Vineyards
Fronsac - Canon Fronsac wines - Bordeaux
Tertre de Fronsac
Fronsac and Canon-Fronsac AOC vineyards are located west of Saint-Emilion, in Libournais, one of the 6 wine-making regions of the Bordeaux Vineyard.
The vineyard spreads around the château, on the Tertre de Fronsac.
The tertre (hill) overlooks the confluence of the Dordogne and Isle.
The Gauls recognized its strategic location as they built their oppidum on it.
The Romans replaced the Gallic fort with a temple.
Eight centuries later Emperor Charlemagne built the fortified camp of Franciacus during his conquest of the Basque country.
The Viking sacked the place during their incursions of the 9th century.
Seven centuries later, Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, the great nephew of Cardinal of Richelieu, built a prestigious mansion where he lavishly entertained friends and royal courtiers.
The vineyard, planted on the slopes, produced excellent wines which found their way to the royal table in Versailles and therefore became famous.
Fronsac were among the most popular wines of the region until the 19th century, and were granted an AOC in 1937.
The vineyards
The Fronsac vineyard grows on the Tertre, but also in the municipalities of Fronsac, Saint-Aignan, La Rivière, Saint-Germain-de-la-Riviere, and Saillans Galgon.
Located at the confluence of the two rivers, its benefits from a micro-climate which protects the vines from spring frost.
The vines extract their nutrients from the clay and limestone soil.
They produce excellent value for money wines with a great aging potential.
The renowned full-bodied red Fronsac wine is obtained from Merlot, Cabernet-Franc, Cabernet-Sauvignon and Malbec.
It boasts a garnet colour with purple hues and a powerful bouquet with firm and rustic tannins and aromas of red and black fruits, wood and vanilla which evolved in depth and finesse with age.
It should be kept 5 years in order to allow the tannins to blend and the aromas to develop truffles and wooded notes.
It should be served at 16C° with red meat.
Canon-Fronsac is purple-ruby with violet hues when young.
It is an elegant wine with fine tannins and black and red fruit aromas with wooded notes and licorice which evolve into truffle with age.
It is recommended to wait 3 years before drinking it; the great vintages can keep 20 years.
This great value for money wine is produced on a 300ha vineyard that was granted an AOC in 1939.
It spreads over the communities of Fronsac and Saint-Michel-de-Fronsac.
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Tertre CC BY-SA 3.0 - Bordeaux wine region CC BY-SA 3.0
Please remember to drink responsibly www.drinkaware.co.uk L'abus d'alcool est dangereux pour la santé, à consommer avec modération
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