France — wine

Côte de Bourg AOC

Côte de Bourg AOC occupies limestone and clay-limestone hillsides on the right bank of the Gironde estuary north of Bordeaux — facing the Médoc across the water. Merlot-dominant reds (minimum 25% Merlot, often 80-100%) produce wines of genuine substance and terroir character at prices far below their quality level. The appellation's ancient clay-limestone slopes (côtes) drain far better than the flat alluvial terrains of the generic Bordeaux AOC. Côte de Bourg is the historic heartland of Bordeaux's right-bank tradition — Pliny the Elder praised its wines.

Year Rating Notes
2022 Good structure vintage; clay-limestone soils handled the heat well; wines showed characteristic Bourg plum, earth, and mineral depth
2021 Outstanding right-bank vintage: clay-limestone hillside Merlot achieved textbook ripeness; Bourg wines showed unusual structure and freshness for the region
2020 Good vintage with generous Merlot expression; Bourg's better hillside estates produced wines of genuine depth and early accessibility
2019 The finest recent Bourg vintage — Roc de Cambes and other ambitious estates produced wines that rivals Pomerol and Saint-Émilion at a fraction of the price