Bourgueil () is an ''

appellation d'origine contrôlée An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boun ...

'' (AOC) for wine in the Loire Valley region, and produces primarily red wine from the grape variety

Cabernet Franc Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being us ...

, located in the commune of

Bourgueil Bourgueil () is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. Population Bourgueil wine Bourgueil is an ''appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) for wine in the Loire Valley region, and produces primarily red wine from the ...

and surrounding communes. Bourgueil gained ''

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boun ...

'' (AOC) status when regulatory laws were passed on 31 July 1937.

Climate and geography

Like other wine regions in the

Saumur Saumur () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc.. Saumur statio ...

region, Bourgueil has mostly a

continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in the middle latitudes (40 to 55 north), within large landmasses where prevailing winds blow overland bringing som ...

with some

maritime Maritime may refer to: Geography * Maritime Alps, a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps * Maritime Region, a region in Togo * Maritime Southeast Asia * The Maritimes, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Princ ...

influences that are enhanced the further west you go in the AOC. It is situated on the left bank of the river

Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...

, which provides some climate moderation, to the west of

Tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 ...

and on the edge of the

Maine-et-Loire Maine-et-Loire () is a department in the Loire Valley in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France. It is named after the two rivers, Maine and the Loire. It borders Mayenne and Sarthe to the north, Loire-Atlantique to the west, Indre-e ...

department. The AOC region stretches over an area of 1400 hectares, encompassing 7 communes of the

Indre-et-Loire Indre-et-Loire () is a department in west-central France named after the Indre River and Loire River The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it ...

department:

Restigné Restigné () is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Indre-et-Loire department The following is a list of the 272 communes of the Indre-et-Loire department of France. The commu ...

Benais Benais () is a Communes of France, commune in the Indre-et-Loire departments of France, department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Indre-et-Loire department References

Communes of Indre-et-Loire {{IndreLoi ...

Ingrandes-de-Touraine Ingrandes-de-Touraine (, literally ''Ingrandes of Touraine'') is a former commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Coteaux-sur-Loire.Saint-Patrice Saint-Patrice () is a former commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the new commune Coteaux-sur-Loire.Chouzé-sur-Loire Chouzé-sur-Loire (, literally ''Chouzé on Loire'') is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Indre-et-Loire department The following is a list of the 272 communes of the Indre-et ...

La Chapelle-sur-Loire La Chapelle-sur-Loire (, literally ''The Chapel on Loire'') is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France. Population See also * Communes of the Indre-et-Loire department The following is a list of the 272 communes of the ...

and

. The wine region contains three different types of soil; the rocky soil of islets rising out of most recent

alluvia Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluv ...

, the sandy and gravelly soil of high terraces (old alluvia), and the limestone-rich soil of coasts that lean back onto forestland.Michel Mastrojanni ''Vins de France''. p. 31 Éditions Solar, Paris 1998

Grapes and wine

Bourgueil wine is made from the

grape variety This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...

, which is locally called ''Cabernet Breton''. Up to 10% of the wine can also be made from

Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon' ...

grapes. Limestone soil produces wines with a dusky red hue, whereas those grown in siliceous soil take on a redcurrant shade. Bourgueil wines have a floral and fruity bouquet, which becomes earthy as the wine ages. These wines age splendidly in the bottle, keeping for up to 20 years. Rosé production is limited, accounting for just 2-5% of total production.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bourgueil Aoc Loire AOCs Indre-et-Loire