This time we explore the hidden gems of Bordeaux -- the Côtes de Bordeaux -- which make superb wines that few people know about. With an easy-drinking style, the Côtes de Bordeaux are the hidden, affordable wines of Bordeaux. These historic vineyards are a collection of AOCs around eastern Bordeaux on sunny hillside slopes that grow a majority of Merlot and have similar soil types. These are not second or bulk wines – rather family-owned, often sustainable wines that are always a good value for money.

This group of appellations under the marketing umbrella of Côtes de Bordeaux covers 9 - 10% of the total production of Bordeaux.

Faced with lots of competition from the named communes of Bordeaux (Pomerol, Saint-Émilion, etc), and the Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur AOCs, efforts started in 2004 to create the Union des Côtes de Bordeaux (UCB) to create a collective “brand” of recognition: the AOC Côtes de Bordeaux with 6 terroir:

Côtes de Bordeaux - umbrella appellation
Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux
Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux
Francs Côtes de Bordeaux
Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux·
Sainte-Foy Côtes de Bordeaux (joined in 2016)

Map: Côtes de Bordeaux

In 2009, the AOC “Côtes de Bordeaux” went into effect. They must all use the logo below on the bottle to reinforce the association:

This is the wine we were drinking...

I hope this opens your eyes to some new, fantastic, affordable Bordeaux wines! Take a listen and put this to use -- there is a lot of goodness to discover here (and it won't hurt your wallet)!

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Sources:

Ep 506: The Wines of the Côtes de Bordeaux -- The Secret Best Value Wines of the Region

Wine for Normal People