📜 Faugères

Faugères is a French protected designation of origin (AOC) for dry still white, red and rosé wines from seven communes of the Hérault department. It has been in the EU register since 18 September 1973.

The communes are Autignac, Cabrerolles, Caussiniojouls, Faugères, Fos, Laurens and Roquessels. Grapes are harvested, and wines are made and aged, there. The minimum natural alcoholic strength is 12% vol. Fermentable sugars are at most 4 g/l in white and rosé wines. In red wines they are at most 3 g/l when natural strength is 14% or lower, and 4 g/l above that.

For red and rosé wines the main varieties are Grenache N, Lledoner Pelut N, Mourvèdre N and Syrah N, with Carignan N as a complementary variety and Cinsaut N as an accessory one. Main varieties must make up at least 50% of the vineyard, Carignan N between 10% and 40%, and Cinsaut N no more than 20%. White wines come from the main varieties Grenache Blanc B, Marsanne B, Roussanne B and Vermentino B, with Clairette B and Viognier B as accessory ones.

The yield is 50 hl/ha for rosé and 45 hl/ha for red and white, with upper limits (rendement butoir) of 57 and 54 hl/ha. Vines are planted at a minimum of 4,000 per hectare and pruned short on spurs before 30 April, with a maximum of 10 buds per vine.

The specification describes vineyards on Upper Viséan schists. The AOC was recognised on 5 May 1982.