Battle of the PDOs: Côtes de Bourg vs Fronsac
Open your eyes and taste buds: a new match is getting underway in our tasting ring! On the agenda? An encounter full of flavor, between the Fronsac appellation led by Lisa, member of Château de la Dauphine, and the Côtes de Bourg appellation, represented by Kenny, a winegrower at Domaine de Fréa. Their objective? To qualify in your glasses and cellars at the end of a friendly game. Because while we don’t all fly the colors of the same PDO in the Bordeaux Crew, we do share the same passion for wine!
In the vineyards, a close match with plenty of uphill battles
A vineyard on the riverbank, an uneven terrain that meets the Gironde Estuary, enveloping sunshine… We are of course in the Côtes de Bourg PDO! This hilly landscape, which spans 1,648 hectares, provides ideal conditions for wines to flourish: the sloped plots ensure well-concentrated grapes, while the south-facing sun exposure sharpens their rich aromatic expression. To help preserve this idyllic setting, ecological practices are part of the daily life of the appellation: 80% of vineyards are HEV3-certified or in the process of conversion while 25% are organically-certified.
Let’s stay on the right bank of Bordeaux, but follow the Dordogne River towards the south. Our destination? The Fronsac PDO, at the gateway to Libourne! Here we are surrounded by rolling valleys reminiscent of Tuscany, dotted with vineyards on slopes. Located east of its famous neighbors Saint-Emilion and Pomerol, this 771-hectare appellation benefits from predominantly clay-limestone soils which sit atop a tender Fronsac molasse bedrock. This precious landscape has been carefully preserved from one generation to the next: 80% of estates are environmentally-certified while 30% have begun transitioning to organic viticulture.
Two teams of winegrowers with two (equally delicious) playing styles
In the field, Côtes de Bourg winegrowers brilliantly combine family roots and audacity. Among them, young and independent winegrowers set the pace. Approachable and dynamic, they like to surprise, as demonstrated by their often unusual labels or the quirky names of some of their cuvées. And they also love doing everything from A to Z, from artisanal ploughing and winemaking to accounting. Everything takes place in an authentic, cheerful and laid-back atmosphere typical of the Gironde Estuary mindset!
In Fronsac, a majority of small wine estates are constantly upturning traditions. They are led by welcoming families who know how to reinvent themselves and share their heritage via warm-hearted wine tourism experiences – golden opportunities to discover their excellent expertise, where winegrowing is considered a way of life! Here, winegrowers live on-site and tend to their vineyards as they would a garden. They listen carefully to the vines and pay great attention to detail to ensure that the grapes ripen in the best possible conditions…
Time for tasting and the red wine Crunch!
Côtes de Bourg winegrowers are proud of the temperament of their red wines: like the album “Mezzanine” by Massive Attack, they are instantly recognizable from the first note! The DNA of these refreshing and delicious blends? Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and… Malbec, the appellation’s spicy signature! Thanks to their good ageing potential, Côtes de Bourg wines are enjoyable both young and after several years. However, we shouldn’t just focus only on red wines: even though they are less well-known, dry white wines are also in the game!
Fronsac wines, these little gems of the right bank, mark a change in tone. To get the full picture, think of Queen’s timeless “Bohemian Rhapsody”, when Freddie Mercury switches from a capella opera to hard rock sounds. The same is true for Fronsac: the appellation combines cuvées with varying styles and multiple sensations, making them suited to a wide range of bistro and gastronomic dishes. But still with the same guiding principle: the smoothness of Merlot is complemented by , making for an elegant, full-bodied wine with a great deal of finesse!
The friendly match between the Côtes de Bourg and Fronsac thus draws to a close. Following this immersion into the Bordeaux right bank, shall we see what’s happening on the left bank? The battle of the Sauternes vs Moulis-en-Médoc PDOs awaits, along with many other surprises from the Bordeaux Crew on our social media!
