Côtes du Marmandais is an ''
Appellation d'origine contrôlée'' (AOC) for
wine located in
South West France around the commune of
Marmande. With its location just southeast of the
Entre-Deux-Mers along the banks of the
Garonne river, it is a satellite of
Bordeaux, but just outside the borders of that region. The region was elevated from ''
Vin Délimité de Qualité Superieure'' (VDQS) to AOC status in 1990. From the
Middle Ages to the 19th century, the wines of the Côtes du Marmandais were widely exported to the
Netherlands. The
Phylloxera epidemic
The Great French Wine Blight was a severe blight of the mid-19th century that destroyed many of the vineyards in France and laid waste to the wine industry. It was caused by an aphid that originated in North America and was carried across the Atl ...
wiped out most of the vineyards in this area with many farmers switching to other agricultural crops. It was not until the later half of the 20th century that
viticulture in the area reaffirmed itself.
[ J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 428 Oxford University Press 2006 ]
Grapes and wines
The traditional
Bordeaux varieties like
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon' ...
,
Cabernet franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone, as in the Loire's Chinon. In addition to being us ...
,
Sémillon,
Sauvignon blanc
is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...
,
Muscadelle,
Malbec and
Merlot
Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of ''merle'', the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the ...
are found here as well as the
Rhône wine grape
Syrah
Syrah (), also known as Shiraz, is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce red wine. In 1999, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeuse B ...
and the
Burgundy
Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The c ...
grape
Gamay. Local varieties
Ugni blanc
Trebbiano is an Italian wine grape, one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world. It gives good yields, but tends to yield undistinguished wine. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Also known as ugni blanc, it h ...
,
Abouriou and
Fer
Fer (also known as Fer Servadou, Pinenc, Mansois and several other synonyms) is a red French wine grape variety that is grown primarily in South West France and is most notable for its role in the ''Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée'' (AOC) ...
are also found. There is a much larger percentage of red wine made than white, though Sauvignon blanc production is increasing.
See also
*
List of Vins de Primeur
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cotes du Marmandais
South West France AOCs