Bordeaux wine regions
Encyclopedia
The wine regions of Bordeaux are the area around the city of Bordeaux
within the Gironde
department of Aquitaine
. The region is naturally divided by the Gironde River into a Left Bank area which includes the Médoc
and the subregions of St-Estèphe, Pauillac
, St.-Julien
, and Margaux
and a Right Bank area which includes the subregions of Saint-Émilion
, Pomerol
, Bourg
and Blaye
. Additional wine regions include the area of Graves
which is south east of the Médoc and includes the sub regions of Pessac-Léognan
, Sauternes and Barsac
. Across from the Graves, on the Right Bank, is the Entre-Deux-Mers area between the Garonne and Dordogne
rivers.
All of these regions have their own appellation
and Appellation d'origine contrôlée
laws which dictate the composition of their vineyards, time of harvest and appropriate yields as well as various winemaking
techniques. Bordeaux wine label
s will include the region on the front if all the grapes have been harvested in a specific regions.
Estates in Bordeaux are often classified according to the reputed quality of the producer. On the Left Bank, the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855
is the starting point for classification and includes most of the Left Bank estates as well as Sauternes and Château Haut-Brion
of Graves. Estates who were not classified in that listing may be classified under the Cru Bourgeois
label. In 1953, the rest of the Graves was classified
. In 1954, a separate classification of Saint-Émilion wine
was set up for this Right Bank region.
While wine making styles vary, a general rule of thumb is that the Left Bank is predominately Cabernet Sauvignon
based with the Right Bank more Merlot
based. The Graves area produced both red wine and white wine from the Sauvignon blanc
and Sémillon
grapes. The area of Sauternes and Barsac are more known for the botrytized
dessert wine
s.
, Bordeaux Clairet, Bordeaux Rosé, Bordeaux Sec, Bordeaux Supérieur, Bordeaux Supérieur Clairet, Bordeaux Supérieur Rosé and Cremant de Bordeaux. All producers in the different Bordeaux areas are entitled to produce under these generic appellations, although they are generally used for wines of lower quality made by a negociant
or co-operative. Many of Bordeaux's supermarket brands like Mouton Cadet
, Dourthe Numero 1 and Sichel Sirius utilize these generic Bordeaux AOCs.
, this region of Bordeaux is located at the mouth of the Gironde River. Although the region does not have any classified growths, there are a number of Crus Bourgeois
located in the soft clay soil of the Médoc. As Merlot favors the clay more than Cabernet Sauvignon, the wines from this region tend to resemble the right bank style of St.-Emilion more than other Left bank wines.
The Central Médoc includes the area between St. Julien and Margaux. This area is home to many Crus Bourgeois including the Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels rated Château Chasse-Spleen
and Château Poujeaux
. Within the Central Medoc there are the appellations Listrac-Médoc and Moulis-en-Médoc
. Within Moulis, some wines estates near the village of Grand Poujeaux have added that name to their labels. The Listrac appellation is located on a lime stone based plateau
and produced highly tannic wines that require a bit of aging before they soften.
The area just south of Margaux is called Southern Médoc with wines produced in this area using the Haut-Médoc designations or, in some cases, Margaux. This area includes the classified growths of Château La Lagune
in Ludon
and Château Cantemerle
in Macau
.
du Breuil dividing it from Pauillac to the south. The soil of St-Estèphe is a heavy composite of clay
washed ashore from the Gironde. This soil type drains slowly and gives St-Estèphe estates an advantage during dry summers. The wines produce here tend to have more acidity than other red Bordeaux and with less perfume. While Cabernet Sauvignon is still the dominant grape, this sub-region has more planting of Merlot than any other area on the Left Bank.
