Saint-Bris AOC
Encyclopedia
Saint-Bris is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée
(AOC) for white wine
in the Burgundy wine region
of France
. This AOC is located around the village Saint-Bris-le-Vineux
in the Yonne
department, a few kilometers southwest of the Chablis AOC area, and southeast of the city of Auxerre
, which places it roughly halfway between Paris
and Burgundy's heartland in Côte d'Or
. The approximately 100 hectare
s (250 acre
s) of vineyard in the appellation are situated in the communes Chitry
, Irancy
, Quenne
, Saint-Bris-le-Vineux and Vincelottes
.
What makes Saint-Bris something of an oddity for Burgundy is that it is made from Sauvignon grapes, with the varieties Sauvignon blanc
and Sauvignon gris
both being allowed, rather than the Chardonnay
of Chablis and the notable white Burgundies, or the Aligoté
of many simpler, easy-drinking whites of the region. It is the only Burgundy AOC that allows Sauvignon in the wines. Wines from vineyards around Saint-Bris-le-Vineux planted with Chardonnay or Pinot Noir
are not included in the Saint-Bris AOC, but are allowed the appellation Côtes d'Auxerre.
While showing typical Sauvignon aromas, the wines have been characterised as less concentrated than the Sauvignon blanc-based AOC wines of upper Loire, notably Sancerre
and Pouilly-Fumé
.
, which is now all but extinct. In those days, before the creation of the more strict appellation rules we know today, wines from the Saint-Bris area could be called Chablis. The combination of competition from the Le Midi - the south of France - after the introduction of railroads in the 19th century, and the Great French Wine Blight
, i.e., the phylloxera
epidemic, in the late 19th and early 20th century knocked out almost the entire Yonne wine business, and most vineyards were abandoned.
It seems that Sauvignon grapes were introduced to the Saint-Bris area sometime after the local wine industry had more or less collapsed, perhaps due to the variety's success on the upper Loire river, which is not that far away, and because Roublot had shown itself susceptible to disease and therefore was less suitable for replanting. In 1974, the Sauvignon-based white wines of Saint-Bris were considered good enough to be awarded VDQS
status under the name of Sauvignon de Saint-Bris. In January 2003 they were elevated to full AOC status under the present name of Saint-Bris, and wines starting with the 2001 vintage were allowed to use the AOC name. The VDQS designation was repealed at the same time.
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
(AOC) for white wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
in the Burgundy wine region
Burgundy wine
Burgundy wine is wine made in the Burgundy region in eastern France, in the valleys and slopes west of the Saône River, a tributary of the Rhône. The most famous wines produced here - those commonly referred to as "Burgundies" - are red wines made from Pinot Noir grapes or white wines made from...
of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. This AOC is located around the village Saint-Bris-le-Vineux
Saint-Bris-le-Vineux
Saint-Bris-le-Vineux is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.It lies near Auxerre.-See also:* Saint-Bris AOC, a white wine from the area around Saint-Bris-le-Vineux, made from Sauvignon variety grapes....
in the Yonne
Yonne
Yonne is a French department named after the Yonne River. It is one of the four constituent departments of Burgundy in eastern France and its prefecture is Auxerre. Its official number is 89....
department, a few kilometers southwest of the Chablis AOC area, and southeast of the city of Auxerre
Auxerre
Auxerre is a commune in the Bourgogne region in north-central France, between Paris and Dijon. It is the capital of the Yonne department.Auxerre's population today is about 45,000...
, which places it roughly halfway between Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Burgundy's heartland in Côte d'Or
Côte d'Or (escarpment)
The Côte d'Or is a limestone escarpment in Burgundy, France that lends its name to the department which was formed around it...
. The approximately 100 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s (250 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s) of vineyard in the appellation are situated in the communes Chitry
Chitry
Chitry is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France....
, Irancy
Irancy
Irancy is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France. It is located southwest of Chablis in the northernmost part of Burgundy.-Irancy wines:...
, Quenne
Quenne
Quenne is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France....
, Saint-Bris-le-Vineux and Vincelottes
Vincelottes
Vincelottes is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France....
.
What makes Saint-Bris something of an oddity for Burgundy is that it is made from Sauvignon grapes, with the varieties Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
and Sauvignon gris
Sauvignon gris
Sauvignon gris is pink color wine grape that is a clonal mutation of Sauvignon blanc. The grape is primarily found in Bordeaux and Chile, where it was imported with Sauvignon blanc and Sauvignon vert cuttings. The grape produces less aromatic wines and is often use for blending....
both being allowed, rather than the Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
of Chablis and the notable white Burgundies, or the Aligoté
Aligoté
Aligoté is a white grape used to make dry white wines in the Burgundy region of France, and which also has significant plantings in much of Eastern Europe including Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and Bulgaria. With , it was the 22nd most planted vine variety in the world in 2004...
of many simpler, easy-drinking whites of the region. It is the only Burgundy AOC that allows Sauvignon in the wines. Wines from vineyards around Saint-Bris-le-Vineux planted with Chardonnay or Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
are not included in the Saint-Bris AOC, but are allowed the appellation Côtes d'Auxerre.
While showing typical Sauvignon aromas, the wines have been characterised as less concentrated than the Sauvignon blanc-based AOC wines of upper Loire, notably Sancerre
Sancerre
Sancerre is a medieval hilltop town , commune and canton in the Cher department of central France overlooking the Loire River. It is noted for its wine.-History:...
and Pouilly-Fumé
Pouilly-Fumé
Pouilly-Fumé is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée for dry white wine from the Loire Valley wine-producing region of France. Pouilly-Fumé is made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape variety. It is characterized by smoky flavors and minerality. The vineyards are located in the communes...
.
History
Until the late 19th century, there were large vineyards in the Yonne department, covering 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) and with nearby Paris as their main market, linked to it by waterways. One of the grape varieties grown in the Saint-Bris area were RoublotRoublot
Roublot is a traditional French variety of white wine grape that is a sibling of Chardonnay. It was once quite widely grown near Auxerre.-History:In the early 19th century, Roublot made up a third of the area in Saint-Bris-le-Vineux in the west of Chablis...
, which is now all but extinct. In those days, before the creation of the more strict appellation rules we know today, wines from the Saint-Bris area could be called Chablis. The combination of competition from the Le Midi - the south of France - after the introduction of railroads in the 19th century, and the Great French Wine Blight
Great French Wine Blight
The Great French Wine Blight was a severe blight of the mid-19th century that destroyed many of the vineyards in France and laid to waste the wine industry...
, i.e., the phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
epidemic, in the late 19th and early 20th century knocked out almost the entire Yonne wine business, and most vineyards were abandoned.
It seems that Sauvignon grapes were introduced to the Saint-Bris area sometime after the local wine industry had more or less collapsed, perhaps due to the variety's success on the upper Loire river, which is not that far away, and because Roublot had shown itself susceptible to disease and therefore was less suitable for replanting. In 1974, the Sauvignon-based white wines of Saint-Bris were considered good enough to be awarded VDQS
VDQS
Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure , usually abbreviated as VDQS, is the second highest category of French wine, below Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée in rank, but above Vin de pays . VDQS is sometimes written as AOVDQS, with AO standing for Appellation d'Origine...
status under the name of Sauvignon de Saint-Bris. In January 2003 they were elevated to full AOC status under the present name of Saint-Bris, and wines starting with the 2001 vintage were allowed to use the AOC name. The VDQS designation was repealed at the same time.
External links
- Findthewine.com - the location of Saint-Bris AOC on a map