Appellation
Brulhois
Identity card
AOPRedRosé
South West France · Recognised on 21 November 1984
Key points
- Reds and rosés only, across three départements along the Garonne.
- Tannat, Merlot and Cabernet Franc: at least 60% of the vines.
- Reds: at most 55 hl/ha, at least 11% natural alcohol.
Grape varieties
RedRosé
Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Tannat · at least 60% of the holding's vines
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cot, Fer Servadou, Abouriou · at least 10% of the holding's vines
Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Tannat · at least 50% of the blend
No grape above 70% of the blend
Reds: at least three grapes; rosés: at least two
Production rules
55
hl/ha
Maximum yield
11
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
4,000
vines/ha
Minimum planting density
Minimum ageing: Reds: until 15 April 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 86 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 83 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 85 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: Plateaus and slopes on both sides of the Garonne
- Soils: Clay-limestone, boulbènes, high gravel terraces
- Climate: Muted Atlantic and Mediterranean influences; autan wind
Wine style
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
24 October 2024
Order of 24 October 2024 approving the specification of the AOC “Brulhois” (JORF no. 0259 of 31 October 2024, text no. 29; BO no. 45 of 7 November 2024). First recognised as a VDQS (the quality tier then below the AOC), “Côtes du Brulhois”, by the order of 21 November 1984.
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Brulhois »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) / Ministère de l'agriculture
A small appellation for reds and rosés on both sides of the Garonne, between Agen and Valence d'Agen, across the Gers, Lot-et-Garonne and Tarn-et-Garonne. It blends Tannat with the Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Tannat are its principal grapes. Its specification notes that tradition calls these deep-coloured reds "black wines".
Mini-challenge
Brulhois
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