Appellation
Côtes de Duras
Identity card
AOPRedRoséWhiteSweet
South West France · Recognised on 16 February 1937
Key points
- Reds, rosés, dry and sweet whites from the 15 communes of the canton of Duras.
- Sweet wines: over 12 g/l of sugar, at least 11.5% natural alcohol.
- Reds and rosés: at most 55 hl/ha and at least 10.5% natural alcohol.
Grape varieties
Rosé
MerlotCabernet FrancCabernet SauvignonCot
Accessory varieties: Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris (grape entry not yet written), Muscadelle (20% at most of the holding's vines)
Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris · 10% at most of the holding's vines
Muscadelle · 10% at most of the holding's vines
Black and white grapes blended only as grapes or musts
WhiteSweet
SémillonSauvignon BlancSauvignon Gris (grape entry not yet written)MuscadelleChenin BlancMauzacOndenc
Accessory varieties: Colombard (grape entry not yet written), Ugni Blanc (25% at most of the holding's vines)
Colombard · 10% at most of the holding's vines
Accessory grapes: no more vines than the two Sauvignons together
Production rules
55
hl/ha
Maximum yield
10.5
% ABV
Minimum natural alcohol
- Maximum yield
- How much wine a hectare may produce under the appellation (a higher, exceptional ceiling often exists). The lower it is, the less can be made: one of the levers on how concentrated the grapes are. For reference: 35 hl/ha to 80 hl/ha across 148 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
- Minimum natural alcohol
- The alcohol the grapes' own sugar must be able to give, without enrichment: a ripeness threshold at harvest. For reference: 9 % ABV to 14.5 % ABV across 97 Oenopia appellations of the same colour.
Terroir
- Lie of the land: Hills and dales north of the Dropt, a south-facing plateau
- Soils: Molasse, Castillon limestone, boulbènes
- Climate: Oceanic; sunny autumns
Wine style
- Red
- Merlot's suppleness
- the Cabernets' tannins
- roundness
- White
- Boxwood
- Blackcurrant bud
- fruity and fresh
- Sweet
- rich and concentrated
- ripe fruit
- sometimes candied fruit
Boundaries: INAO, AOC vineyard plot delimitation (September 2026 edition) · Open Licence
Specification
28 July 2025
Order of 28 July 2025 approving the specification of the AOC “Côtes de Duras” (JORF no. 0175 of 30 July 2025, text no. 50; BO no. 32 of 7 August 2025). Appellation first recognised by the decree of 16 February 1937.
Labelling terms
- Dry whites: the word "sec" must appear on the label
Nearby appellations
Sources
- Official sourceCahier des charges de l'appellation d'origine contrôlée « Côtes de Duras »— Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) / Ministère de l'agriculture
The fifteen communes of the canton of Duras, in the Lot-et-Garonne, north of the Dropt valley, where the Entre-deux-Mers plateau runs on. The appellation covers reds and rosés from the Bordeaux varieties, dry whites often led by Sauvignon, and a small output of sweet whites, mostly from Sémillon. A dry white must carry the word "sec" on its label.
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Côtes de Duras
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