Safres is a soil type described by Tom Stevenson (2011) ‘a sandy–marl found in the southern Rhône Valley.’

Andrew Jefford describes a definition of ‘safres’ given him by a Chateauneuf du Pape grower, and was that safres was a grès tendre – a soft friable sandstone – an intermediate stage between hard sandstone and soft sand. You’ll find all three [Chateauneuf du Pape], as well as sands with other admixtures – such as the grès roux du Comtat: russet-coloured sandy-clay soils over limestone slabs.

Bibliography

Tom Stevenson (2011) The Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia 5th Edition by Tom Stevenson (Dorling Kindersley, 2011), p.17-19.

Andrew Jefford, ‘Jefford on Monday, Fine, fresh wines’, Decanter.com, 4 June 2018.