Côtes de Bordeaux

koht duh bor-DOH

How to read this

Capitals mark the stressed syllable. The French r comes from the back of the throat. The recording is the reference.

1 appellation on 5 stretches of hillside that never touch, from the Gironde to the eastern edge of the department: red on its own, or red and white under one of 5 place names, on more than 10,500 hectares.

The place

The Côtes are the hills of Bordeaux that face its rivers: Blaye above the Gironde, Cadillac along the right bank of the Garonne, Castillon and Francs on the Dordogne east of Saint-Émilion, and Sainte-Foy at the eastern edge of the department. They do not touch one another. Together they count more than 10,500 hectares, 1,000 growers and 9 cooperatives, and make an average of 500,000 hectoliters, 97% of it red and 3% white. A red may be sold as Côtes de Bordeaux alone, or under the name of the place it comes from.

The rules

The reds are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, also called Cot, and Merlot, with Carmenère under 10% and Petit Verdot under 15% of the vines, and Malbec must always be blended with another principal variety. The whites are Sauvignon, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon and Muscadelle, with Colombard and Ugni Blanc to 15%, and only Blaye, Francs and Sainte-Foy may make them; a dry white asks 10.5% of natural alcohol and 62 hectoliters a hectare with a ceiling of 72. At least 4,500 vines a hectare, and 5,000 at Castillon. The place name asks more of a red than the plain name: 198 g/l of sugar for Merlot against 189, 11.5% of natural alcohol against 11%, and 52 hectoliters a hectare against 55, with a ceiling of 65 for both. Every red is raised until March 15 and sold from March 31 of the year after the harvest. Francs and Sainte-Foy also make sweet whites, up to the liquoreux, the fully sweet white, of Sainte-Foy, at 255 g/l of sugar and 15% of natural alcohol. No grower may weed a whole plot with chemicals. The cahier des charges in force, the appellation’s official rulebook, was homologated on June 4, 2026.

The names

No classification. The appellation grew out of older ones: Premières Côtes de Blaye, recognized on September 11, 1936; Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, on July 31, 1937; Bordeaux Côtes de Castillon, on July 15, 1955; Bordeaux Côtes de Francs, on May 26, 1967. Their growers began working together in 1975 and founded the Association des Côtes de Bordeaux in 1985. The decree of October 29, 2009 made them 1 appellation, and Sainte-Foy, an appellation since 1937, joined as the 5th place name in 2016.

Colors: Red; dry white under Blaye, Francs and Sainte-Foy; sweet white under Francs and Sainte-Foy
Place names: Blaye, Cadillac, Castillon, Francs, Sainte-Foy
Vineyard: More than 10,500 hectares, 1,000 growers, 9 cooperatives; 500,000 hectoliters, 97% red
Grapes: Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot; Carmenère and Petit Verdot. White: Sauvignon, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon, Muscadelle; Colombard and Ugni Blanc
Density: 4,500 vines a hectare at least; 5,000 at Castillon
Yield: Red 55 hectoliters, 52 with a place name, ceiling 65; dry white 62, ceiling 72
Alcohol: Red 11% natural, 11.5% with a place name; dry white 10.5%
Release: Reds from March 31 of the year after the harvest
Classified: No classification
AOC since: October 29, 2009; Sainte-Foy from 2016; cahier of June 4, 2026

Sources: FGVB, cahier des charges Côtes de Bordeaux, arrêté du 4 juin 2026 · INAO, comité national du 8 juin 2016, Côtes de Bordeaux

The stack

The same land in Côtes de Bordeaux may also be labeled Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur and Crémant de Bordeaux. A grower chooses which appellation to sell under, and the narrowest is almost always the dearest.

It shares named communes with Blaye, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux, Cadillac, Sainte-Foy Côtes de Bordeaux, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux, Francs Côtes de Bordeaux, Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion, Côtes de Bourg, Loupiac and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont.

The appellations of Bordeaux are stacked, not laid side by side. The map draws the whole stack. Open the map

The pyramid of names shows what each step promises: vines a hectare, bottles, ripeness, day of sale, grapes. Climb from here

Terroir

Côtes de Bordeaux is a sum: Blaye, plus Cadillac, plus Castillon, plus Francs, 4 denominations whose delimited soil is counted here as one. Blaye looks over the Gironde, Cadillac over the Garonne, Castillon over the Dordogne, and Francs sits back on the hills east of Saint-Émilion. On the Garonne the right bank stands raised above the low Bordeaux basin; on the Gironde it ends in a ledge over reclaimed riverside marsh (palus).

More than a third of the delimited area, 37.5%, is sands and clays of old rivers and lakes (molasse). Near Bordeaux these sands are dry and riddled with burrows, which earned them the local name of fox sand (Sable de Renards). Cadillac brings most of the steep slopes.

