Cotes de Montravel is an appellation for sweet white wines from the area around Lamothe-Montravel, in the far west of the Bergerac region of France. The area can be seen as an easterly extension of the Bordeaux wine region, which lies on its western border and, indeed, the principal grape varieties are the same as the white wines of Bordeaux: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle.
The vineyard area covers land on the northern banks of the Dordogne river as it flows toward the Gironde estuary, between Bergerac town and Saint-Emilion. This land is home to two other overlapping AOC appellations: Haut-Montravel covers sweeter, Botrytis-affected wines made in the more eastern reaches of the area, and the plain Montravel appellation covers the dry red and white wines made here.
© Wikimedia/Record
The hilly, south-facing landscape has been formed over time by the Dordogne river, and the alluvial soils have high levels of limestone. Most viticulture takes place on the deep clay and silt soils higher up the slopes, where good water retention helps to hydrate the vines throughout the long growing season.
The maritime climate here is not dissimilar to that of Bordeaux, although being slightly farther inland there is more of a continental influence. Cooler winters and longer summers are felt in the Cotes de Montravel vineyards, with less rain than in the world-famous vineyards to the west.
The long, warm summers allow for an extended growing season, giving the grapes plenty of time on the vine to develop concentration and acidity. The presence of both the forest to the north and the river encourages some morning humidity that can lead to the development of Botrytis, although this is much more common in Haut Montravel wines.
Montravel has been home to winegrowing for hundreds of years, although the region's wines were only categorized into three separate appellations following the phylloxera crisis of the 1880s. Cotes de Montravel wines had a period of higher production in the 1950s, but a trend toward drier wine styles has seen this decline significantly since. These wines are now rarely seen outside of Dordogne.
