© BIVB / GADENNE D.
Saint-Bris is a white wine appellation in the far north-west of the Burgundy region of France. Created in 2003, the appellation was retrospectively valid for the 2001 and 2002 vintages. It specifically applies to the area's crisp, cool-climate wines made from the Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon Gris grape varieties. Saint-Bris wines, which are produced from a total area of around 250 acres (100ha), had previously held VDQS status since 1974.
To qualify for the Saint-Bris appellation, wines must be grown and made within the communes of Saint-Bris-le-Vineux, Chitry, Quenne, Irancy and Vincelottes. The latter two also produce red wines from Pinot Noir under the Irancy title. (© Proprietary Content, Wine-Searcher.)
As a Sauvignon-focused appellation in the Burgundy region, Saint-Bris might seem rather unusual. However, the fact that it is twice as far from Sancerre as it is from Beaune and has a similar terroir to much of the Loire Valley, goes some way to explaining this anomaly.
