Appellation
Anjou
Identity card
RegionalAOPWhiteRedRoséSparklingSweet
Loire Valley · Recognised on 14 November 1936
- Village
- Regional
Key points
- Still rosé goes under Cabernet d'Anjou or Rosé d'Anjou, never "Anjou".
- White and red 60 hl/ha, sparkling 67 at most.
- Sparkling wines: second fermentation in bottle only.
Grape varieties
WhiteSweet
Accessory varieties: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc (20% at most of the holding's vines)
Accessory grapes: at most 20% of the blend as well
Red
Cabernet FrancCabernet Sauvignon
In red, Gamay only makes "Anjou gamay", from Gamay alone (see labelling)
Beside the Cabernets: Grolleau (≤ 20%), Pineau d'Aunis (≤ 10%)
Sparkling
Accessory varieties: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, Chardonnay
Chenin Blanc · at least 70% of the blend
Chardonnay · 10% at most of the blend
Chardonnay · 20% at most of the holding's vines
White sparkling; Grolleau, Grolleau Gris, Pineau d'Aunis also allowed
Rosé
Allowed varieties
Cabernet FrancCabernet SauvignonGamay
Rosé sparkling only; Grolleau, Grolleau Gris, Pineau d'Aunis also allowed
Production rules
Minimum ageing: Reds: until at least 15 January; sparkling: at least 9 months on lees
- Minimum ageing
- A minimum ageing period the specification requires before the wine may be sold to consumers.
Terroir
- Soils: Schist west ("black Anjou"), chalk east ("white Anjou")
- Lie of the land: River slopes and a few plateaus
- Climate: Mild oceanic, sheltered by the Mauges: 585 mm a year
Wine style
- White
- Sweet
- Hawthorn
- Linden blossom
- Pear
- usually dry
- round, fresh finish
- Red
- red fruit
- structured yet light
- drink within 3 years
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
27 April 2026
Arrêté du 27 avril 2026 (AGRT2605303A) homologuant le cahier des charges des AOC « Anjou », « Cabernet d'Anjou » et « Rosé d'Anjou », publié au JORF du 29 avril 2026 (BO-Agri du 7 mai 2026 ; l'en-tête du cahier des charges écrit « 17 avril 2026 »). AOC « Anjou » initialement reconnue par les décrets du 14 novembre 1936 (vins tranquilles blancs), du 9 septembre 1937 (vins tranquilles rouges), du 14 mai 1938 (vins mousseux blancs) et du 31 décembre 1957 (vins mousseux rosés).
Labelling terms
- "Anjou gamay": red from Gamay alone, also "primeur" or "nouveau"
- Off-dry or sweet white: "demi-sec", "moelleux" or "doux" required
- The geographical name "Vin de Loire" may be added
- The name of a registered lieu-dit may appear on the label
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges des appellations d'origine contrôlées « Anjou », « Cabernet d'Anjou » et « Rosé d'Anjou »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) / Ministère de l'agriculture
The regional appellation of the old province of Anjou, AOC Anjou mainly covers the southern half of Maine-et-Loire and the northern fringes of the Deux-Sèvres and the Vienne, from the schists of "black Anjou" in the west to the tuffeau chalk of "white Anjou" in the east. It takes in still whites from Chenin Blanc, reds from Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay reds labelled "Anjou gamay", and white and rosé sparkling wines made by second fermentation in bottle. Still rosés are not part of it: they belong to other appellations, notably Cabernet d'Anjou and Rosé d'Anjou.
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Anjou
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