Appellation
Monbazillac
Identity card
RegionalAOPSweet
South West France · Recognised on 15 May 1936
Key points
- Five communes south of Bergerac, on the Dordogne's left bank.
- Overripe grapes, with or without noble rot, hand-picked in passes.
- Over 45 g/l of sugar; over 85 g/l for sélection de grains nobles.
Grape varieties
Sweet
SémillonSauvignon BlancMuscadelle
Accessory varieties: Chenin Blanc, Ondenc, Ugni Blanc (10% at most of the holding's vines)
Also principal: Sauvignon Gris; principal grapes at least 80% of the blend
Production rules
30
hl/ha
Maximum yield
14
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
4,000
vines/ha
Minimum planting density
Minimum ageing: At least until 15 May after the harvest; SGN: 1 June of the second year
- 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.
- Minimum natural alcohol
- The alcohol the grapes' own sugar must be able to give, without enrichment: a ripeness threshold at harvest.
- Minimum planting density
- The fewest vines allowed per hectare. For the same yield, more vines means fewer grapes on each.
- Minimum ageing
- A minimum ageing period the specification requires before the wine may be sold to consumers.
Terroir
- Lie of the land: Slopes between Dordogne and Gardonnette, steep northwards
- Soils: Molasse and lake limestone: clayey or calcareous soils
- Climate: Oceanic, slightly continental; humid air
Wine style
- gold that deepens with time
- honey, acacia, peach
- candied citrus and mirabelle
- markedly sweet
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
24 April 2017
Cahier des charges homologué par le décret n° 2011-1355 du 24 octobre 2011 (JORF n°0249 du 26 octobre 2011), modifié par le décret n° 2014-702 du 25 juin 2014, puis par l'arrêté du 24 avril 2017 (JORF n°0104 du 3 mai 2017, texte n°34 ; BO-Agri du 4 mai 2017). Appellation initialement reconnue par le décret du 15 mai 1936.
Labelling terms
- "Sélection de grains nobles": at least 17% natural alcohol, no enrichment
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Monbazillac »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) / Ministère de l'agriculture
A sweet white wine from five communes of the Dordogne, south of Bergerac, between the left bank of the Dordogne and the Gardonnette. The grapes, mostly from the principal varieties Sémillon, Sauvignon and Muscadelle, are hand-picked in successive passes once overripe, with or without noble rot, which the valley's autumn morning mists encourage. The wine keeps more than 45 g/L of sugar, and the "sélection de grains nobles" mention marks richer wines still, made with no enrichment of any kind, as the specification requires.
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Monbazillac
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