Entre-deux-Mers AOC

The Entre-deux-Mers region is a 5,000 km² hilly landscape in the French département of Gironde. It is located in the south-east of the Bordeaux region between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers. The confluence of these rivers forms the Gironde estuary. The name is not derived from "mer" (sea), but from "marée" (tide). This is because the two rivers that border the wine-growing region are characterised by the tide pushing inland from the Atlantic via the Gironde. To the east of this (beyond the Dordogne), the rive droite area begins with the Saint-Émilion and Pomerol appellations and further north Fronsac.

Climate & soil

The vineyards cover 2,400 hectares of vines. Due to the nearby Atlantic Ocean, the climate is temperate and maritime with warm summers, mild winters and even rainfall. The hilly landscape ensures good aeration of the vineyards and reduces the risk of fungal diseases. The soils consist mainly of limestone, clay, sand and marl with a variety of different terroirs.

Wines

The white wines are made from the varieties Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Muscadelle (up to 70%), Merlot Blanc (max. 30%), as well as Colombard, Mauzac Blanc and Ugni Blanc = Trebbiano Toscano (max. 10%).

Until the 2022 vintage, red wines could only be marketed under the AOC designations Bordeaux or Bordeaux Supérieur. The Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec (Cot), Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot varieties, supplemented with Carmenère (max. 30%), are authorised for the red wines AOC Entre-deux-mers permitted from the 2024 vintage.

Entre-deux-Mers Haut-Benauge & Bordeaux Haut-Benauge

The southern communes of Arbis, Cantois, Escoussans, Cornac, Ladaux, Mourens, Saint-Pierre-de-Bat, Soulignac and Targon have the right to use the Entre-deux-Mers Haut-Benauge appellation. Wines with more than 4 g/l residual sugar can be marketed as Bordeaux Haut-Benauge.

Other AOC areas

In addition to the Entre-deux-Mers appellation, there are numerous other AOCs as enclaves that specialise in red wines, sweet wines or sparkling wines. These are Cadillac - Côtes de Bordeaux, Côtes de Bordeaux Saint-Macaire, Graves de Vayres, Loupiac, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont and Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux.

Producers

Well-known producers are Château Bonnet (part of the Lurton empire), Château de Camarsac, Château La Courtiade Peyvergès, Château de L'Hoste - Blanc, Château Landereau, Château Launay, Château Moulin-de-Launay, Château Ninon, Château Paradis Casseuil, Château Queyret-Pouillac, Château Rauzan-Despagne, Château Sainte-Marie, Château Thieuley, Château Tour-de-Mirambeau, Château Toutigeac and Domaine de Lisennes.

By Domenico-de-ga from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
Changes by Norbert F. J. Tischelmayer 2025