Appellation
Fronton
Identity card
AOPRedRosé
South West France · Recognised on 7 February 1975
Key points
- Red or rosé, always with Négrette, alone or in the majority.
- Négrette: at least 51% of the vines and 40% of every blend.
- Continuous presses banned; reds aged at least until 15 January.
Grape varieties
RedRosé
Négrette (grape entry not yet written)
Accessory varieties: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsaut, Cot, Fer Servadou, Gamay, Mérille (grape entry not yet written), Syrah, Négret Pounjut (grape entry not yet written), Bouysselet (grape entry not yet written)
Négrette · at least 51% of the holding's vines
Négrette · at least 40% of the blend
Négret Pounjut · 10% at most of the holding's vines
Bouysselet · 10% at most of the holding's vines
Négrette alone, or the majority of the blend
Production rules
50
hl/ha
Maximum yield
11
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
4,000
vines/ha
Minimum planting density
Minimum ageing: Reds: 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 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: Three old terraces of the Tarn, almost flat
- Soils: Lime-free siliceous alluvium: gravel and sand
- Climate: Oceanic with a Mediterranean touch; the Autan wind
Wine style
- Red
- red and black fruit
- flowers and spice
- liquorice
- noticeable tannins
- Rosé
- fruity
- low acidity
- for drinking young
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
14 April 2025
Order of 14 April 2025 approving the specification of the AOC “Fronton” (JORF no. 0091 of 16 April 2025, text no. 56; published in the Bulletin officiel of the Ministry of Agriculture on 24 April 2025). Appellation first recognised by the decree of 7 February 1975, as “Côtes du Frontonnais”.
Labelling terms
- The larger geographical unit "Sud-Ouest" may appear
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Fronton »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) / Ministère de l'agriculture
Some twenty kilometres north of Toulouse, on the old terraces of the Tarn, this is the appellation of Négrette: the variety must make up at least 51% of each holding's vines and dominate every wine, red or rosé. The vineyard spans twenty communes in the Haute-Garonne and Tarn-et-Garonne départements.
Mini-challenge
Fronton
3 questions on Fronton, all answered right, and the appellation is mastered in your Atlas.
Preparing the mini-challenge…