Côtes-de-Bourg

Infobox Commune de France|nomcommune=Bourg
région=Aquitaine
département=Gironde
arrondissement=Libourne
canton=Libourne
longitude=00° 35.5' 0" W
latitude=45° 2.5' 0" N
insee=33710
cp=33330
maire=
mandat=2007-2008
intercomm=
longitude=-0.5588
latitude=45.0149
alt moy=20 m
alt mini=3 m
alt maxi=107 m
hectares=2,702
km²=27.02
sans=2345
date-sans=1999
dens=86|

Côtes-de-Bourg is a wine region around the small town of Bourg-sur-Gironde near Bordeaux, France. The first vineyards in the area were founded by the Romans. In the Middle Ages, Bourg was a major port for wine and the vineyards developed at the same tempo as the estuary traffic. The Côtes de Bourg appellation, in the north of the patchwork of Bordeaux wines, took its first steps on the east bank of the Gironde. At the time, the inhabitants of Bourg were fishermen, sailors or winemakers and the latter benefited from the perfect combination of a commercially minded town and a soil made for the vine [www.cotes-de-bourg.com] .

Administration

Demographics

Démographie
1962= 2518
1968= 2560
1975= 2318
1982= 2107
1990= 2158
1999= 2115
sansdoublescomptes= 1962|source=INSEE [ [http://www.recensement.insee.fr/RP99/rp99/co_navigation.co_page?nivgeo=C&codgeo=33067&theme=ALL&typeprod=ALL&lang=FR&quelcas=LISTE Bourg sur le site de l'Insee] ]

History

Historians date the first vineyards from the 2nd century AD, when the Roman occupants planted the first “Vitis Biturica”, the forerunner of Cabernet. They understood that the combination of rich soil, climate and exposition of the east bank were ideal for cultivating the grape. Until the 9th century, the wine trade operated alongside the tin trade which in turn complemented quarrying. Nowadays, the area has many abandoned limestone quarries that provided stone for building the city of Bordeaux. All of this makes up the history of the growth of winemaking in the area since the appellation has a range of gravel, alluvium, clay and limestone soils.

Geography

Bourg is located 20 km north-west of Bordeaux, at the confluence of the rivers Dordogne and Garrone with an average altitude of 20 m above sea level.

ights

Wine

Historically the region produced robust and sober wines. More recently the wines are becoming more approachable with the introduction of new wine producers using more fruit driven vinification techniques. Red Côtes de Bourg are garnet in colour and are predominantly based on the Merlot grape, blended with smaller quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Some Chateaux still use Malbec as part of the blend. They can be laid down for ten years or more but can also be drunk young.

A small amount of white wine is made from Ugni Blanc and Colombard grapes. There are around 200 Chateaux producers in the appellation [www.cotes-de-bourg.com] .

Terroir

The vine has been established in le Bourgeais for centuries and the current varieties have been selected because of their performance in relation to the soil. The Côtes de Bourg are characterized by the diversity and richness of their soils which is why the term “macroterroir” is used to designate the particularities of the land and “mésoclimat” to define the local climate resulting from the influence of geography on climate.

Although the Côtes de Bourg is composed of mainly clay and limestone soils, their make-up is so rich that there is a veritable mosaic of sand and gravel in the area around Pugnac. This patchwork of soils goes some way to explaining the term “macroterroir”. Three types are predominant. Firstly, the Sienna-red Quaternary alluvium that is quite specific to the region and situated more on the heights: Merlot and Malbec are widely cultivated. Merlot and Cabernet are planted on clay and sandy gravel soils while Merlot is also grown on the widespread areas of clay and limestone.

The Atlantic Ocean plays an important role in the temperate climate of le Bourgeais and this accentuates the expression of terroir, aided by the regulation of temperatures by the effects of the Gironde estuary. According to scientists, especially Jean Duteau, the Côtes de Bourg benefits from 10% additional sunlight, 1° to 2° less extreme temperatures and a 10% to 25% lower rainfall depending on the year, in comparison with Bordeaux.

Notable people from Bourg sur Gironde

* Léo Lagrange
* Pierre Bazzo : coureur cycliste
* Émile Couzinet, cinéaste, y est né le 12 novembre 1896

Gallery

ee also

References

External links

*http://www.cotes-de-bourg.com Maison du vin Bourg
*http://www.mairie-bourg-gironde.fr/
*http://www.bourg-sur-gironde.com/