Francs Côtes de Bordeaux

The place

Francs is 3 communes, Francs, Saint-Cibard and Tayac, on the right side of the Dordogne valley, east of Saint-Émilion and north of Castillon, on higher ground than its neighbors. The soils are sandy clay, with sandy gravel in places, clay and limestone on the slopes, and a blue clay, rare in Bordeaux, that holds water for the vines. There are 435 hectares, 37 growers and 2 cooperatives. The height keeps the place cool.

The rules

The red is Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, also called Cot, and Merlot, with Carmenère and Petit Verdot, at 4,500 vines a hectare. It asks 198 g/l of sugar for Merlot and 189 for the others, 11.5% of natural alcohol and 52 hectoliters a hectare with a ceiling of 65, and is raised until March 15 and sold from March 31 of the year after the harvest. The dry white is Sauvignon, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon and Muscadelle, at 10.5% and 62 hectoliters with a ceiling of 72. The sweet white, liquoreux, is picked by hand in successive passes from overripe or botrytized grapes at 238 g/l of sugar, reaches 14.5% of natural alcohol with no enrichment, keeps at least 51 g/l of sugar, and yields 37 hectoliters with a ceiling of 40; like the red, it is sold from March 31 of the year after the harvest. The parcels were approved on June 3, 1983 and June 9, 2015.

The names

No classification. The appellation was recognized on May 26, 1967 as Bordeaux Côtes de Francs, and the decree of October 29, 2009 made it Francs Côtes de Bordeaux, 1 of the 5 place names of the Côtes de Bordeaux. The place long made red and white, sweet white among them; since the 20th century it has made mostly red.

Colors

Red, dry white, sweet white (liquoreux)

Communes

Francs, Saint-Cibard and Tayac

Vineyard

435 hectares, 37 growers and 2 cooperatives

Ground

Sandy clay, sandy gravel in places; clay and limestone on the slopes, with blue clay

Grapes

Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot; Carmenère, Petit Verdot. White: Sauvignon, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon, Muscadelle

Density

4,500 vines a hectare at least

Yield

Red 52 hectoliters, ceiling 65; dry white 62, ceiling 72; liquoreux 37, ceiling 40

Alcohol

Red 11.5%, dry white 10.5%, liquoreux 14.5% natural at least

Release

Red and liquoreux from March 31 of the year after the harvest

Classified

No classification

AOC since

May 26, 1967 as Bordeaux Côtes de Francs; Francs Côtes de Bordeaux since 2009; cahier (the cahier des charges, the appellation’s official rulebook) of June 4, 2026

Sources: FGVB, cahier des charges Côtes de Bordeaux, arrêté du 4 juin 2026 · Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux, Francs Côtes de Bordeaux