Appellation
Muscat de Frontignan
Identity card
AOPFortified
Languedoc-Roussillon · Recognised on 31 May 1936
- Village
- Regional
Key points
- Whites and reds, each from a single form of Muscat à Petits Grains.
- Musts of at least 252 g/l of sugar (234 for vin de liqueur).
- At most 30 hl of must/ha; VDN mutage: 5–10% of the must in pure alcohol.
Grape varieties
Fortified
Allowed varieties
Muscat à Petits GrainsMuscat à Petits Grains Rouges
Whites: white Muscat à Petits Grains alone
Reds: red Muscat à Petits Grains alone
In italics, without a link: grapes with no entry yet.
Terroir
- Lie of the land: Gentle slopes of the Gardiole, facing south-east
- Soils: Dry, stony, shallow soils
- Climate: Mediterranean; rarely over 500 mm a year
Wine style
- white: tropical fruit
- white: mint, lemon
- sweet yet fresh
- red: eucalyptus, cherry
- liqueur: fresh grapes
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
8 June 2026
Order of 8 June 2026 approving the specification of the AOC “Muscat de Frontignan” or “Frontignan” or “Vin de Frontignan” (JORF no. 0135 of 11 June 2026, text no. 21; BO agri no. 25 of 18 June 2026). Appellation first defined by a judgment of the Montpellier court of 4 July 1935 and recognised by the decree of 31 May 1936.
Labelling terms
- Also called "Frontignan" or "Vin de Frontignan"
- Vin de liqueur: fortified before fermentation; spirit at most 15% of the must
- The words "vin doux naturel" appear on the label
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Muscat de Frontignan » ou « Frontignan » ou « Vin de Frontignan »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) / Ministère de l'agriculture
An appellation for fortified Muscat on two coastal communes of the Hérault, Frontignan and Vic-la-Gardiole, between Sète and Montpellier, on the gentle seaward slopes of the Gardiole hills. It makes vins doux naturels, fortified while fermenting, and vins de liqueur, fortified before any fermentation, in white or red. The whites come solely from the white form of Muscat à Petits Grains, the reds solely from its red form. The appellation may also be called "Frontignan" or "Vin de Frontignan".
Mini-challenge
Muscat de Frontignan
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