In a little Tuscany looking-like countryside, the Duras winemakers grow their originality and authenticity through a “rebellious attitude”.
The Château of Duras, standing on its rocky peak, represents the winemakers’ pride. It overlooks the plain falling towards Gironde and delimits the Côte de Duras vineyard, full of green hills.
A rebels’ land
Inside this land, biodiversity is a master. There are no monotony nor monoculture but the charm of a curvaceous landscape with its small valleys, vines, wooded countryside, plum tree fields, and woods to create a beautiful scene.
Near the lovely village of Soumensac, the vines overlook at the lake and meet Bergeracois’ vines on the other shore in Dordogne.
Born during Gallo-Roman times, the vineyard grew during the famous Hundred Years War in which we barely became English and had to drink tea! This ebullient Alienor d’Aquitaine had the rebellious idea to marry Henri II, our province fell under English control (in 1152).
Hopefully for us and for our Bergeracois neighbours, tea never replaced wine and now British people are seating at tables outside Duras’ covered market to drink a Côtes de Duras dry or rosé wine.
Côtes de Duras vineyard
Same as the Hundred Years War, even if Brexit is around, British people still come and enjoy the Perigord Agenais lifestyle!
1937: Date of the decree for the Côtes de Duras appellation (one of the firsts with Montravel).
Surface: the Côtes de Duras appellation represents 1,524 ha.
200 winemakers divided into independent and cooperative winemakers (72 and 118).
White grape varieties: Sauvignon, Sémillon, Muscadelle, Mauzac, Ondenc, Chenin, Ugni blanc.
Red grape varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec.
Soils and subsoils: composed of marine sediments such as heavy and sticky clays called “boulbènes” in the lower areas and south of the vineyard. A bit higher, we find clay and clay-limestone soils.
Climate: temperate, with a lovely spring favoring vine earliness and an often-rainy autumn marked by the Indian summer.
A wide range of colours to discover the rebellious attitude
Two different styles. The first one consists in producing elegant reds that are easy to drink when they’re still young. The other ones are high quality vintages, with a meticulous ageing in barrels to perfect their texture by refining the tannings and harmonise their rich aromatic pallet.
The pleasure cuvées give seducing aromas of fruits, blackcurrant and cherry.
The high quality cuvées develop a deep fruit (kirshée cherry) and complex aromas where tobacco and leather are mixed up.
Based on the principal noble and authentic South West grape varieties (mauzac, ondenc…), the dry white wines of Duras have a distinct typicity and an amazing mineral resonance.
Their rich aromatic pallet mixes floral (honeysuckle, violet and acacia flower) and fruity notes.
With a Semillon base, the soft cuvées are modern wines with a seducing balance between sugar and aromas made for current, fast, vegetarian, festive, exotic and alternative type of food.
Next to these delicate and soft wines, we have some sweet cuvées made from overripe berries (concentration thanks to the action of the noble rot).
These cuvées give a fantastic aromatic pallet and a perfect sugar-acidity balance.
Very refreshing and typed with strawberry, blackcurrant and raspberry notes.
The method used is in most cases rosé de saignée (maceration) or directly pressed, which give very deep and attractive colours.
