Sainte-Croix-du-Mont (wine region)
The wine region Sainte-Croix-du-Mont is located in the south of the great wine region of Entre-Deux-Mers , a part of Bordeaux , and produced exclusively noble sweet white wines . The designation of origin covers around 400 hectares and is located in the commune of Sainte-Croix-du-Mont . The area with loamy limestone soil borders the large appellation Premières Côtes de Bordeaux and lies on the orographically right bank of the Garonne . Sainte-Croix-du-Mont lies opposite the well-known Sauternes and Barsac growing areas and is only separated from them by the Garonne River. Since September 11, 1936, the area has enjoyed the status of an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC for short).
The terms of the appellation apply exclusively to noble sweet white wines (see Botrytis cinerea ) made from the grape varieties Sémillon (average proportion approx. 70 to 80%), Sauvignon Blanc (approx. 10 to 20%) and Muscadelle . The regulation requires that the must contains at least 221 g of sugar per liter (see also the article must weight ). After fermentation , the minimum alcohol content in the wine must be 12.5 percent by volume. The harvest restriction is 40 hectoliters / hectare, a restriction that is generally well observed. An average of around 16,500 hectoliters of wine are obtained from the 450 hectares of vineyards. In 2005, 15,004 hectoliters of wine were produced on an area of 400 hectares.
The wines are considered to be the best sweet wines of the Entre-Deux-Mers area , alongside those of Loupiac and Cadillac . In terms of quality, they do not come close to the wines of the Sauternes, but they are an inexpensive alternative.
The wines can be stored for about 5 to 12 years and should be enjoyed at a drinking temperature of 6 to 8 ° C.
See also: Viticulture in France , Bordeaux (wine region)
literature
- Jancis Robinson : The Oxford Wine Lexicon . 3. Edition. Gräfe and Unzer Verlag, 2007, ISBN 978-3-8338-0691-9 .
- Pierre Galet : Cépages et Vignobles de France . 1st edition. Lavoisier Publishing House, Paris 2004, ISBN 2-7430-0585-8 .
- Benoît France (ed.): Grand Atlas des Vignobles de France . 1st edition. Solar publishing house, Paris 2002, ISBN 2-263-03242-8 .