The Château la Gravette of Côtes du Marmandais of South West

Discovering the wine region of Côtes du Marmandais

Côtes du Marmandais is a satellite district of the Bordeaux wine region in Southwest France. It owes its name to the town of Marmande at its centre, which Lies on the North bank of the Garonne. The appellation AOC Côtes du Marmandais covers red, white and rosé wines produced from grapes grown in defined areas of the parishes around Marmande. The Garonne River divides the Marmande district into two Parts, the north and the south, which are eastern extensions of the Entre-deux-Mers and Graves regions respectively.

The northern part has the clay-limestone soils of Entre-Deux-Mers, in which Merlot grows well, while the gravels provide excellent growing conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. The alluvial silts of the plateaus are also suitable for wine growing. The quality of the wines produced in the Côtes du Marmandais has steadily improved over the last few decades, with the prestige of Bordeaux having reached its current peak and the region having obtained its own appellation contrôlée in 1990. Previously, its wines were labelled with the less prestigious VDQS designation.