Côtes de Bordeaux
A New Combined Appellation
The Côtes de Bordeaux is a new combined appellation designed to better inform the consuming public that wines from what is collectively known as "The Côtes" are indeed Bordeaux wines. There are actually five different appellations in this group known as:
Côtes de Francs
Côtes de Castillon
Côtes de Bourg
Côtes de Blaye
Premières Côtes de Bordeaux
Most of these red wines are based on Merlot with lesser amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc in the blends. They are affordable and very drinkable wines, that can often be consumed young and will also benefit from some bottle age. White wines are also made in these appellations, using Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle grapes Often, they are some of the best values in Bordeaux wines, but have suffered from a lack of recognition that they are indeed from Bordeaux.
The Côtes de Francs and the Côtes de Castillon are both to the east of the famous vineyards of St. Emilion, and are wines of the "Right Bank", those wines from the appellations on the right bank of the Dordogne River, and thus dominated by Merlot in the red wine blends. A few white wine can be found, typically dry, and dominated by Sauvignon Blanc, but red wine is the majore product here.
The Côtes de Bourg and the Côtes de Blaye are on the right bank of the Gironde Estuary, geographically north of the Médoc peninsula. Merlot is also a major grape used in the blending of these wines but due to the greater variation in soils and subsoils, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc play more important roles in red wine blending. Here we also find dry white wines dominated by Sauvignon Blanc, blended with both Semillon and Sauvignon Gris.
Though on the right bank of the Garonne River the Premières Côtes de Bordeaux wines resemble those of the Bourg and Blaye wines, with both dry white and red wines dominating the production. This new appellation, to be called Cadillac-Côtes de Bordeaux will apply only to dry red wines.
Beginning in 2008, the new appellations will appear on the labels in the following manner:
Castillon
Côtes de Bordeaux
Blaye
Côtes de Bordeaux
Francs
Côtes de Bordeaux
Cadillac
Côtes de Bordeaux
Please note that the Côtes de Bourg is not at present part of this new combined appellation
To learn more about the regions, the geography/topography, the history and the wines, please click on the link below