St-Estèphe has five classified estates. The Second Growths Château Cos d'Estournel
and Château Montrose
. The Third Growth Château Calon-Ségur
. The Fourth Growth Château Lafon-Rochet
. The Fifth Growth Château Cos Labory
. The region also has numerous Cru Bourgeois including Château Haut-Marbuzet
, Château Les Ormes-de-Pez
, Château de Pez
, and Château Phélan Ségur
. The area is also home to several independent vigneron
s who produce wine as various co-operatives such as the Marquis de Saint-Estèphe and Canterayne.
of the Médoc with the estates of Château Mouton Rothschild
and Château Pontet-Canet
sitting on a summit
of 100 ft. Up until the early 19th century, Malbec
was considered the great grape of the Pauillac region. Eventually the Cabernet Sauvignon vine took hold in the gravel soil of the area. Vineyards in Pauillac are not as parcel
ed as other regions of Bordeaux with entire slopes and plateau
s belonging to a single estate.
The area of Pauillac has more classified first growth estates then any other area of Bordeaux. These include the First Growths Château Lafite-Rothschild
, Château Latour
and Château Mouton Rothschild
. The Second Growths Château Pichon Longueville Baron
and Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
. The Fourth Growth Château Duhart-Milon-Rothschild
. The Fifth Growth Château Pontet-Canet, Château Batailley
, Château Haut-Batailley
, Château Haut-Bages-Liberal
, Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
, Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse
, Château Lynch-Bages
, Château Lynch-Moussas
, Château d'Armailhac
, Château Pedesclaux
, Château Clerc-Milon
, and Château Croizet Bages
.
s between Pauillac and Margaux, the wine region of St-Julien has the smallest wine production of the four major regions in the Médoc. The region is divided into essentially two areas - the riverside estates around the village of St.Julien and the southern estates around the village of Beychevelle where the areas Cru Bourgeois are also grouped. The waters of the Gironde estuary
have a warming influence on the climate which, coupled with the south-easterly exposure of most vineyards, helps to fully ripen the Cabernet Sauvignon vines in this area.
St-Julien has the highest proportion of classified estates of all the regions in Bordeaux. They include the Second Growth Château Léoville-Las Cases
, Château Léoville-Poyferré
, Château Léoville Barton, Château Gruaud-Larose
, and Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
. The Third Growths Château Lagrange
, Château Langoa Barton, Château Saint-Pierre
, Château Talbot
, Château Branaire-Ducru
, and Château Beychevelle
. These eleven classed growths account for nearly 80 percent of the entire region wine production.
, Labarde
, Soussans
and Cantenac
. It is the most southerly of Médoc's appellations. The commune makes almost entirely red wine, harvesting Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
and Petit Verdot
grapes, with only a small amount of white wine made. This region has the thinnest soil in the region with the highest proportion of gravel
that allows the soil to drain very well. The wines from this area are very susceptible to the overall quality of the vintage year and the weather effects during the growing season and harvest.
The area is home to more classified second and third growths than any other appellation as well as one first growth, Château Margaux
. The region is also home to the second growths Château Rauzan-Ségla
, Château Rauzan-Gassies
, Château Durfort-Vivens
, Château Lascombes
, and Château Brane-Cantenac
. The region's third growths include Château Kirwan
, Château d'Issan
, Château Giscours
, Château Malescot St. Exupery
, Château Cantenac-Brown
, Château Boyd-Cantenac
, Château Palmer
, Château Desmirail
, Château Ferriere
and Château Marquis d'Alesme Becker
. The three fourth growths are Château Pouget
, Château Prieure-Lichine
, Château Marquis de Terme
. The two fifth growths are Château Dauzac
and Château du Tertre
. The area's Cru Bourgeois include Château Labégorce Zédé
and Château Siran
.
, Sauternes and Barsac
. It is known for its intensely gravelly soil. The soil is the result glaciers from the Ice Age
which also left white quartz
deposits that can still be found in the soil of the some of the top wine making estates. While Château Haut-Brion was included in the 1855 classification of the Médoc, the Graves appellation itself was classified in 1953 for its red wine producers. White wine were included in an updated 1959 classification.
The Graves is considered the birthplace of claret
. In the Middle Ages
, the wines that were first exported to England were produced in this area. Château Pape Clément
, founded at the turn of the fourteenth century by the future Pope Clement V
, was the first named chateaux in all of Bordeaux. In 1663, Samuel Pepys
' mention of Château Haut-Brion was the first recorded mention of French Claret in London.
