Côtes De Bordeaux 2015 Côtes & Cœur Blaye
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Côtes de Bordeaux 2015 Blaye - Cadillac Côtes & Cœur Castillon - Francs Côtes de Bordeaux 2015 Blaye – Cadillac – Castillon – Francs Heart & Soul Contents 3_ Editorial 4_ 4 regions at the heart of Bordeaux Bordeaux, Heart & Soul _6 A booming and dynamic appellation _9 2 12_ Main actions in 2015 by country 14_ The quality and know-how at the heart of our wines A rich historical legacy _16 A heritage to discover through wine tourism _17 18_ Great events for consumers 19_ A committed team at your service Editorial lready 5 years since the Côtes de Bordeaux appellation was born! 5 years in which the Blaye, Cadillac, Castillon and Francs appellations have chosen to come together around a common visual identity and family Aname to offer more consistency to consumers, improve promotion of pro- ducts, develop brands . Since 2009 the Union des Côtes has created its internal structure and put itself at the service of winegrowers and merchants. A clear strategy oriented towards export has been defined and numerous promotional activities have been put in place, destined for professionals, press and consumers. A determined and dynamic action plan that has rapidly borne fruit, both economically and commercially: 3rd AOP appellation for still red wines in supermarkets, doubling of the export market share, increased volumes in France . the Union des Côtes has had a string of successes and improved 3 economic performance over these 5 years! But faced with every-increasing competition, it is essential to remain fo- cused on the concerns of marketers. For this reason we have chosen to undertake a real review of our identity, to define who we are, what unites us, what differentiates us, what are our strengths in offering a clear and coherent message to all our partners. In fact we still have many challenges ahead of us: recapturing the export market share for Bordeaux wines, developing brands with merchants . and it is this work and our continuous efforts that will allow us to take the Côtes de Bordeaux still further. Together, in collaboration with the winegrowers, merchants and all our partners, we are going to follow this strategy to spread the word about our wines and our know-how still further throughout the world, and enjoy many and great future successes. Happy Birthday to the Côtes de Bordeaux! Stéphane Héraud President of the Union des Côtes de Bordeaux Côtes de Bordeaux 2015 Heart & Soul 4 regions at the heart of Bordeaux In brief: remarkable! A young and switched-on appellation, the wines and the growers are approachable and friendly. Through its dynamism and its modernity, it is the appellation that likes to get noticed! Geographic location: 45km to the north of Bordeaux, facing the Médoc 5 500 hectares in 40 communes. Average size of estates: Around 15 hectares Average production: red 250 000 hl Winegrowers: 430 Cooperatives: 3 4 Terroir: Clay-limestone, clay-gravel and clay-si- lica soils. Sub-soil composed of ferruginous hardpan. Temperate climate. Relatively high humi- dity reinforced by the maritime influence. Strong sunshine: 240 days per year. Grape varieties: Red (95% of production): 70 % Merlot, 20 % Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Mal- bec / White: 90% Sauvignon, 10% Muscadelle and Sémillon. In brief: elegant and refined Press house: 1 The Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux appellation offers Terroir: Soil: limestone covered with pebbly carefully crafted wines, subtle and delicate, gravel on the peaks, clay-limestone in the middle always bottled at the château. and fine gravel mixed with silica at the foot of the Geographic location: On the right bank of the slopes. Climate tempered by the proximity of the Garonne, it forms a thin strip 60km long and 5km river, with south/south-west slopes with a high wide from the north of Bordeaux to Langon. 2 400 degree of sunshine. hectares over 39 communes. Grape varieties: 55 % Merlot, 25 % Cabernet Sau- Average size of estates: Around 10 hectares vignon, 15 % Cabernet Franc, 5 % Malbec. Average production: red 100 000 hl Winegrowers: 220 Cooperative: 1 Blaye – Cadillac – Castillon – Francs In brief: a combination of daring and scarcity Strong in flavour and created by bold owners to give well-tempered wines: Franc Côtes de Bor- deaux combines daring with scarcity. Geographic location: 50km to the north-east of Bordeaux and 10km to the east of St-Emilion, it adjoins the appellation Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux. 500 hectares in 3 communes. Average size of estates: 10 hectares Average production: red 16 000 hl / dry white 830 hl / dessert wine 9 hl Winegrowers: 46 5 Cooperative: 1 Terroir: Sub-soil made up of fossil-rich limestone covered with limestone molasse called «mo- lasses d’Agenais». Dry continental climate, cold in winter