Castillon & Francs Côtes de Bordeaux

Castillon and Francs lie about 45 kilometres east of Bordeaux on the right bank of the Dordogne, adjoining the Saint-Émilion area. Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux covers roughly 2,300 hectares in nine communes; near Castillon-la-Bataille the Hundred Years' War ended in 1453. The Francs Côtes de Bordeaux appellation is much smaller, at about 490 hectares around Francs, Saint-Cibard and Tayac.

The land rises from the river to a limestone plateau. Close to the Dordogne the soils are sand and gravel, clay lies at the foot of the slopes, and the plateau itself offers limestone with more finesse and depth. In Francs, clayey limestone soils shape the rolling hills. The climate is oceanic with mild winters and warm summers; autumn rain and late frosts influence the vintages.

Red wine dominates. In Castillon Merlot accounts for about three quarters of the vineyard area, followed by Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon; in Francs Malbec and Petit Verdot are added. Since the 2000s owners from Saint-Émilion have also invested here, among them Stephan von Neipperg and the Thienpont family.