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Cerons is an appellation for wines produced in the communes of Cerons, Illats and Podensac, in the south of the Bordeaux wine region. The Cerons appellation is specifically for sweet white wines, made from Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and (less commonly) Sauvignon Gris.
The least-glamorous of the Bordeaux sweet white wine appellations, Cerons is overshadowed by its neighboring appellations to the south, Sauternes and Barsac, whose concentrated, rich sweet wines it cannot match. This is due to a combination of factors. The heavier clay content in the soils here means more consistent temperatures and thus less chance of morning mists. Secondly, the flatter landscape fails to create the mesoclimates found in particular around Sauternes. An important geographical factor may well be the presence of the Ciron river, from which Cerons took its name. This tributary of the Garonne runs between Sauternes and Barsac, providing the increased humidity required for the development of botrytis. The final reason for the lack of concentration in Cerons' sweet whites is that its more relaxed appellation laws allow much higher yields than those of Sauternes or Barsac.
There is new growth in Cerons' wine industry, however. A handful of producers are making dry red and white wines instead of (or alongside) sweet wines, with wide acceptance in international markets. These are sold under the Graves appellation (this is permitted because of Cerons' status as a sub-division of the larger Graves district). Most successful are the red wines, made from the classic Bordeaux grapes as set out in the Graves appellation laws: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carmenere, Malbec and Petit Verdot. The whites are as listed in the Cerons AOC.
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