Cotes de Saint-Mont is a VDQS-classification for wines from the area just north of Madiran in the South West of France. In fact, the VDQS could justifiably be seen as an large, more diverse extension of the Madiran appellation itself - the red wines are full-bodied, tannic and are made predominantly from the Tannat grape, blended with a proportion of Cabernet Franc and Fer Servadou. Cotes de Saint Mont wines may contain Merlot, but even this is only permitted until the vintage of 2020.
Cotes de Saint-Mont, unlike Madiran, produces rose and white wines. These must be made from the Arrufiac, Petit Corbu, Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng varieties. Until the harvest of 2020, Clairette may also be included. The Mansengs together are permitted to make up a maximum of 60% of white wine blends.
Cotes de Saint-Mont wines of all descriptions are dry in style, and those with residual sugar levels exceeding the stated maximum (5 grams per liter for reds and rose, 4 grams per liter for whites) will not be permitted to claim the VDQS title.
The densities of vine plantings are much more relaxed here than in many other wine regions of France, most probably because the VDQS classification is less demanding than an AOC classification. Cotes de Saint Mont vineyards may have planting densities as low as 3600 plants per hectare, whereas vineyards in a prestigious appellation like Pauillac must reach densities between 6500 and 10000 plants per hectare before claiming the title AOC Pauillac. This figure is important because the more vines there are in a given space, the harder those vines have to work, sending their roots deep down to find water and nutrients. This struggle results in more complex, flavorful fruit reflecting the character of the deeper soils.
The terroirs of Saint-Mont are divided into two clear types; those on the higher ground in the hills and those in the valleys and lower-lying land around the river Adour. The flinty, sedimentary rock of the hills gets very hot and dry in summer, and provides clearly distinct growing conditions from the heavier, cooler, moisture-retaining clay soils in the valleys. The hillsides are also more exposed to weather conditions, and the intense sunlight for which the region is famous. The distinct terroirs are reflected in the wines they help to produce, and are sometimes blended together in order to achieve a balanced style.
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