Appellation
Tursan
Identity card
AOPRedRoséWhite
South West France · Recognised on 11 July 1958
Key points
- Always a blend: the two principal grapes, at least 50% together.
- Red and rosé: Tannat, Cabernet Franc; white: Baroque, Gros Manseng.
- Reds destemmed; rosés direct-pressed.
Grape varieties
RedRosé
Accessory varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Fer Servadou, Merlot
Cabernet Franc, Tannat · at least 70% of the holding's vines
Cabernet Franc · at least 20% of the holding's vines
Tannat · at least 20% of the holding's vines
Cabernet Franc, Tannat · at least 50% of the blend
Cabernet Franc · 60% at most of the blend
Tannat · 60% at most of the blend
Both principal varieties are present in every blend
White
Baroque (grape entry not yet written)Gros Manseng
Accessory varieties: Chenin Blanc, Claverie (grape entry not yet written), Petit Manseng, Raffiat de Moncade (grape entry not yet written), Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris (grape entry not yet written)
Baroque, Gros Manseng · at least 70% of the holding's vines
Baroque · at least 20% of the holding's vines
Gros Manseng · at least 20% of the holding's vines
Baroque, Gros Manseng · at least 50% of the blend
Baroque · 60% at most of the blend
Gros Manseng · 60% at most of the blend
Both principal varieties are present in every blend
Production rules
55
hl/ha
Maximum yield
11.5
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
- 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.
Terroir
- Lie of the land: Lopsided valley slopes, south of the Landes forest
- Soils: Tawny sands, molasse, pebble beds: brown soils
- Climate: Oceanic, wet; autumns often long and mild
Wine style
- Red
- supple tannins
- youthful fruit
- direct, clean
- White
- white flowers
- tropical fruit
- freshness and richness
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
10 November 2016
Decree no. 2011-1366 of 24 October 2011 on the AOC “Tursan”, amended by decree no. 2013-1099 of 2 December 2013 and by the order of 10 November 2016 (JORF of 24 November 2016; published in the Bulletin officiel of the Ministry of Agriculture on 1 December 2016). First recognised as a VDQS (the quality tier then below the AOC) by the order of 11 July 1958.
Labelling terms
- The larger geographical unit "Sud-Ouest" may appear
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Tursan »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) / Ministère de l'agriculture
In the south-east of the Landes, around the old bastide of Geaune, on hillsides between the Adour, the Gabas and the Lées: 36 communes, making red, rosé and white. Every wine must blend its two principal varieties: Tannat and Cabernet Franc for reds and rosés, Baroque and Gros Manseng for whites.
Mini-challenge
Tursan
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