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ENTRE-DEUX-MERS : THE LAND IN-BETWEEN

We live in a polarized world, and wine is no exception. Are you Team New World or Team Old World ? Team Italy or Team France ? Team Burgundy or Team Bordeaux ? Team Left Bank or Team Right Bank ? This is not a new phenomenon, but it appears to be increasingly difficult to occupy the middle ground, to exist “in-between”. Which is exactly where my new home is : the Entre-deux-Mers, the land in-between. To nascent fine wine enthusiasts, Bordeaux is presented as a clear left-right dichotomy, Cabernet or Merlot, grace or opulence, choose your camp. The reality is that, until this year, the Medoc accounted for only 15% of total Bordeaux vineyard area, and the Libournais only 22%. The single largest area, with nearly half of all vineyard plantings, was the Entre-deux-Mers (although these figures will need recalculating after the current vine-rip cycle). In many senses, not least geographically, one could call the Entre-deux-Mers the heart of Bordeaux. But the entire body of Bordeaux is not in great condition right now – see my article “A Tale of Two Bordeaux” – and the very existence of the heart is challenged. Is it a bloated grey zone, a dead weight pulling down the reputation of real Bordeaux (the “good” bits, to the left and to the right), or is it an inadvertent victim of the hubris of its more famous neighbours ? The question is important because so many economic livelihoods here depend on understanding the current malaise and identifying a way forward, for each estate individually and for the region as a whole.

Entre-deux-Mers is the name of both a region and a wine. The region itself is significant in size, as stated above, with 47000 hectares of vines at the start of 2024. However, only 1500 hectares are dedicated to the production of AOP Entre-deux-Mers wine. This disconnect leads to evident confusion, and requires some historical perspective. The appellation was created way back in 1937 for white wines only, and amended in 1953 to cover just dry white wines. No doubt there was commercial logic for these decisions – remember that Bordeaux produced as much if not more white than red until the turbulent disruptions of the 1970s – but the region began to take a very different course as it sensed a much bigger opportunity for reds. Advances in winemaking science enabled the production of higher quality red wines, not just in the historically famous terroirs, but anywhere with half decent drainage and a budget for the necessary equipment. Across the whole of Bordeaux, Sémillon (previously the most planted variety) as well as Ugni Blanc and Colombard were replaced by Merlot, and new vineyards planted wherever suitable land could be found. The top names of Pauillac and Pomerol made the headlines, which spurred demand for red Bordeaux at all price points, and the Entre-deux-Mers pivoted towards a more professionalized, consolidated, monoculture of generic red production under the appellations Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur.

The Entre-deux-Mers appellation was further marginalized by its insistence on blending at least two varietals and minimal planting density of 4500 vines per hectares. These quality criteria excluded cheap and easy-to-run 1mx3m vine spacings, and commercially fashionable 100% Sauvignon cuvées, which have to be labelled as Bordeaux Blanc even if they come from the Entre-deux-Mers. What was left to carry the flag for the region obeyed the official appellation blueprint of “straw yellow colour tinged with green, ample and round, aromatic notes of white flowers, citrus and exotic fruits”, which was often interpreted as pick early to ensure the white floral notes. This herbaceous style of wine, popular with the locals who wash down their Sunday morning oysters with a glass before moving onto the serious business of red wine, has never gained traction beyond a certain traditional clientele. 70% is sold in France, much is made by co-operatives, the remainder by just 125 independent wineries.

The anomaly of a white wine only appellation representing an eponymous region dedicated mainly to red wine production endured right up until 2023, when rules were finally agreed for an Entre-deux-Mers red AOP. These will begin to appear on the market only in 2025, because of minimum ageing requirements. Like the whites, the insistence is on blending two or more varietals, with stricter maximum yields and minimum planting densities than for regular Bordeaux Rouge. Thermovinification is banned, as is the use of oak chips. The idea is to establish the appellation above both Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur qualitatively. So far, 40 growers have submitted wines for this new AOP, from 260 hectares of vineyard. Do not expect a tsunami of red Entre-deux-Mers to flood the market immediately !

