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Bordeaux

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MerlotCabernet SauvignonCabernet FrancSémillonSauvignon BlancMuscadelle

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Follow the rivers

  • Location: South-west France, where the Garonne and Dordogne meet to form the Gironde estuary.
  • Left Bank: Médoc lies north of Bordeaux; Graves and Sauternes extend south along the Garonne.
  • Right Bank: Libourne stands at the Isle–Dordogne confluence. Fronsac lies west of the Isle; Pomerol lies northeast of Libourne, east of the Isle, and Saint-Émilion farther east.
  • Between the rivers: Entre-deux-Mers is the land between Garonne and Dordogne; its geographical area is broader than the AOC.

Place & climate

  • Atlantic influence: An oceanic climate brings generally mild winters and rainfall through the year.
  • Hazards: Spring frost, wet flowering, mildew pressure and harvest rain can affect the crop; heat and drought also matter.
  • Soils: Gravel, clay, sand and limestone occur in varied combinations. Neither bank has one uniform soil.
  • Vine response: Drainage, water reserves and exposure influence ripening; soil does not dictate a single aroma.

The red blend

  • Cabernet Sauvignon: Late-ripening and well suited to many gravelly Médoc sites; commonly brings blackcurrant-like fruit, tannin and a firm framework.
  • Merlot: Bordeaux’s most widely planted grape. Earlier-ripening; often brings plum-like fruit and a rounded middle. It is especially prominent on the Right Bank, but also important in the Médoc. This does not mean it dominates every wine or estate blend.
  • Cabernet Franc: Adds fragrance, freshness and structure in many blends; particularly important in Saint-Émilion.
  • Petit Verdot: Can add deep colour, tannin, acidity and peppery spice. Its late ripening can be difficult in cooler seasons, so it is usually a small blending component rather than a fixed percentage.
  • Malbec: Also called Côt, it can contribute colour, fruit and structure. It is a minority Bordeaux grape but a notable Right Bank reference in Côtes de Bourg; Bourg is separate from the Côtes de Bordeaux AOC family.

The white blend

  • Sauvignon Blanc: Often brings acidity, citrus and herbal aromas to dry and sweet blends.
  • Sémillon: Often contributes texture; its susceptibility to noble rot is valuable in sweet-wine production.
  • Muscadelle: An aromatic supporting variety; it is distinct from Muscat.
  • Variations: Sauvignon Gris and other authorised varieties occur. Principal grapes are not an exhaustive regional legal list.

Climate adaptation: useful context

  • The original red trials: Arinarnoa, Castets, Marselan and Touriga Nacional were the four red varieties in the initial Bordeaux/Bordeaux Supérieur adaptation project.
  • The original white trials: Alvarinho and Liliorila were the two white examples. These six names explain the project’s starting point, not an exhaustive current legal list.
  • Current scope: The 2026 specifications include further varieties and differ by appellation and colour. For example, Alvarinho is permitted in Bordeaux dry white but not Bordeaux Supérieur.
  • Controlled use: VIFA means varieties introduced for adaptation under a controlled agreement. Small planting and blending limits apply; permission is checked AOC by AOC, not assumed across Bordeaux.

From grapes to wine

  • Reds: Fermentation with the skins extracts colour and tannin. Extraction, oak use and maturation are adjusted to the fruit and desired style.
  • Dry whites: Protective handling can preserve fresh fruit; barrel fermentation and lees ageing can add texture to some wines.
  • Élevage: Maturation can refine texture and integrate flavours. New oak is neither universal nor a quality classification.
  • Assemblage: The final blend combines separately assessed varieties and parcels. Timing and proportions vary by estate and vintage.

Noble rot & sweetness

  • Fungus: Botrytis cinerea can cause noble rot under suitable alternating humid and drying conditions.
  • Concentration: Water loss concentrates sugar and flavour; persistent damp can instead promote damaging rot.
  • Harvest: Selective hand-picking in successive passes gathers suitably ripe or botrytised fruit.
  • Wine: Sauternes, Barsac and other sweet appellations combine residual sugar with acidity; assess both in the glass.

Read the label

  • AOC / AOP: Protected origin plus production rules; the French AOC and EU AOP describe the protected-appellation framework.
  • IGP: A different protected-geographical category, usually with broader production flexibility; Atlantique is a regional example.
  • Château: An estate name is not itself a classified-growth rank.
  • Grand vin: Usually the estate’s principal wine; it is not a separate AOC tier.
  • Vintage: The harvest year, not a guarantee of quality or readiness.

Separate the classifications

  • 1855 reds: Five growth tiers, covering Médoc estates plus Haut-Brion in Graves.
  • 1855 sweet wines: Sauternes/Barsac have a separate three-category list, headed by Yquem alone.
  • Graves: A single classified level can apply to red, dry white, or both.
  • Saint-Émilion: A periodically revised estate classification, last revised in 2022. Grand Cru AOC alone does not establish whether an estate is classé.
  • Cru Bourgeois: A separate, periodically revised Médoc classification; Pomerol has no official growth ranking.

Trade vocabulary

  • Place de Bordeaux: In the traditional system, a château sells through a broker (courtier) to a merchant (négociant), who distributes the wine internationally. This is a common trade model, not a compulsory route for every estate.
  • En primeur: Wine is bought before bottling, usually from an offer in the spring after harvest while it is still maturing in barrel. It is a commercial and financial method, not a quality label.
  • Bordeaux barrique: The standard bordelaise oak barrel holds 225 litres. Its age, toast and the time the wine spends in it affect the result.

Present the bottle

  • A clear sequence: Producer → classification, if one exists → appellation → vintage → dominant grape or actual blend → a pairing that fits the wine.
  • A concrete example: “Château Lynch-Bages, a Fifth Growth of the 1855 classification, Pauillac 2016. It is Cabernet Sauvignon-led, with 75% in this vintage; its structure can suit roast lamb or an entrecôte.”
  • Keep it bottle-specific: Name a rank only when it applies to that wine and period. Describe the actual vintage and blend rather than assuming every wine from the appellation tastes the same.

At the table

  • Assess: Establish colour, sweetness, body and maturity before discussing the region as a whole. Taste the actual balance of fruit, acidity, tannin, oak and alcohol.
  • Pair: Use roast lamb for a structured red, lobster Thermidor for a broad dry white, or Roquefort for a sweet white. Match the sauce and the wine’s weight rather than treating Bordeaux as one style.
  • Service: Starting points: structured reds 16–18°C, crisp whites 8–10°C, fuller whites 10–12°C, sweet whites 8–10°C and Crémant 6–8°C. Taste before choosing air; separate sediment gently only when needed.

Second wines & separate properties

  • Second wine: A separate estate selection and label, such as Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux. Its grapes, blend and ageing can differ from the grand vin; do not promise the same classification or readiness.
  • Separate property: Shared ownership does not make one château the second wine of another. Clos du Marquis has its own vineyard identity and its own second wine, La Petite Marquise.
  • Read all three: Identify the producer, exact wine name and appellation. An estate’s famous name alone does not tell you which wine is in the bottle.

History & Storytelling

  • Dutch and British buyers helped shape Bordeaux’s seventeenth-century wine trade, linking the region’s commercial identity to its port.
  • For Napoleon III’s 1855 Paris Universal Exhibition, Bordeaux’s brokers formalised the classification, using established trading prices and reputations.
  • Dutch engineers drained Médoc marshes in the seventeenth century, reshaping its agricultural landscape; this did not create its gravel soils.