and hot in summer. Land with eastern ex- posure on the hillsides and very sunny, protected from hail and the storms that occur in the valleys of the Isle and Dordogne rivers. Grape varieties: Red: 60 % Merlot, 25 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 15 % Cabernet Franc White: 60 % Sémillon, 32 % Sauvignon, 8 % Muscadelle In brief: designer wines Terroir: Soil: modern alluvium towards the With style and personality, intense and silky, the north on the edge of the Dordogne, sandy-gravel Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux are designer wines. or sandy-clay which turn into clay-limestone or Geographic location: marlstone on the hillsides. Oceanic climate, tem- 45km to the east of Bordeaux, bordered on the perate with a mild and humid character, tending west by the St-Emilion region, to the south by the towards continental. Dordogne river and to the east by the Dordogne Grape varieties: 70 % Merlot, 20 % Cabernet department. 2 300 hectares over 9 communes. Franc, 10 % Cabernet Sauvignon. Average size of estates: 10 hectares Average production: 100 000 hl Winegrowers: 230 Cooperatives: 3 Côtes de Bordeaux 2015 Heart & Soul Bordeaux, Heart & Soul With nearly 112 200 hectares, Bordeaux is the largest AOC vineyard in France, with production of 5.2 million hectolitres of wine (ten-year average) by 6600 winegrowers over 60 appellations. At the heart of this is a flagship appellation: the Côtes de Bordeaux _ nearly 1000 producers _ an area of 11 000 hectares _ around 500 000 hectolitres produced each year on average (of which 97% is red). so 10 % of Bordeaux wines, in other words 1 bottle in 10, and the 3rd red wine AOC in France! Created in 2007, the Union des Côtes de Bordeaux has united the terroirs of Blaye, Cadillac, Castillon and Francs under a single banner, and developed a collective, recognisable “brand”: 6 the AOC Côtes de Bordeaux. With common technical specifications, visual identity and family name, obligatory as from the 2009 vintage, this new appellation has, since its launch, sought to improve product recognition thanks to the naming of the terroirs “Blaye, Cadillac, Castillon and Francs” and a common family name “Côtes de Bor- deaux”, thereby promoting the personality and typical character of each of the wines. Overseas, it has also allowed easier identification of the geographical production zone “Bordeaux” and to take advantage of its fame, while at the same time promoting the characteristic terroir of the “coteaux”, or hillsides. Important dates for the Côtes de Bordeaux: 1985 2004/ October _ The wines of the Côtes July 2007 2008 de Bordeaux decided to pool their resources in _ The idea of a recogni- _ Publication of the draft order to establish a real sable collective brand technical specifications identity and to communi- was developed, to reunite for the new appellation in cate with a single voice: the appellations of the the Official Journal. This birth of the association of association under one provided for the use of a the 5 Côtes de Bordeaux. banner: the AOC Côtes common family name - de Bordeaux. The former Côtes de Bordeaux - and a association became the first name - Blaye, Francs, Union des Côtes de Bor- Castillon or Cadillac - to deaux, uniting the terroirs highlight the personality of Blaye, Cadillac, Castillon of each terroir.. and Francs.. Blaye – Cadillac – Castillon – Francs After the first very promising economic results, the Union des Côtes de Bordeaux decided to take the appellation to still greater heights. For this reason, 5 years after it was introduced, it has under- taken a real review of its identity and positioning on the wine market, resulting in a clear and cohe- rent message: Bordeaux, Heart & Soul. A new slogan and new visuals to explain to everyone what it means to choose a Côtes de Bordeaux. Through the visuals and the slogan “Heart & Soul”, some fundamental elements of the DNA of the Côtes become apparent: Côtes de Bordeaux 2015 Blaye - Cadillac Origin, Côtes & Cœur Castillon - Francs with the use of the Bordeaux bottle Modernity, thanks to the clean-cut graphics Sharing: with the ampersand, An advantage: which is the link between the hillsides, which are the 4 regions of the Côtes a reminder of the logo de Bordeaux and dynamism of the Côtes Values: 7 a slogan with multiple meanings Because beyond a simple visual identity, the Côtes de Bordeaux is above all a union with strong histori- cal roots, values, common characteristics and ambitions for the future. 31 October December December April 2009 2011 2013 2015 _ In consultation with the _ Decree approving the _ The first very encoura- _ Definition of the posi- INAO and the professional technical specifications. ging economic results. The tioning of the Côtes de authorities of Bordeaux, Union is up and running. Bordeaux and creation of the new AOC “Côtes de a new visual identity. Bordeaux” was officially