A thread runs through all 4: the starfish limestone (calcaire à astéries), laid by an Oligocene sea that on its second advance reached as far east as Castillon and Sainte-Foy-la-Grande. It covers 11.1% of the total, and on the hillsides above the Garonne it forms the foot of the slope, cut by many quarries. Lakes left limestone here twice, ages apart: the Eocene lakes of Plassac in the Blayais, the Oligocene lakes of Castillon. Add them up, and the answer comes out plural.

35,957 ha delimited

Slope wash and cover11.4%
River and estuary deposits of today0.8%
Ice age river terraces: sand, gravel, pebbles10.6%
Landes sand and the oldest river deposits7.7%
Shell sands (faluns), limestones and marls of the Miocene0.1%
Agenais molasses: clays and sands above the limestone4.2%
Starfish limestone and marine marls11.1%
Lake limestones and clays7.0%
Molasses: sands and clays of old rivers and lakes37.5%
Older sea limestones and marls9.6%

Shares of the delimited area, measured on BRGM’s geological map, in families by the age and rock its legend prints, youngest first.

Half its delimited soil lies above 52 m, and 9 tenths lies between 15 and 98 m. 19.3% of it is steeper than 10%.

Measured section: Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux

The line runs 26.0 km, from 21 m to 39 m. Inside the delimited area it lies between 24 and 96 m.

Colors: Slope wash and coverRiver and estuary deposits of todayIce age river terraces: sand, gravel, pebblesLandes sand and the oldest river depositsStarfish limestone and marine marlsLake limestones and claysMolasses: sands and clays of old rivers and lakesOlder sea limestones and marls

Measured section: one elevation every 10 meters, west to east, along the whole of a 26.0 km line set across the appellation by a fixed rule, not chosen for the view (IGN, RGE ALTI 5 m, with LiDAR HD where the 5 m grid came from the old BD ALTI 25 m), with the geology at the surface (BRGM, BD Charm-50). Heights stretched 20 times. The layers below the surface are not drawn.

Tap the marker on the section, or open the borehole below: a core slides out, layer by layer.

1Drill here: Saint-Girons-d’Aiguevives, borehole 779-3-3, 355 m from the line

Depth	As printed	In English	Age (ICS)
0.0 to 8.0 m	inconnu	not identified	not given
8.0 to 33.4 m	Sannoisien et Éocène supérieur	Sannoisian and upper Eocene	Sannoisian is an old French name for the base of the Oligocene, which begins 33.9 million years ago; the upper Eocene lies below it
33.4 to 63.5 m	Éocène supérieur	upper Eocene	late Eocene; no stage is named
63.5 to 75.2 m	Calcaire grossier de Blaye	Blaye coarse limestone	Lutetian, as the Blaye notice dates it: 48.07 to 41.03 million years ago

Log printed in BRGM notice 0779, p. 42, under the heading “Saint-Girons-de-Blaye, Le Vèque” (borehole BSS001WWGS in the subsurface register). The log names ages, not rocks. Marked at the point of the line nearest to it.Depths in meters below the surface; thin layers are drawn at a minimum height.BRGM, Notice explicative de la feuille Blaye-et-Ste-Luce à 1/50 000, 1977.

Measured section: Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux

The line runs 6.9 km, from -1 m to 99 m. Inside the delimited area it lies between 47 and 107 m.

Colors: Slope wash and coverRiver and estuary deposits of todayIce age river terraces: sand, gravel, pebblesLandes sand and the oldest river depositsAgenais molasses: clays and sands above the limestoneStarfish limestone and marine marls

Measured section: one elevation every 10 meters, west to east, along the whole of a 6.9 km line set across the appellation by a fixed rule, not chosen for the view (IGN, RGE ALTI 5 m, with LiDAR HD where the 5 m grid came from the old BD ALTI 25 m), with the geology at the surface (BRGM, BD Charm-50). Heights stretched 20 times. The layers below the surface are not drawn.

Measured section: Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux

The line runs 10.4 km, from 46 m to 10 m. Inside the delimited area it lies between 25 and 101 m.

Colors: Slope wash and coverRiver and estuary deposits of todayLandes sand and the oldest river depositsStarfish limestone and marine marlsLake limestones and claysMolasses: sands and clays of old rivers and lakes

Measured section: one elevation every 10 meters, north to south, along the whole of a 10.4 km line set across the appellation by a fixed rule, not chosen for the view (IGN, RGE ALTI 5 m, with LiDAR HD where the 5 m grid came from the old BD ALTI 25 m), with the geology at the surface (BRGM, BD Charm-50). Heights stretched 20 times. The layers below the surface are not drawn.

Measured section: Francs Côtes de Bordeaux

The line runs 5.0 km, from 42 m to 43 m. Inside the delimited area it lies between 43 and 84 m.

Colors: Slope wash and coverRiver and estuary deposits of todayMolasses: sands and clays of old rivers and lakes

Measured section: one elevation every 10 meters, north to south, along the whole of a 5.0 km line set across the appellation by a fixed rule, not chosen for the view (IGN, RGE ALTI 5 m, with LiDAR HD where the 5 m grid came from the old BD ALTI 25 m), with the geology at the surface (BRGM, BD Charm-50). Heights stretched 20 times. The layers below the surface are not drawn.

