Côtes de Bourg
Côtes de Bourg is one of the oldest Bordeaux AOCs (“Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée”). It is situated 35 km north-west of Bordeaux on the Right Bank of Garonne and Dordogne rivers around the town Bourg-sur-Gironde.
First “vitis biturica” in Côtes de Bourg were planted by the Romans. The combination of rich soil (range of gravel, alluvium, clay and limestone), climate and exposition of the east bank were ideal for cultivating the grape. In the Middle Ages Bourg was a major port for wine and the vineyards grew around the town.
« A concentration of the greatest terroirs in Bordeaux »
On the Right Bank of the Dordogne and Garonne rivers
Côtes de Bourg appellation has around 400 winegrowers of which 200 are Chateaux. The area mainly consists of family farms with less than 10 hectares of vines. Production is mainly red wines, based on Merlot grape, blended with smaller quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Cabernet Franc.
Côtes de Bourg is mainly composed of clay and limestone soils. Three types of soil are predominant. Sienna–red Quaternary alluvium is specific to the region and mainly situated at the heights where Merlot and Malbec are mainly cultivated. On clay and sandy gravel soils mainly Merlot and Cabernet are planted while mainly Merlot is grown on the clay and limestone areas.
The Atlantic Ocean has an important impact on the temperate climate. Côtes de Bourg benefits from 10% additional sunlight, 1 – 2 degrees less extreme temperatures and 10-25% lower rainfall compared to Bordeaux.
