TERROIR PROFILE
Graves de Vayres
Gravel enclave on the Dordogne
Graves de Vayres: gravel on the left bank of the Dordogne, fruity reds and whites.
Climate, site & wine
Gravel, ferruginous sandstone layers, ochre clay and sand rest on clay-limestone and sandy subsoil; the soils are well drained.
Merlot for fruity, early-accessible reds and Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon for dry whites are the main varieties. Besides red and dry white wine, sweet whites are also permitted; the appellation covers the commune of Vayres and the Arveyres plateau. Vayres lies opposite Libourne.
TERROIR PROFILE · Bordeaux
Graves de Vayres Gravel enclave on the Dordogne
Graves de Vayres: gravel on the left bank of the Dordogne, fruity reds and whites.
SOILS
Gravel / Sandlight, approachable
Gravel and sand drain heavily — vines struggle for water, wines turn fine, light and elegant.
Sandaromatic, approachable
Loose sand and wind-blown sand warm up quickly and hold little water — they give aromatic, early-drinking wines with soft tannins; phylloxera-resistant.
CLIMATE · Maritime
The area lies on the left bank of the Dordogne opposite Libourne; the gravel island is surrounded by the clay-limestone soils of the Entre-Deux-Mers. The climate is Atlantic.
TOPOGRAPHY · gentle
Vineyards around Vayres and the Arveyres plateau on terraces of the Dordogne, covering about 600 hectares. The ground rests on clay-limestone and sandy subsoil.
WHAT IT MEANS IN THE GLASS
Similar terroirs worldwide
Computed from fingerprint similarity
Dealurile Buzăului
Muntenia & Oltenia Hills
100% similar
- Graves de Vayres and Dealurile Buzăului share a strikingly similar fingerprint — the differences lie in soil and grape varieties.
Médoc & Haut-Médoc
Bordeaux
96% similar
- Body (slightly): Graves de Vayres gives less body → finer, lighter wines (6 vs. 7).
Wineries on this terroir
See all 6 →This terroir's soils in the glossary