The current economic problems facing the entire Bordeaux vignoble are widely documented and evident to see as one drives around the Entre-deux-Mers, with at least 10% of the region’s vineyards ripped out since the beginning of the year. There are many parallels between the Bordeaux industry upheavals of the 1970s and the current crisis. Both can be read as global macroeconomic shocks exposing a shaky model based on overproduction of wines out of synch with consumer demand, relying for sales on negociants weighed down by expensive inventory judged to be overpriced by the market. Total vineyard area fell from 105 000 hectares to 96 000 over the course of the 1970s, and the number of growers plummeted from 35 000 to 24 000. We do not yet know how deep the current crisis will cut, but we can already sense the human cost in abandoned dreams and lost livelihoods. Those still in the game seek reassurance in the knowledge that Bordeaux not only rose from the ashes of the 1970s crisis, but embarked upon perhaps its greatest ever golden age.  However, it is not predetermined that this will happen again, nor how much vineyard area any renaissance might support.

Given that generic Bordeaux has been the worst hit by falling demand and the resulting collapse in prices, it would seem intelligent for Entre-deux-Mers producers to move upmarket, focusing on higher quality wines. This fits with the Entre-deux-Mers appellation positioning, with its superior qualitative criteria, and regionality identification. But it does require that the market buys the story, so we need to ask whether the Entre-deux-Mers can actually deliver genuine quality and identifiable regional character, in terms of the wines already being made, and in terms of its terroir potential : climate, soils, suitability to different grapes and styles.

Climate does not vary significantly from one corner of the greater Bordeaux area to another, but there is a definite localized effect in the Entre-deux-Mers. My personal observation is temperatures regularly 2 to 4 degrees below those recorded at Merignac, the base for “Bordeaux” weather reporting. Locals claim this is due to the particular effects of the tidal rivers that enclose it (tides may well have a wider range of powers than we imagine, knowledge known to the ancients who named the entire region after these elemental forces). What is undeniable is that this is, by Bordeaux standards, a cooler climate zone. Problematic when you were trying to compete in the era of “big reds”, this could be the secret weapon of the Entre-deux-Mers in a new age of global warming and changing consumer tastes towards lighter, fresher wines.

Making generalisations about the soils of the Entre-deux-Mers is less easy. One finds the same range of soil types as in Saint-Emilion, plus some more. There are isolated outcrops of limestone throughout the zone, but otherwise this tertiary bedrock is buried below diverse layers of sedimentary deposits and alluvials : “molasse de Fronsadais” (the fine clay responsible for many of the great Right Bank wines), heavy clays, calcareous clays, old sands, silt, even some gravel in places. The exact composition depends on topography because, for an essentially low-lying plateau, the Entre-deux-Mers is surprisingly bumpy, with a series of folds in the land, criss-crossed and rutted by the erosive effects of multiple streams that traverse the zone. The heaviest, worst-draining soils tend to be found in the dells, but these are formally excluded from the Entre-deux-Mers appellation area. Otherwise, we can remark ridges of higher land above the banks of the Garonne and Dordogne, and useful expanses of highish (100m altitude) uplands in the centre. Apparently, what was deposited by the Dordogne differs from what was deposited by the Garonne, but the geological map does not divide into easy-to-classify subregions. Instead, quality potential varies considerably from one plot to another.

The fashion for Merlot has produced mixed results in the Entre-deux-Mers, but this is not always the fault of the grape itself. Excess yields, poor canopy management, early picking and a lack of sorting are often the real culprits. Merlot remains an excellent variety when treated with respect. Some suggest a move to Cabernet Franc and/or Malbec, but neither of these capricious grapes will work better if the soils are heavy and poorly-drained. In some cases, vineyards are just not the most appropriate use of the land. But in many other cases, the solution may actually be to heed the wisdom of the elders, and go back to white grapes. This also has commercial logic nowadays, because the total offer of reds appears to have reached saturation levels, with perhaps less competition in the quality whites category.

