The wines of Bordeaux
By Rusty Scates
Bordeaux is the most famous (and important) wine producing region in the wine lover's world. In particular, Claret, the red wine of the region, is always the focus of attention although it is only one of a number of styles produced here.
The well-known dessert wine Sauternes also comes from this region and the dry white wines of Bordeaux can also be very good.
Red Bordeaux is produced from a variety of grapes, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc (small amounts of Malbec and Petite Verdot are also used).
The wines produced on the left bank of the Gironde are mainly made from Cabernet Sauvignon and those on the right bank generally made from Merlot. The dry white wines of the region are produced from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon as are Sauternes and the other sweet white wines of the area.
Now let's look at the various areas of Bordeaux. The most northerly appellation is the Medoc, an area that produces mainly red wines from merlot, unlike the great wines of the Haut Medoc further south which use mainly Cabernet Sauvignon.
South of the Medoc is the Haut Medoc, a large region which includes the communes of St Estephe, Moulis, Pauillac, St-Julien and Margaux.
St-Estephe is the most northerly appellation producing wines with firm tannins and big, earthy flavours when young, developing great style and elegance with age.
Next is Pauillac, containing three first growths, the very famous Chateaux of Lafite-Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild and Latour. Pauillac, along with St Julien, are the two top appellations of the Haut-Medoc producing truly great wines which age gracefully.
St Julien is next, another classic region, producing wines characterised by a sublime balance of perfume, structure and mineral fruit. Top wines include Chateau Leoville Barton, Ducru Beaucaillou, Leoville-Las- Cases, Talbot, Beychevelle, Lagrange and Gloria.
Finally, in the Haut Medoc, we have Margaux, an appellation producing elegant wines from sprawling vineyards located at the southern end of the region. Top wines here include Chateaux Margaux (first growth), Chateau Palmer and Chateau Rauzan Segla.
Traveling south of the Haut Medoc we find Graves. This region is known for its gravely soils (Graves). The difference between Graves and the Haut Medoc is that Graves produces both red and white wines, whereas the Haut Medoc is only allowed to produce red wine.
Pessac Leognan is located in the most gravelly area and is home to the only first-growth outside of the Haut Medoc, Chateau Haut-Brion. To the south, is the larger region of Graves and the wines have a lesser reputation than those of Pessac-Leognan, although the style is generally the same. Top wine here is Chateau Carbonnieux.
Looking east from the Haut Medoc across the Gironde estuary are the wine appellations of Pomerol and St Emilion. Pomerol is the home of the most expensive wines in Bordeaux with Chateau Petrus leading the pack. These wines are very popular due mainly to the Merlot grape which dominates the blend. Here Merlot imparts a rich, opulent texture to the wines. Merlot thrives very well on the clay soils of the area, thus producing the high quality level of wines.
Next door is St Emilion which, like Pomerol, is dominated by the Merlot Grape. Top wines here include Chateau Ausone, Cheval-Blanc, Teyssier and Larmande.
There are some satellite appellations to the north of Pomerol and St Emilion worth mentioning, as they offer good value. These include Lalande-de-Pomerol, Lussac-St-Emilion and Montagnes-St-Emilion. One of the top wines here is Chateau Plaisance.
The Sweet White Wines of Bordeaux
The tiny appellation of Sauternes lies on the west bank of the river Garonne, south of Graves. This area is prone to autumn mists and the combination of these mists and the sunny afternoons promotes the development of 'noble rot,' a fungal infection which attacks the grapes, reducing their water content thus concentrating the sugars. This allows for the production of naturally sweet wines.
These wines can be expensive however, as their production is very labor intensive. The grapes require very selective hand picking of just the nobly rotten grapes and the yields from these grapes are, naturally, very low. However these are truly magnificent wines. One of the top wines of Sauternes is Chateau Yquem.
Across the river is the appellation of Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux and its three communes, Cadillac, Loupiac and Ste-Croix-du-Mont. These produce wines which are very similar to Sauterns (perhaps slightly less intense) but at a fraction of the cost (the poor man's Sauternes), and are well worth trying. Top wines here include Chateau Loubans and Chateau des Tours.
Bordeaux is a huge region with many different appellations, producing a vast amount of wine. I encourage you to explore the wines of Bordeaux. Here you will find something for everyone at any price level you want to pay. The wines, however, have that special 'Bordeaux 'character which I hope you will try and enjoy!