The units, as BRGM prints them

Code	Name and age, as printed	Share
Slope wash and cover		11.4%
CFp	Formations superficielles	10.2%
	and 2 more units under 1% each, 1.2% in all
River and estuary deposits of today		0.8%
	and 3 more units under 1% each, 0.8% in all
Ice age river terraces: sand, gravel, pebbles		10.6%
Fxb2	Basses terrasses (RD Garonne) - Terrasse d'Izon (type 6), Saalien - "Riss"	1.0%
Fxb1	Basses terrasses (RD Garonne) - Terrasse d'Izon (type 6), Saalien - "Riss"	1.4%
Fva(D)	Très hautes terrasses (RD Garonne) - Terrasse d'Artigues (type 1) indiférenciée, Waal - "Donau-Gunz"	1.8%
Fu	Très hautes terrasses (RD Garonne) - Terrasse de Cénac, Eburonien - Donau	5.3%
	and 4 more units under 1% each, 1.0% in all
Landes sand and the oldest river deposits		7.7%
Ft(Sa)	Fmt de Sadirac, Tiglien - "Biber-Donau"	6.4%
Ft(Bn)	Formation de Belin, Tiglien - "Biber-Donau"	1.3%
	and 2 more units under 1% each, 0.1% in all
Shell sands (faluns), limestones and marls of the Miocene		0.1%
	and 2 more units under 1% each, 0.1% in all
Agenais molasses: clays and sands above the limestone		4.2%
g1-A	Molasse de l'Agenais inf. à facies argileux dominant, Rupélien continental	3.2%
	and 1 more unit under 1% each, 1.0% in all
Starfish limestone and marine marls		11.1%
g1-As	Calcaire à Astéries, Rupélien marin	11.1%
Lake limestones and clays		7.0%
e7a-P	Groupe de Plassac - Calcaire de Plassac, Priabonien inf. continental interstratifié dans le groupe de Plassac	6.0%
	and 3 more units under 1% each, 1.0% in all
Molasses: sands and clays of old rivers and lakes		37.5%
g1a	Formation de Boisbreteau moy. et formation de la Garde, Rupélien inf. continental	1.9%
e7-g1	Molasses du Fronsadais indifférenciées, Priabonien sup. à Rupélien basal continental	10.4%
e7-g1-A	Molasse du Fronsadais sup. à facies argileux dominant, Priabonien sup. à Rupélien basal continental	1.1%
e7-g1-S	Molasse du Fronsadais sup. à facies sableux dominant, Priabonien sup. à Rupélien basal continental	4.2%
e7c-A	Molasses du Fronsadais inf. à moy. (facies argileux dominant), Priabonien sup. continental	2.2%
e7a-Mp	Groupe de Plassac - Molasse de Plassac, Priabonien inf. continental interstratifié dans le groupe de Plassac	2.0%
e6-7	Argiles à Paléotherium, Bartonien sup. à Priabonien inf. continental	2.8%
e5-6	Formation de Guizengard sup., Lutétien sup. à Bartonien sup. continental	8.0%
e4b(1)	Formation de Guizengard inf., Yprésien sup. continental	3.9%
	and 4 more units under 1% each, 1.1% in all
Older sea limestones and marls		9.6%
e7b-Ms	Groupe de Plassac - Marnes à sismondia occitana et ostrea bernonensis (supérieures), Priabonien moy. marin	2.1%
e7a-Ce	Groupe de Plassac - Calcaires de St Estephe, Priabonien inf. marin	1.6%
e6b-Ac	Groupe de Plassac - Argiles à ostrea cucullaris, Bartonien sup. marin	2.4%
e5-6(Bly3)	Formation du calcaire de Blaye (sommet), Lutétien sup. à Bartonien inf. marin	2.9%
	and 5 more units under 1% each, 0.6% in all

Informative figures, computed from INAO’s digitized parcel delimitation of October 12, 2026 and BRGM’s harmonized geological map (BD Charm-50); heights from IGN’s RGE ALTI 5 m. The plans held at the town hall are the legal reference. The delimited area is always somewhat larger than what is planted.

Sources: BRGM, Notice explicative de la feuille Bordeaux à 1/50 000, 1977; BRGM, Notice explicative de la feuille Blaye-et-Ste-Luce à 1/50 000, 1977; BRGM, Notice explicative de la feuille Libourne à 1/50 000, 1995; BRGM, Notice explicative de la feuille Duras à 1/50 000, 1996; INAO, Délimitation parcellaire des AOC viticoles, file of 2026-10-12 (Licence Ouverte), laid over BRGM BD Charm-50, Gironde (GEO050K_HARM_033, Licence Ouverte 2.0); IGN, RGE ALTI 5 m, Gironde, edition 2021-04-19 (Licence Ouverte).

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