These are soulful, richly textured and interesting wines crafted by passionate vignerons…If you’re looking for easy-going well-structured Bordeaux offering great value to share with loved ones look no further than Côtes de Bordeaux!

The theme for this month’s French #Winophiles is Côtes de Bordeaux.  I was introduced to Côtes de Bordeaux a few months ago when this month’s host Michelle Williams reached out to me and asked if I’d be interested in doing a virtual interview with some producers from this relatively new (and completely new to me) Bordeaux AOC.  Wanting to know more, I eagerly responded “Yes”.   Teuwen Communications provided four wine samples and arranged the virtual interview with Monique Bonnet from Château Suau  Rachel Hubert of Château Peybonhomme-Les Tours  Caroline Meurée from Château Lamothe de Haux  Pierre-Charles Dartier from Château Cailleteau Bergeron and Patricia Zabalza, Director of Union de Côtes de Bordeaux.   

It was a fun and informative interview. My takeaways from the interview were:

• I was impressed with the passion of the winemakers for their craft and the collegial nature of the group particularly around the Côtes de Bordeaux AOC as a whole
• I was equally impressed by the number of female winemakers represented during the interview
• The winemakers as a group were adamant that the vinification standards in the Côtes de Bordeaux AOC was the same as Bordeaux.
• The region is committed to respect for the environment
• This is a region I would love to visit

About Côtes de Bordeaux

Created in 2009, the AOC Côtes de Bordeaux includes five sub-appellations — Blaye, Cadillac, Castillon, Francs and Sainte-Foy — on the hillsides (côtes) of the right banks of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers.  Each of the sub-appellations has a distinct terroir. They produce vastly different styles of wines, so there’s something for everyone. To help wine drinkers identify style, the labels contain both the broader appellation—Côtes de Bordeaux—as well as the specific region.  Together, they cover nearly 30,000 acres of vines, and represent 10 percent of total production of Bordeaux; 97% of Côtes de Bordeaux wine is red.

Their history dates back to at least the second century, considerably longer than the larger area now known as Bordeaux.  The Côtes de Bordeaux represent “Bordeaux in blue jeans,” where small, family-owned estates are the norm, unlike other parts of the region where large brands and exclusive châteaux dominate.

The region was created with the goal of helping to promote the wines from the previously separate, and lesser known, appellations as a united group. The specific appellations were chosen because they shared similar terroirs of gravel, clay-limestone soils, and southern and/or southeastern exposures, creating favorable conditions for distinctive, fruit-forward, Merlot-dominant reds. The best terroirs of Cotes de Bordeaux are similar to St. Emilion or Pomerol, especially at the top estates.

As you can see from the map above, the transverse region is geographically widespread – Francs , Castillon and Sainte Foy are located at the eastern end of the Bordeaux region, while Blaye is in the west and Cadillac in the south.

Côtes de Bordeaux  offers of the Bordeaux’s most enriching and exhilarating wine tourism experiences.  It is home to some of the oldest châteaux in Bordeaux, some dating back to the 12th century and earlier.  There are Roman remains to be found around the city of Blaye, along with a UNESCO World Heritage Citadelle overlooking the Gironde Estuary.  Cadillac (where Musée de la Vigne et du Vin was awarded International Best of Wine Tourism) and Francs are full of historic chateaux and ancient churches that date back to the Middle Ages. Castillon (where the Hundred Years War ended), and Sainte-Foy are full of rolling countryside as they head towards the Dordogne, with towering limestone hills that offer perfect bedrock for vines, and plenty of spots for canoeing along the Dordogne river. The Côtes de Bordeaux areas offer wine festivals that are held all year-round. There are marathons, hikes and various events where winemakers share their passion and know-how with visitors. (source)

Wines Tasted

I received four sample wines. There were two from the largest of the sub-appellations – Blaye and two from the broader AOC  Côtes de Bordeaux.

• 2016 Château Peybonhomme – Les Tours Le Blanc
• 2014 Château Lamonthe de Haux Première Cuvée
• 2015 Château Cailleteau Bergeron
• 2015 Château Suau

We paired three of the four wines with food.