Whether making reds or whites, it is essential to find the balance between ambition and humility. Bordeaux is hierarchical, and for certain reasons – as much to do with transport links and political connections as with simple geology – Entre-deux-Mers finds itself far from the top of the pecking order. Should producers here accept their allotted place in the hierarchy, and make modest wines that compete in a category driven by price, or should they try to break the glass ceiling ? And in trying, will they find a market for their ambitious but necessarily more expensive wines, or leave themselves in commercial no-mans-land…“entre-deux-chaises”, “entre-deux-marchés” ?

Now the world of wine is full of brave souls determined to break glass ceilings. Some succeed, revealing the potential of terroirs which had not previously been exploited or appreciated to their true value. Others fall victim to their own hubris, provoking cynical commentators to remind you that “one can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear”. In an area of such varied terroir, the ambition needs to be matched to the reality of each individual site, as much to achieve balanced, drinkable wines as to find one’s commercial niche.

In my research, I have been lucky enough to have received tremendous help from Frédéric Roger at the Maison des Vins de l’Entre-deux-Mers, who organized for me a comprehensive tasting of the wines, supplied detailed geological maps, introduced me to growers, and also invited me to preside over the judging of this year’s “TOP VIN” (vingt), the annual blind tasting to select and reward the 20 best wines of the Entre-deux-Mers appellation. Necessarily restricted to whites for the moment, this was not the opportunity to judge the region’s most ambitious reds, but I intend to pursue this subject and share my discoveries as I make them.

Among the 77 whites submitted to TOP VIN, 17 were categorised by ‘ambitious’ ageing regimes (oak, amphora…), the rest were variations on the classic recipe of cool fermentation and limited ageing in stainless steel. The more ‘ambitious’ cuvées certainly caught our attention, with 5 of these 17 making it to the top 20, although a few others displayed excess wood and/or balance problems. Among the more classic group, we were pleased to remark very few of the “old school” lean and vegetal wines that used to define the region’s whites. Instead, there was a relative homogeneity of clean, crisp, delicately fruity wines. They all showed high acid (2023 vintage), but in the good ones, the acid was balanced by a decent degree of fruit concentration. Many were mineral, often saline, and some offered a dash of herbal bitterness too.

This strikes me as a style in tune with developing global tastes. It does require a degree of technical investment and quantitative sacrifice, which means slightly higher pricing, and the challenge will be to connect with the markets, but we know Bordeaux is full of sales and marketing professionals looking for opportunities right now. Maybe a couple of the most ambitious cuvées can attain some degree of icon status, and help attract attention and credibility to the whole region. This will also be the best case scenario for the region’s reds, with two or three top terroir bottlings emerging to challenge the hierarchy and open the door for a larger offer of well-made, well-balanced, elegant Merlot-driven blends. The Entre-deux-Mers wine region will emerge from the current crisis smaller, and no doubt somewhat traumatised, but there are real reasons to believe that this charming and less heavily-marketed part of Bordeaux, with its pretty landscapes, populated by authentic vignerons and vigneronnes, has a bright future.

TOP VIN 2024 WINNERS

Ajisai « Premiere Pressée » 2023, Vignobles Baylet

Chateau Les Arromans 2023, Joel Duffau

« Les Fleurs du Mal » 2023, Château Aurore

Château Beauregard-Ducourt 2023, Vignobles Ducourt

Château Chantelouve 2023, EARL Lescoutras

« Diane » Sauvignon 2023, Vignobles André Lurton

« Le Veggie » 2023, Vignobles Dulon

« Ephémère par Jean-Christophe Icard» 2023, Vignobles Icard

Excelium Réserve 2022, Bordeaux Families

Château de Fontenille 2023

Château Hostin Le Roc « Grande Cuvée » 2023

Chateau de Lagarde 2023, SCEA Raymond

Château La Grande Métairie 2023, Vignobles Buffeteau

Château de l’Orangerie 2023, Vignobles Icard

Château La Peyre 2023

Château Redon 2023, Vignobles Ducourt

Château Thieuley 2023, Vignobles Courselle

Château Tour du Mirambeau 2023, Vignobles Despagne

Château Tuilerie Pagès 2023, Les Vignerons Réunis de Monsegur

Chateau Turcaud 2023