To the north of the vineyard, Fleurie boasts a distinctive geography, all “mamelons”, backed by a chain of ridges (Fût d’Avenas, Col de Durbize, Col des Labourons, Pic Reymont), tumbling down the slopes from points peaking at 450 m to gently slope down to 220 m.
The appellation, whose name has nothing to do with flowers but refers to a Roman legionary, covers 870 hectares in a single block, in the commune of Fleurie.
There are two distinct zones.
In the high, sloping parts of the appellation, at the foot of the Madone hill that dominates the cru and offers an exceptional panorama of the vineyards, the soils are thin, acidic and arid.
They produce fine, highly aromatic wines.
Below the village, the soils are deeper and more clayey: the wines are fuller-bodied and very suitable for ageing.
Fleurie has 13 different climats listed by the I.N.A.O. (Institut National des Appellations d’Origine), each producing a distinct type of wine.
From north to south of the appellation: les Labourons, Poncié, les Moriers, la Roilette, les Garants, Montgenas, La Madone, La Joie du Palais, Grille-Midi, La Chapelle des Bois, La Cote, Le Bon Cru and Champagne.