Appellation
Rasteau
Identity card
VillageAOPRedFortified
Rhône Valley › Southern Rhône · Recognised on 5 January 1944
- Village
- Regional
Key points
- Vins doux naturels since 1944, dry reds since 2010.
- Dry reds: at most 38 hl/ha and at least 12.5% natural alcohol.
- Vin doux naturel: neutral spirit added, 5–10% of the must in pure alcohol.
Grape varieties
Red
Allowed as a small share of the red wine: Bourboulenc, Vaccarèse (grape entry not yet written), Carignan, Cinsaut, Clairette, Clairette Rose, Counoise (grape entry not yet written), Grenache Blanc, Grenache Gris, Marsanne, Muscardin (grape entry not yet written), Piquepoul Blanc, Piquepoul Noir (grape entry not yet written), Roussanne, Terret Noir, Ugni Blanc, Viognier
Grenache Noir · at least 50% of the holding's vines
Mourvèdre, Syrah · at least 20% of the holding's vines
Carignan, Cinsaut · 20% at most of the holding's vines
Grenache Noir, Mourvèdre, Syrah · at least 60% of the blend
Carignan, Cinsaut: at most 15% each; other accessories at most 15% together
White varieties: at most 5% of the vines
Fortified
Grenache NoirGrenache GrisGrenache Blanc
Accessory varieties: Bourboulenc, Vaccarèse (grape entry not yet written), Carignan, Cinsaut, Clairette, Clairette Rose, Counoise (grape entry not yet written), Marsanne, Mourvèdre, Muscardin (grape entry not yet written), Piquepoul Blanc, Piquepoul Noir (grape entry not yet written), Roussanne, Syrah, Terret Noir, Ugni Blanc, Viognier (10% at most of the vines in each plot)
"Blanc": Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc principal, no Grenache Noir
"Grenat" and "tuilé": Grenache Noir at least 75% of the vines and of the wine
Production rules
Minimum ageing: Dry reds: at least until 15 March of the year after the harvest
- Minimum ageing
- A minimum ageing period the specification requires before the wine may be sold to consumers.
Terroir
- Lie of the land: A plateau (360 m), slopes, then terraces to the south
- Soils: Marls on the slopes; stony terraces
- Climate: Mediterranean, partly sheltered from the mistral
Wine style
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
11 January 2024
Order of 11 January 2024 approving the specification of the AOC “Rasteau” (JORF no. 0015 of 19 January 2024, text no. 10; BO of the Ministry of Agriculture of 25 January 2024). Appellation first recognised by the decree of 5 January 1944, for its vins doux naturels.
Labelling terms
- Vins doux naturels: "ambré", "blanc", "grenat", "rosé" or "tuilé"
- "Hors d'âge" and "rancio" allowed for ambré and tuilé
- Dry reds: "Cru des Côtes du Rhône" may appear on the label
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Rasteau »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) / Ministère de l'agriculture
A southern Rhône cru in the north of the Vaucluse, on hills backing onto the Cairanne–Rasteau ridge between the Aygues and the Ouvèze. The appellation was created in 1944 for vins doux naturels made from the Grenache family and fortified with spirit; dry reds, led by Grenache with Syrah and Mourvèdre, were added in 2010 and now make up most of the volume.
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Rasteau
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