Côtes de Bergerac

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• Upstream from Bergerac, the outcropping geological formations consist of marine Cretaceous limestones deposited during the Mesozoic era.
• From Bergerac to Le Fleix, the soils rest on Périgord sands and clay-gravels derived from the breakdown of granitic arenes from the Massif Central.
• From Le Fleix to the Gironde, the tertiary clay-limestone substratum marks the outer limit of the Stampian sea, where astérie limestone was deposited during the Tertiary period.
• The most characteristic soils are rendzinas and calcareous brown soils, leached boulbène soils, and clay-gravelly alluvial soils on the Dordogne terraces; these poor soils ensure good control of grape yields.
• The configuration of the Dordogne valley, which opens like a funnel towards the ocean to the west, allows Atlantic mildness to penetrate nearly 100 kilometres inland.
• The climate is tempered oceanic, less rainy and slightly cooler than on the Atlantic seaboard, with the wettest months falling in December, January, and May.

• In 1254, Henry III authorised wines from Bergerac, shipped via Libourne or Bordeaux, to be exported in any season without restriction from the Bordelais to northern Europe.
• The revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 drove the Huguenots into exile in Holland, Germany, and Switzerland, fostering a flourishing trade in white wines and clarets with northern Europe.
• The vineyard area upstream from Bergerac disappeared due to a succession of rapids known as the 'Pas de la Gratusse,' which made navigation by flat-bottomed barges extremely difficult.

• The red wines display a more developed bouquet with spice or vanilla aromas, generally firm but unaggressive tannins that mellow with age, and a finish with a slight sensation of freshness.
• The white wines are mainly medium-sweet, occasionally off-dry or sweet, with aromas of fresh or candied fruit and a subtle balance between sweetness and acidity that preserves their freshness.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in France

Sources

• Product specification (BO Agri, PDF)
• Official INAO text (show_texte)
• INAO product entry
• Official trade body site — IVBD — Vins de Bergerac & Duras