Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux, part of the Côtes de bordeaux appellation, officially recognized in 2011, for the ambitious reds made on the south-facing slopes along the right bank of the Garonne between Bordeaux and Langon, once called premières côtes de bordeaux. Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc are planted on about 1,000 ha/5,000 acres of vineyard dedicated to the production of these often good-value reds. The soils here are very varied, with the coteaux rising from the river bank offering the most valuably gravelly or calcareous terrain. Clay predominates on the plateau between the coteaux and the Entre-Deux-Mers boundary. The relatively small quantity of sweet white wines produced on this strip of land are called Premières Côtes de Bordeaux. There is a recognizable band of seriously ambitious producers here, especially of quite concentrated red wines which may lack the ageing potential of Bordeaux’s more famous examples but can offer good value for drinking at three to five years old. Particularly successful properties include Chx Carignan, Carsin, Haut-Rian, Lezongars, Parenchère, and Reynon. See bordeaux for more detail.
