A wide range of aromas
What makes Fronton wines so interesting is their diversity, which enables the rosés and the reds to be enjoyed with a wide range of foods : starters, fish, meats, cheeses, and some desserts, plus exotic cuisine flavoured with a wide range of spices.
A reminder of an important factor decided on by the winegrowers/makers themselves : the Négrette, the appellation’s main grape variety, must constitute a minimum of 50% of the total planting in a vineyard. This modification of the original AOC regulations allows numerous combinations to produce a wide range of wines. In this way, between a wine made purely of Négrette or a blended wine made using Negrette with varying proportions of Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvgnon, Gamay, Cot and/or Fer Servadou, there is a wide variation in the aromas and complementary flavours you obtain, not to mention the differences created by maturing the wines in vats or barrels.
Not covered by the Fronton AOC, there are also some characterful white wines produced (often with PGI status), and the Bouysset grape variety recently rediscovered in the Fronton area offers an interesting opportunity for the future. As the Mauzac, Sauvignon and Chardonnay varieties are already planted here, the winemakers have at their disposal a palette of complementary aromas which they assemble with precision to bring you harmonious, balanced wines.
Influential factors
Amongst the other important considerations, these factors will influence your perception and enjoyment of the wine :
- > Take the “terroir effect” into account (don’t forget that the boundaries of an appellation depend on it) because here, we are between the rivers Tarn and Garonne, on 3 terraces of the Tarn which overlap towards the Garonne on a base of alluvial, pebbly clay thus giving different balances between the fruit aromas (red and black fruits), the floral ones (violet and peony), the spicy ones (white, grey and black pepper), the tannic structure of the wines and the degree of concentration.
- > The conditions in which the wine is kept : so that your wines don’t alter too rapidly, make sure that the temperature is stable, and the humidity level of the storage area should be between 70 and 80%.
- > The length of time the wine is kept : 1 year to 18 months for rosés, 2 years for single-variety Négrette wines, 4 years for the traditional blends, 6 to 8 years for the “Haute Expression” and the “Prestige” wines matured in vats or barrels.