The Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux appellation is one of the Bordeaux region's most prolific, and produces some of the best value Bordeaux red wines; their prices unaffected by the high status associated with appellations like Medoc, and Graves.
The appellation is separate from the larger Entre-Deux-Mers appellation which dominates the rest of the land between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, and has gained its independence as the result of the higher quality of wine it can produce. The small appellations of Cadillac, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont and Loupiac form little islands in the south of Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux, distinguished by their ability to produce sweet wines of high quality.
Cadillac was distinguished from the Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux appellation in 1973, gaining its own independent AOC Cadillac appellation for sweet white wines. Cadillac's red wines continued to be labeled as Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux until 2009, since when they have been fallen under the 'Cotes de Bordeaux' appellation.
The appellation runs for 40 miles (60km) along the eastern (right) bank of the Garonne river, just before it passes Bordeaux city en route to the Atlantic Ocean. The south-eastern end of this long, thin appellation reaches right to the very south of the Bordeaux region. There are over thirty individual communes whose wines contribute to the appellation's output, with names like Beguey, Langoiran, Le Tourne, Rions and Paillet, which may be added to their wine labels.
Near to the river Garonne (where some patches of land are able to claim only the Bordeaux AC title), the soils are gravelly and high in chalky clay, but the soil types vary further away from the river.
The wines produced under the title of Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux are mostly red, and based the classic right bank varieties; Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Dry white wines made in the area from Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc are labeled AC Bordeaux, as they are not regarded as of sufficient quality to qualify for the more specific Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux label. An increasing amount of wine is being produced in the appellation, and quality will no doubt remain high as its producers strive to gain wider recognition.
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