My tasting notes follow:

2015 Château Cailleteau Bergeron  – France, Bordeaux, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux
Color – Dark garnet
Aromas – Aromatic cassis, black cherry, black currant leaf, oak and spice
Body – Medium-bodied with a juicy character and dusty tannins
Taste – Cassis, black cherry, dark roast espresso, and black plum skin
Finish – Medium plus

Blend of 90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon| 14% abv (88-89 pts.)

2016 Château Peybonhomme-les Tours Le Blanc Bonhomme – France, Bordeaux, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux
Color – Pale golden-yellow color with green highlights
Aromas – Honeysuckle, lemon peel, ocean breeze, chalk, yellow apple and melon
Body – Medium-bodied, approaching off-dry with a rich texture nicely balanced with refreshing acidity
Taste – Apricot, honey, lemon peel, under ripe white peach, and melon with an appealing minerality
Finish – Medium +

Blend of 50% Sauvignon and 50% Semillon| 13% abv |SRP – €20 (89-90 pts.)

We paired this very food friendly wine with Old Fashioned Linguine With White Clam Sauce.  It was a wonderful pairing!

2014 Château Lamothe de Haux – France, Bordeaux, Côtes de Bordeaux
Color – Garnet
Aromas – Dusty earth, sandalwood, red currant, black cherry, and black currant leaf
Body – Medium-bodied, dry, with firm velvety tannins and tangy medium acidity
Taste – Easy going black currant, red currant, and black cherry with a hint of tobacco
Finish – Short

Blend of 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon,10% Cabernet Franc | 13% abv (86-87 pts.)

The wine was excellent paired with a grilled thin-cut rib-eye steak and pan roasted potatoes!

2015 Château Suau Côtes de Bordeaux – France, Bordeaux, Côtes de Bordeaux
Color – Dark garnet
Aromas – Aromatic black and red fruit, sandalwood, tobacco, oak spice and a bit of dried herbs
Body – Medium-bodied, focused and fruit forward with balancing mouth-watering acidity and supple sweet tannins
Taste – Red currant, cherry, black currant and spice
Finish – Long

Blend of 85% Merlot; 15% Cabernet Sauvignon|13% abv|SRP – $18 (90-91 pts.)

The wine was a great pairing with a couple of take out dishes from a local Uyghar restaurant – Lamb Polo (shown in photo below) and a meat pie filled with ground beef!

These are soulful, richly textured and interesting wines crafted by passionate vignerons who respect the environment  .  If you’re looking for easy going well-structured Bordeaux offering great value to share with loved ones look no further than Côtes de Bordeaux!

Check out what my fellow French #Winophiles have to say about Côtes de Bordeaux:

• Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles shares “Côtes de Bordeaux pairings through Blaye, Cadillac & Castillon”
• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla offers “Exploring the Côtes de Bordeaux with Simple, Salty, Spicy Nibbles”
• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm shares “Celebrating the Warm Weather with Bordeaux”
• David from Cooking Chat brings us “Cheesy Beef Casserole with Wine from Côtes de Bordeaux”
• Nicole from Somm’s Table explores “2 oz Pours: 5 Nights of BDX”
• Gwen from Wine Predator shares “Affordable French: Bordeaux and Burgers for #Winophiles”
• Rupal the Syrah Queen gives us “5 Reasons You Should Be Drinking Côtes de Bordeaux”
• Jill of L’Occasion offers a “Guide to the Wines of Côtes de Bordeaux”
• Lynn of Savor the Harvest shares “Côtes de Bordeaux: A Chateau Carsin Surprise”
• Jeff at FoodWineClick! shares “Drinking Tuesday Night Bordeaux”
• Liz Barrett of What’s In That Bottle helps us with “Get to Know Côtes de Bordeaux #Winophiles”
• Lauren from The Swirling Dervish offers “Côtes de Bordeaux: Why It Should Be on Your Wine Shopping List”
• Amber of Wine Travel Eats gives us “Salmanazar – Côtes de Bordeaux”
• Michelle of Rockin Red Blog shares “Drinking Bordeaux in Blue Jeans”

Please join the #winophiles Côtes de Bordeaux chat on Saturday, May 19 at 11am EST on Twitter. We will discuss wine, food pairings, culture, and the region. All are welcome and encouraged to participate in the chat.

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