University Press
On the single commune of Chiroubles, the highest vineyard in Beaujolais according to its specification — between 260 and 600 metres —, in a granite bowl open to the south-east. Lean, free-draining granite sand and a foehn effect that offsets the altitude give light, floral, fruity wines, low in tannin, that show their finesse after a year or two.
Mini-challenge
Chiroubles
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