, as well as all the 1953 classified Graves Growths, including Château La Mission Haut-Brion
and Château Laville Haut-Brion
. In addition to wine production, the area is known for its crops of pine trees and vineyards are often separated by rows of forest trees. The soil of Pessac-Léognan is composed of gravel terraces
with sediments from different geological eras.
The area received appellation status in 1987 and produces both red and white wines. All of the estates named in the 1959 Graves classification are located in this appellation. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape variety, followed by Merlot and the white wine grapes Sauvignon blanc
and Sémillon
. The white wines of this area are barrel fermented
and aged on their lees
.
Sauternes
is a subregion of Graves known for its intensely sweet, white, dessert wine
s such as the Premier Cru Supérieur classified Château d'Yquem
.
Wines produced in the region of Barsac, such as Premiers Crus Château Climens
and Château Coutet
are allowed to be labeled either with the commune name or with Sauternes. The intense sweetness is the result of the grapes being affected by Botrytis cinerea
, a fungus that is commonly known as noble rot
. In the autumn, the Ciron
river produces mist that descends upon the area and persists until after dawn. These conditions are conducive to the growth of the fungus which desiccates
the grape and concentrates the sugars inside. The three main grapes of this area are Sémillon, Sauvignon blanc and Muscadelle
.
Production costs for this area's botrytized wines are comparatively high. The evaporation and fungus produce low yields, five to six times less than in other Bordeaux regions. The grapes are normally harvested individually from the bunch with pickers going through the vineyards several times between September and November to ensure that the grapes are picked at their optimal points. The wine is then fermented in small oak barrels, further adding to the cost. Even with half bottles of the First Growths priced at several hundred dollars, these wines still have difficulties turning a profit and in the mid 20th century a string of bad vintages drove many growers in the region out of business.
, this area sits on the right bank of the Dordogne river and expands west past the convergence of the Isle river
. Further west, after the Garonne and Dordogne rivers meet, the region of Bourg and Blaye is found the right bank of the Garonne. The expression Right Bank typically refers to wines from the Pomerol and St-Emilion areas of Libournais.
during their occupation of the area. Up until the early 20th century the area was known mostly for its white wine production. This area within Libournais doesn't have a distinct city center with several villages spread across an area about the same size as St.-Julien. The area overall has gravel-based soil that is typical of Bordeaux, with western and southern sections having more sandy soil while the northern and eastern sections toward St.-Emilion have more clay composition.
The wines of Pomerol have a high composition of Merlot in their blends and are considered the gentlest and least tannic and acidic of Bordeaux wines. Cabernet Franc
, known in this area as Bouchet is the second leading grape and helps to contribute to the dark, deep coloring that is typical of Pomerol wines. Due to the reduced tannins found in these wines, they can typically be drunk much younger than other red Bordeaux. The chateaus in the area are not classified, with the winemakers seemingly disinclined to devise one, although Château Pétrus
is often unofficially grouped with the First Growths of Bordeaux.
and St-Georges-Saint-Émilion, and are permitted to label their wines under the same name. The area is bordered to the west by Pomerol. Merlot is the dominant grape in this area, followed by Cabernet Franc. The climate and damper, cool soils of the area makes it difficult for Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to fully ripen and as such is less often used. The wines take a little longer to mature then the ones in Pomerol but are still able to drunk relatively young for a Bordeaux (4–8 years). In favorable vintage
s the wines have a good aging potential.
Saint-Émilion wines were first classified in 1878 and have been continuously revised with the most recent revision occurring in 1996. Chateaux are divided into two First Growth classification-Premiers Grands Crus Classés A, which currently includes Château Ausone
and Château Cheval Blanc
, and Premiers Grands Crus Classés B which currently includes 13 chateaux such as Château Angélus
and Château Figeac
. Below the Premiers crus are the Grands Crus Classés which currently includes 55 chateaux. Estates can apply for classification by passing two tasting panels.
