COTES DE BORDEAUX
2015, 2016 & 2017
Uncomplicated, fruit-filled, good value wines that are perfect for sharing. This is what the Côtes de Bordeaux specialises in. There are over 950 producers across 12,000 hectares (ha) that comprise the five appellations of the Côtes de Bordeaux; Blaye, Cadillac, Castillon, Francs and Sainte-Foy. Together they make one in every 10 bottles of Bordeaux’s wine production from vineyards that lie on the Right Bank of the Dordogne and Garonne rivers.
It’s now been around five years that I have done this annual blind tasting, lining up over 220 wines from the most recent vintages, looking out for the best ones to recommend. They have rarely been as difficult to select as this year, tasting the 2015 and 2016 vintages for the red wines, and 2016 and 2017 for the whites. These bottles stood out for their fruit quality and personality, but I can definitely say that these vintages – perhaps especially 2015 – have produced many excellent wines here.
The Côtes, like most Bordeaux, is a largely red wine area (around 97% of the total production) from the Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes – although increasingly with the addition of Malbec, something that you will find particularly in Blaye. 2015 and 2016 were both exceptional vintages for reds, with 2015 a particular success on the Right Bank where these wines are found. Undoubtedly some of the stars of this tasting came from both Castillon, Francs and Sainte-Foy in 2015 – vineyards that have high percentages of clay and limestone, often on south-facing slopes, and so were able to benefit from the sunshine of the year by fully ripening their grapes but still retaining a sense of freshness and easygoing drinkability. For Blaye and Cadillac, there tends to be a little more Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, and the wines are a little more classic and structured, sometimes with a wonderful dark swirling spice from a touch of Malbec. These wines seemed to really shine in 2016. But there are great examples from both vintages.
The white wines are made primarily from the Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon grapes and sometimes Sauvignon Gris or Muscadelle. 2017 in particular is shaping up to deliver some of Bordeaux’s best white wines for a decade, but I also found some excellent examples in 2016.
The real joy of these tastings is discovering the stories within the Côtes. An increasing number of properties are working organically, biodynamically or with Terra Vitis or the Environmental Management System. Castillon has the highest number of producers working organically in Bordeaux, but from all five Côtes I enjoyed estates such as Château de Chainchon, Château Couronneau and Château Pré la Lande who are certified organic, and others such as Château Carbonneau, who practice sustainable farming and polyculture with a 30ha field for cattle alongside their 22ha of vines.
To find out more either visit the Côtes de Bordeaux website