Fronsac AOC

Der AOC area (until 1976 it was called Côtes de Fronsac) for red wines is located in the French region Bordeaux west of the two areas Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. Just like in the Pomerol appellation, there is no Grand-Cru classification here either. From the 17th century until well into the 19th century, the wines from Fronsac were more significant than those from the currently dominant neighbor Pomerol, which is only separated by the small tributary of the Dordogne, the Isle. Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642) introduced the wine at the French royal court.

Vineyards

The vineyards cover around 1,000 hectares of vine area on limestone and limestone-rich clay soils in the municipalities of Fronsac, La Rivière, Saint-Germain-de-la-Rivière, Saint-Michel-de-Fronsac, Saint-Aignan, Saillans, and parts of Galgon. Approximately 300 hectares of areas from Fronsac and Saint-Michel-de-Fronsac with a particularly homogeneous terroir and excellent exposure have the right to the designation Canon-Fronsac (or Côtes de Canon-Fronsac). The tannin-rich, long-lived red wine is blended from Merlot (with usually at least 85%), Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec (Cot). These are the typical grape varieties of the Rive droite (right bank).

Producers

Notable wineries include Château Canon, Château Canon de Brem, Château Canon Moueix, Château Dalem, Château de Carles, Château Fontenil, Château de la Dauphine, Château La Grave, Château la Rivière, Château La Vieille Cure, Château La Villars, Château Mayne-Vieil, Château Moulin-Haut-Laroque, and Château Villars.

View over the Dordogne: from Walileku at de.wikipedia - Own work, Public domain, Link
Map: From Domenico-de-ga from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Changes by Norbert F. J. Tischelmayer 2017