North of Libournais, this area sits on the Right Bank of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers and is one of the oldest wine producing regions in Bordeaux, exporting wine long before the Médoc was even planted. Merlot is the main grape of the area followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec
. The area around Bourg also has sizable Sauvignon blanc planting for sparkling wine
s and Ugni blanc for cognac
.
or Bordeaux supérieur labels.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
within the Gironde
Gironde
For the Revolutionary party, see Girondists.Gironde is a common name for the Gironde estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
department of Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
. The region is naturally divided by the Gironde River into a Left Bank area which includes the Médoc
Médoc
The Médoc is a region of France, well known as a wine growing region, located in the département of Gironde, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, north of Bordeaux. Its name comes from Medullicus, or "country of the Medulli", the local Celtic tribe...
and the subregions of St-Estèphe, Pauillac
Pauillac
Pauillac is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-Wine:The commune consists of only 3000 acres of vineyards in the Haut-Médoc between the villages of Saint-Julien to the south and Saint-Estèphe to the north, but is home to three of Bordeaux's five...
, St.-Julien
Saint-Julien-Beychevelle
Saint-Julien-Beychevelle is a commune on the left bank of the Garonne estuary in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-Wine:...
, and Margaux
Margaux
Margaux is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Geography:The village lies in the Haut Médoc wine making region on the left bank of the Garonne estuary, northwest of the city of Bordeaux.-Population:-Wines:...
and a Right Bank area which includes the subregions of Saint-Émilion
Saint-Émilion
Saint-Émilion is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-History:Saint-Émilion's history goes back to prehistoric times and is a World Heritage site, with fascinating Romanesque churches and ruins stretching all along steep and narrow streets.The Romans planted...
, Pomerol
Pomerol
Pomerol is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.It is located near Bordeaux.-Population:-Wine:The mostly small-sized producers in this area of about produce red wines. As in the neighbouring appellation of Saint-Émilion, the predominant grape variety is Merlot,...
, Bourg
Bourg, Gironde
Bourg, also less formally known as Bourg-sur-Gironde, is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-See also:*French wine*Bordeaux wine*Bordeaux wine regions*Communes of the Gironde department...
and Blaye
Blaye
Blaye is a commune and subprefecture in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:Its inhabitants are called Blayais or the Blayaises.-Geography:...
. Additional wine regions include the area of Graves
Graves
Graves is an important subregion of the Bordeaux wine region. Graves is situated on the left bank of the Garonne river, in the upstream part of the region, southeast of the city Bordeaux and stretch over...
which is south east of the Médoc and includes the sub regions of Pessac-Léognan
Pessac-Léognan
Pessac-Léognan is a French wine appellation, within the Graves subregion of the Bordeaux wine region. Both red and white wine is produced within the appellation, which consists of 10 communes: Cadaujac, Canéjan, Gradignan, Léognan, Martillac, Mérignac, Pessac, Saint-Médard-d'Eyrans, Talence and...
, Sauternes and Barsac
Barsac, Gironde
Barsac is a commune on the left bank of the Garonne river in the Gironde department in southwestern France.-Population:-Wine:The town gives its name to a wine making appellation, Barsac AOC, that produces sweet white wines....
. Across from the Graves, on the Right Bank, is the Entre-Deux-Mers area between the Garonne and Dordogne
Dordogne
Dordogne is a départment in south-west France. The départment is located in the region of Aquitaine, between the Loire valley and the High Pyrénées named after the great river Dordogne that runs through it...
rivers.
All of these regions have their own appellation
Appellation
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown; other types of food often have appellations as well...
and Appellation d'origine contrôlée
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée
Appellation d’origine contrôlée , which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National...
laws which dictate the composition of their vineyards, time of harvest and appropriate yields as well as various winemaking
Winemaking
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
techniques. Bordeaux wine label
Wine label
Wine labels are important sources of information for consumers since they tell the type and origin of the wine. The label is often the only resource a buyer has for evaluating the wine before purchasing it...
s will include the region on the front if all the grapes have been harvested in a specific regions.
