Cotes de Bordeaux Francs is the appellation title for Cotes de Bordeaux wines made specifically from three parishes at the very eastern edge of the Bordeaux wine region. These wines formerly took the title Cotes de Francs.
Saint-Cibard, Tayac and Francs are the three villages in question. They lie roughly eight miles (13km) north of the Dordogne river and are actually much closer to Bergerac than Bordeaux city itself. Nevertheless, the wines made here (both red and white, dry and sweet) are in the classic Bordeaux style and are produced from the classic grape varieties.
Cotes de Bordeaux Francs red wines, which constitute the vast majority of the appellation's output, are made predominantly from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The whites are fashioned from an equally traditional Bordelais blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle. The less globally successful varieties Colombard and Ugni Blanc are also permitted in Cotes de Bordeaux Francs white wines. However, with the international focus of this appellation, these will remain minority components.
The exact blend of each Cotes de Bordeaux Francs wine depends on several factors: the target market and style of the wine, the existing varieties planted in the vineyards and their precise terroir. Generally speaking, the topography and soils around Francs, with its slightly elevated limestone clay slopes, are well suited to growing Merlot. This, combined with Cabernet Franc, produces supple, well-structured red wines.
The Cotes de Bordeaux appellation was created in 2009 to bring together several cotes of Bordeaux under a single banner – the idea being to to improve the marketability of the wines in question and simplify the overall Bordelais appellation structure. 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.
The process began officially in 1985, when the presidents of five cotes appellations founded the Association des Cotes de Bordeaux. This later became Les Cinq Cotes de Bordeaux, as confusion had arisen between the first name and that of the entirely separate Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux title. By the end of 2003, the decision had been taken to create the Cotes de Bordeaux appellation, with the geographical denominations Blaye, Cadillac, Castillon and Francs. After another few years of negotiations and red tape, the appellation was confirmed and ratified.
