AOC Côtes de Bourg wines awarded at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge

A.O.C./A.O.P.

This appellation is situated along the right bank of the Dordogne, before it joins up with the Garonne, thirty kilometres or so north-east of Bordeaux. It shares the same boundaries as Bourg-sur-Gironde. Hillside sites are mostly covered with calcareous clay or clay-gravel type soils… Vines planted along the banks of the Gironde estuary are blessed with frost-protection due to the influence of the nearby Atlantic. The area is often referred to as “the little Switzerland of Gironde”. The red wines are drawn from Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec. The whites from Semillon, Sauvignon, Muscadelle, Merlot Blanc and Colombard.

Grape varieties: Vins rouges : Cabernet-sauvignon, Cabernet franc, merlot, malbec .Blancs secs : sémillon, sauvignon, muscadelle, merlot blanc, colombard

The wines of this appellation

Côtes de Bourg are primarily red wines. The whites were previously used as base wines for distilling Cognac. Even today, some of them are still distilled as Fine de Bordeaux, an official brandy classification dating back to 1974. The red wines are robust with a deep, brilliant crimson hue, they are well-structured and have lively aromas. On the palate, their roundness and velvety tannins are a pleasant surprise. They are the perfect match for poultry, roast beef with cep mushrooms, leg of lamb…