A brief lesson on the wines of Duras

Note that the Cotes de Duras appelation is marked in orange, near the center of the map.

Cotes de Duras is an appellation for red, white and rosé wines that come from a small area of southwestern France. In fact, the vineyard area, which covers land in the northwest corner of the Lot-et-Garonne department, can be considered a small offshoot of the larger Bordeaux wine region. Red wines based on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and white wines based on Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc are – perhaps not surprisingly – the appellation's specialties.

The vineyard area centers on the town of Duras, which lies on a river-carved plateau of hills and valleys that is bounded to the south by the Dropt river valley. Broadly speaking, the landscape faces south, and the land rises gradually from the river to the hills along the northeastern border. The vineyards of Entre-Deux-Mers lie to the west, while Bergerac is to the east.

Cotes de Duras vineyards are largely planted on limestone slopes and hilltops, rather than on the gravel soils that are common further west. Instead, chalky, clayey limestone soils dominate vineyards at the top of the slopes, while sandy boulbènes soils are found in the lower-lying land nearer the river. These soils are good for viticulture and retain sufficient water for vine hydration without waterlogging the plants.

The maritime climate here is not dissimilar to that of Bordeaux, although being slightly further from the coast there is a little more seasonal variation. Mild springs encourage early budbreak, while warm, sunny summers provide excellent opportunities for ripening, particularly given the area's southerly exposure. In autumn, morning fog followed by warm afternoons is conducive to the development of Botrytis cinerea, and some sweet white wines are made under the Cotes de Duras appellation.

Permitted grape varieties in Cotes de Duras wines borrow heavily from their Bordelais cousins, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc making up the red wines. These wines lack a defining characteristic and are similar in style to many from Bordeaux. The appellation's dry white wines are generally drier and fresher in style, and may be made only from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadelle, Mauzac, Chenin Blanc and Ondenc.

The vineyards surrounding Duras have been producing wine for centuries and, over time, have been associated with both the Bordeaux and Bergerac regions. Cotes de Duras has been an officially recognized appellation since it became an AOC in 1937 – a lot earlier than many other Sud-Ouest appellations.

(Text from the wine-searcher.com website)