Cave du Marmandais is a 'satellite' district of the Bordeaux wine region of south-western France. It is named after the town of Marmande at its centre, which sits on the northern bank of the Garonne river. The appellation AOC Cotes du Marmandais covers red, white and rose wines produced from grapes grown within specified areas of the parishes around Marmande.
The quality of wine produced in the Cotes du Marmandais has steadily increased over the past few decades as Bordeaux's prestige reached its current heights, and the district was granted its own controlled appellation in 1990. Previously, its wines were labelled with the less-prestigious VDQS denomination.
Cabernet Sauvigon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot are the dominant varieties used in AOC Marmandais red wines, and are permitted to form a maximum 75% of a finished wine. The other authorised varieties set the Cotes du Marmandais apart from Bordeaux. They include the local grapes Abouriou, Malbec and Fer, as well as – surprisingly – the eastern French varieties Gamay and Syrah.
