Appellation
Seyssel
Identity card
RegionalAOPWhiteSparkling
Savoie · Recognised on 11 February 1942
Key points
- Still and sparkling whites: Seyssel (Ain and Haute-Savoie), Corbonod.
- Still Altesse wines: at most 58 hl/ha and at least 10% natural alcohol.
- Recognised in 1942: "Seyssel" and "Seyssel mousseux".
Grape varieties
Production rules
58
hl/ha
Maximum yield
10
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
6,000
vines/ha
Minimum planting density
Minimum ageing: Sparkling: at least 9 months on lees in bottle, counted from tirage
- 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 96 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 14 % ABV across 46 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 105 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: Both banks of the Rhône, below Grand Colombier and Gros Foug
- Soils: Altesse mostly on moraine, Molette on sandy molasse
- Climate: Oceanic leaning, 1,100–1,300 mm; the vine's northern limit
Wine style
- White
- Acacia blossom
- Honey
- white flowers (Altesse)
- lively (Molette)
- Sparkling
- Gingerbread
- floral nose
- cooked fruit
- roasted notes
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
22 September 2011
Décret n° 2011-1168 du 22 septembre 2011 relatif à l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Seyssel » (JORF n°0222 du 24 septembre 2011, texte n°57), modifié par le décret n°2015-835 du 7 juillet 2015 (JORF n°0157 du 9 juillet 2015, texte n°69 ; cahier des charges consolidé publié au Bulletin officiel n°29 du 16 juillet 2015). Appellation d'origine reconnue en 1942.
Labelling terms
- "Molette" must follow the name on wines made from Molette
- "Demi-sec" is compulsory on Altesse wines with that much sugar
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Seyssel » (version consolidée publiée au BO Agri le 16 juillet 2015)— Ministère de l'agriculture — Bulletin officiel (BO Agri)
- Official sourceFiche produit INAO — Seyssel— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO)
- Official sourcePl@ntGrape — le catalogue des vignes cultivées en France— IFV, INRAE et Institut Agro Montpellier (UMT Géno-Vigne®)
An appellation recognised by the decree of 11 February 1942, on vines on both banks of the Rhône first mentioned in 1145. The still white wine is made from altesse alone, or from molette alone under the "molette" indication; the sparkling wines blend molette and altesse, sometimes with chasselas. Seyssel's two communes, one in the Ain and the other in Haute-Savoie, separated by the river, were once called "Seyssel France" and "Seyssel Savoie" before Savoy's annexation to France in 1860.
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Seyssel
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