Côtes de Bordeaux Cadillac is the appellation title for Côtes de Bordeaux red wines made specifically in the area around Cadillac, at the southern end of the Entre-deux-Mers district of Bordeaux. Until 2009, these wines were sold under the Premieres Côtes de Bordeaux title; the new AOC is distinct from the sweet white wine appellation Cadillac which earned the area its original fame.
(© CIVB/Regine Rosenthal)
All Côtes de Bordeaux Cadillac wines are red and are made predominantly from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, with a permitted addition of Malbec, Petit Verdot and even Carmenère. Merlot is the main variety, producing relatively well-structured wines yet supple which are approachable at an early age.
Vineyards on the slopes down to the Garonne, with ancient river deposits of sandstone and clay, are better suited to Merlot. while some sites on the top of the plain feature gravelly soils which will favor the Cabernet varieties, and produce more-structured wines with higher levels of tannins.
The Côtes de Bordeaux appellation was created in 2009 to bring together several côtes of Bordeaux under a single banner – the idea being to improve their marketability and simplify the overall appellation structure in the Bordeaux region. Individually, these appellations were struggling to find sufficient marketing resources to combat the increasing popularity of Bordeaux-style wines from emerging wine regions, particularly in the New World. Nearly 40 parishes qualify for the title; its coverage needed to be extensive, due to the lack of alternative red wine appellations in an area otherwise dominated by sweet and dry white wines.
The process began officially in 1985, when the presidents of five cotes appellations founded the Association des Côtes de Bordeaux. This later became Les Cinq Cotes de Bordeaux, as confusion had arisen between the first name and that of the entirely separate Premières Cotes de Bordeaux title. By the end of 2003, the decision had been taken to create the Côtes de Bordeaux appellation, with the geographical denominations Blaye, Cadillac, Castillon and Francs. After another six years of negotiations and red tape, the appellation was confirmed and ratified.
