Appellation
Saint-Mont
Identity card
AOPRedRoséWhite
South West France · Recognised on 25 March 1981
Key points
- Red: at least 60% Tannat, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Fer.
- White: at least 60% Gros Manseng, with Arrufiac and Petit Courbu.
- Reds destemmed, aged at least until 1 March; rosés direct-pressed.
Grape varieties
Red
Accessory varieties: Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Tardif (grape entry not yet written)
Tannat · at least 60% of the holding's vines
Tannat · at least 60% of the blend
Cabernet Sauvignon, Fer Servadou · at least 20% of the holding's vines
Tannat and the complementary varieties present in every blend
Rosé
TannatCabernet SauvignonFer Servadou
Accessory varieties: Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Tardif (grape entry not yet written), Arrufiac (grape entry not yet written), Petit Courbu, Courbu, Petit Manseng
Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Fer Servadou · at least 80% of the holding's vines
At least two principal varieties, over 70% of the blend
White varieties in rosé: at most 10% of the vines
White
Accessory varieties: Courbu, Petit Manseng
Gros Manseng · at least 60% of the holding's vines
Gros Manseng · at least 60% of the blend
Arrufiac, Petit Courbu · at least 20% of the holding's vines
Production rules
55
hl/ha
Maximum yield
12
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
Minimum ageing: Reds: at least until 1 March 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 148 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 14.5 % ABV across 97 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: Hillsides on both sides of the Adour and the Arros
- Soils: Tawny sands to the west, limestone molasse to the east
- Climate: Mild; warm, often dry summers, a foehn-type wind
Wine style
- Red
- deep colour
- red and black fruit
- tannic structure
- good ageing potential
- White
- very aromatic
- rich texture
- balanced
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
26 May 2025
Order of 26 May 2025 approving the specification of the PDO “Saint-Mont” (JORF no. 0126 of 31 May 2025, text no. 35; published in the Bulletin officiel of the Ministry of Agriculture on 12 June 2025). First recognised as a VDQS (the quality tier then below the AOC) by the order of 25 March 1981.
Labelling terms
- The larger geographical unit "Sud-Ouest" may appear
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Saint-Mont »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) / Ministère de l'agriculture
In the south-west of the Gers, on the hillsides along the Adour and the Arros, about a hundred kilometres from both the Pyrenees and the ocean: 46 communes, making red, rosé and white. Tannat leads the reds, at 60% or more, with Cabernet Sauvignon and Fer; Gros Manseng leads the whites, with Arrufiac and Petit Courbu.
Mini-challenge
Saint-Mont
3 questions on Saint-Mont, all answered right, and the appellation is mastered in your Atlas.
Preparing the mini-challenge…