Cerdon
A village and an appellation with unique charms
Cerdon is a charming little village surrounded by steep hillsides on which our vines are planted. It lies between Lyon and Geneva, in the south-east of the Ain department, in the Bugey valleys.
Our village has the unique distinction of bearing the same name as the appellation of our wines!
Cerdon is famous for its vineyards and particularly for its sparkling rosé wine: the AOC Bugey Cerdon, whose unique, natural production process is known as the ‘méthode ancestrale’.
We invite you to find out more in our ‘Philosophy - Vine and wine’ section.
Terroirs & grape varieties
The vineyard surrounds Cerdon, the flagship village of the appellation.
The limestone-clay soils are rocky and sometimes very steep (in some sections the gradient is almost 60%), and are worked mainly by hand with respect for nature and the terroir.
The grape variety we grow on the estate is Gamay Noir with white juice. It is very much influenced by its terroir, climate and the conditions in which the vines are grown, and can therefore vary enormously from one region to another.
The region's increasingly continental climate means that we have to work hard and pay particular attention to our vines throughout the year.
Episodes of frost in winter or spring, storms or drought in summer... have a major impact on the vines and the grapes, which means more work, lower yields, sometimes many vines needing to be replaced, and so on.
THE BUGEY, AN ENJOYING REGION
The Bugey AOC is reserved for still white, red and rosé wines and sparkling or semi-sparkling white and rosé wines. Since 2009, it has been awarded after approval by a tasting panel. The name of the appellation may be supplemented by three geographical denominations:
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Manicle (still white and red wines)
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Montagnieu (still red, sparkling and white wines)
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Cerdon (sparkling and semi-sparkling rosé wines).
More than 6 out of every 10 bottles produced in the Bugey region are sparkling wines, made using either the traditional method or the ancestral method.
Bubbles, a speciality of the Bugey region :
In Bugey, we like to bubble! More than 60% of the wines we produce are sparkling. Made from Gamay alone or blended with Poulsard, they are distinguished by their aromas of red fruit... and their inimitable colour. The Poulsard provides a little structure and vinosity, as well as a hint of spice, and the Gamay its tremendous enthusiasm and childlike friendliness.
TERROIR
Characterised by its steep hillsides, which can reach heights of over 300 metres, the Cerdon vineyards offer a wide range of geographical and geological situations.
Its clay-limestone soils are of Jurassic origin.
NUMBER OF HECTARES IN CERDON PRODUCTION:
140 Ha
AVERAGE PRODUCTION PER YEAR:
9,620 hl
PROPORTION OF SPARKLING WINES IN THE APPELLATION:
60%
For a lively wine
full of meaning
The grapes are gently pressed to extract maximum aroma and colour, and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats to preserve all the quality potential acquired in the vineyards.
The palate is intense, the attack round and elegant and the bubbles very fine... Get to know our wines better!