Côtes de Bordeaux

Vines have grown on these hillsides since Antiquity; the specification cites Ausonius in the fourth century for their reputation. Sainte-Foy-la-Grande was founded as a bastide on the Dordogne in 1255 by Alphonse de Poitiers and became a shipping point for wine bound for England. Castillon gave its name to the battle of 1453 that ended the Hundred Years' War. From the second half of the seventeenth century English buyers valued these wines because they travelled and kept well.

Each centre first had its own appellation: Premières Côtes de Blaye (1936), Premières Côtes de Bordeaux and Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux (1937), Bordeaux-Côtes de Castillon (1955) and Bordeaux-Côtes de Francs (1967). They grouped in 1975 and formed an association in 1985. The joint appellation was recognised by decree on 29 October 2009, and Sainte-Foy joined it in 2016.

The 110 communes lie on hills above the Garonne, the Dordogne and the Gironde: 40 around the citadel of Blaye, about 50 km downstream of Bordeaux; 39 in a strip about 60 km long and 5 km wide on the limestone cliff of the Garonne's right bank around Cadillac; 12 between Castillon-la-Bataille and Francs; and 19 around Sainte-Foy-la-Grande on the left bank of the Dordogne. Tertiary limestones, marls and clays form the base, and the Sables du Périgord, pebbles, gravel, sand and clay from the Massif Central, cover the north-east. Steep slopes rise 30 m to more than 70 m above plains of sandy gravel. Clay-limestone soils on the plateaus are partly covered by wind-blown silt, and Castillon limestone caps molasse along the Dordogne. The water bodies moderate spring frost; the climate grows more continental around Francs, and at Sainte-Foy the Dordogne brings night fogs in late summer.

For red wines the specification names Merlot, often the main grape, as expressing itself well on clay-limestone; blended with the Cabernets and Malbec it gives round, fruity, supple wines that keep three to ten years. It then describes each name. Blaye reds are deep-coloured and fine, and its whites smell of broom, citrus and yellow fruit. Castillon is dark ruby and powerful, with prune, leather and game. Cadillac is almost black, round and structured, best at four to ten years. Francs is richly coloured and full-bodied, with honeyed sweet whites. Sainte-Foy reds are deeply coloured with red fruit, and its dry whites show white flowers and exotic fruit.

The wine may be labelled simply Côtes de Bordeaux, which is red only, or with one of five complementary names, each with its own colours: Blaye (red and dry white), Cadillac and Castillon (red only), Francs (red, dry white and sweet white) and Sainte-Foy (red, dry white, medium-sweet and sweet white). Reds use Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, with Carménère below 10 % and Petit Verdot below 15 % of the planting, and are aged until at least 15 March after the harvest. Whites use Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon and Muscadelle, with Colombard and Ugni Blanc as accessory grapes.

The Bordeaux wine council puts the area at about 8,500 ha and 772 growers, about 9 % of Bordeaux. The specification gives more than 10,500 ha, 1,000 growers and nine cooperatives, with 97 % of the wine red.