Cérons
Sweet white from 3 communes of the Graves next to Barsac, a small appellation whose growers can make Graves on the same ground, and mostly do.
The place
Cérons is 3 communes, Cérons, Illats and Podensac, on the left bank of the Garonne just downstream from Barsac, and it lies wholly inside the Graves. The ground mixes its 2 neighbors: rises of leftover gravel on a base of clay and limestone, as in the Graves, and clay and limestone over starfish limestone, as in Barsac. The Ciron, which runs into the Garonne close by, brings the morning fogs of autumn, and the fogs bring the noble rot. The delimited area covers 2,089 hectares, but only some 20 producers claim the appellation, on 30 to 80 hectares depending on the year; most of the rest of the vineyard has turned to red.
The rules
Sweet white only, from Muscadelle, Sauvignon, Sauvignon Gris and Sémillon, planted at no less than 5,000 vines a hectare. The grapes are picked by hand in successive passes, overripe, touched by noble rot or shriveled on the vine, and must carry 221 g/l of sugar. The wine must reach 14.5% of natural alcohol, be sold at 12% at least, and keep at least 45 g/l of sugar when it is bottled. 40 hectoliters a hectare with a ceiling of 44. It is raised until January 15 and sold from January 31 of the year after the harvest. The cahier des charges (the appellation’s official rulebook) in force, the appellation’s official rulebook, was homologated on November 17, 2023.
The names
No classification. The appellation was recognized in 1936, but the wine was known long before: in 1828 the wines of Cérons were already praised for their fine sap. The same growers may make Graves, red or dry white, and Graves Supérieures on the same ground, and most of the harvest now goes that way. What stays Cérons is a lighter sweet wine than Sauternes and Barsac.
- Color
- Sweet white
- Communes
- Cérons, Illats and Podensac, inside the Graves
- Vineyard
- 2,089 hectares delimited; some 20 producers claim 30 to 80 hectares a year
- Ground
- Leftover gravel on clay and limestone; clay and limestone over starfish limestone
- Grapes
- Muscadelle, Sauvignon, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon
- Density
- 5,000 vines a hectare at least
- Harvest
- By hand, in successive passes; overripe or botrytized grapes at 221 g/l of sugar
- Yield
- 40 hectoliters a hectare, ceiling 44
- Alcohol
- 14.5% natural at least, sold at 12% at least; 45 g/l of sugar left
- Release
- From January 31 of the year after the harvest
- Classified
- No classification
- AOC since
- 1936; cahier of November 17, 2023
Sources: FGVB, cahier des charges Cérons, arrêté du 17 novembre 2023 · INAO, Cérons
The stack
The same ground in Cérons may also be labeled Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur, Crémant de Bordeaux, Graves and Graves Supérieures. A grower chooses which appellation to sell under, and the narrowest is almost always the dearest.
The appellations of Bordeaux are stacked, not laid side by side. The map draws the whole stack. Open the map