Estates in Bordeaux are often classified according to the reputed quality of the producer. On the Left Bank, the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855
Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855
The Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 resulted from the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, when Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification system for France's best Bordeaux wines which were to be on display for visitors from around the world...
is the starting point for classification and includes most of the Left Bank estates as well as Sauternes and Château Haut-Brion
Château Haut-Brion
Château Haut-Brion is a French wine, rated a Premier Cru Classé , produced in the Gironde region. It differs from the other wines on the list in its geographic location in the north of the wine-growing region of Graves...
of Graves. Estates who were not classified in that listing may be classified under the Cru Bourgeois
Cru Bourgeois
The Cru Bourgeois classification lists some of the high quality wines from the Left Bank Bordeaux wine regions that were not included in the 1855 Classification of Classed Growths, or Grands Crus Classés...
label. In 1953, the rest of the Graves was classified
Classification of Graves wine
The wines of Graves in the wine-growing region of Bordeaux were classified in 1953 by a jury appointed by Institute Nacional des Appellations d'Origine, and approved by the Minister of Agriculture in August of that year. The selection was revised with a few additions in February 1959...
. In 1954, a separate classification of Saint-Émilion wine
Classification of Saint-Émilion wine
In 1955 the wines of Saint-Émilion in the wine-growing region of Bordeaux were classified. Unlike the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 covering wines from the Medoc and Graves regions, the Saint-Émilion list is updated every 10 years or so. Following the initial classification, the...
was set up for this Right Bank region.
While wine making styles vary, a general rule of thumb is that the Left Bank is predominately Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
based with the Right Bank more Merlot
Merlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
based. The Graves area produced both red wine and white wine from the Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
and Sémillon
Sémillon
Sémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, most notably in France and Australia.-History:The origin of the Sémillon grape is hard to determine. It is known that it first arrived in Australia in the early 19th century and by the 1820s the grape covered over 90 percent...
grapes. The area of Sauternes and Barsac are more known for the botrytized
Botrytis cinerea
Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic fungus that affects many plant species, although its most notable hosts may be wine grapes. In viticulture, it is commonly known as botrytis bunch rot; in horticulture, it is usually called grey mould or gray mold.The fungus gives rise to two different kinds of...
dessert wine
Dessert wine
Dessert wines are sweet wines typically served with dessert.There is no simple definition of a dessert wine. In the UK, a dessert wine is considered to be any sweet wine drunk with a meal, as opposed to the white fortified wines drunk before the meal, and the red fortified wines drunk after it...
s.
Generic Bordeaux
There are over 50 appellation in Bordeaux with each one entitled to use the 8 Generic Bordeaux AOCs-Bordeaux AOCBordeaux AOC
In the Bordeaux wine region there are seven regional Appellations d'origine contrôlée that may be used throughout the Gironde department. These are Bordeaux Rouge AOC, Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge, Bordeaux Clairet, Bordeaux Rosé, Bordeaux Blanc, a dry white, Bordeaux Supérieur Blanc, a sweet white,...
, Bordeaux Clairet, Bordeaux Rosé, Bordeaux Sec, Bordeaux Supérieur, Bordeaux Supérieur Clairet, Bordeaux Supérieur Rosé and Cremant de Bordeaux. All producers in the different Bordeaux areas are entitled to produce under these generic appellations, although they are generally used for wines of lower quality made by a negociant
Négociant
A négociant is the French term for a wine merchant who assembles the produce of smaller growers and winemakers and sells the result under its own name....
or co-operative. Many of Bordeaux's supermarket brands like Mouton Cadet
Mouton Cadet
Mouton Cadet is the brand name of a popular range of modestly priced, generic Bordeaux wines, considered Bordeaux' most successful brand. Created by Baron Philippe de Rothschild of the Rothschild banking dynasty, the wine named after his premier cru vineyard Château Mouton Rothschild, Mouton Cadet...
, Dourthe Numero 1 and Sichel Sirius utilize these generic Bordeaux AOCs.
Left Bank
The wine regions of the Left bank of the Gironde river is bordered by large coniferous forest land that have a tempering effect on the maritime climate of the area. The region spans from the mouth of the river down south and includes the four famous communes of St-Estephe, Pauillac, St. Julien and Margaux. It also includes the area formerly known as the Bas-Médoc (lower Médoc), but now simply labeled as MédocMédoc
The Médoc is a region of France, well known as a wine growing region, located in the département of Gironde, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, north of Bordeaux. Its name comes from Medullicus, or "country of the Medulli", the local Celtic tribe...
, this region of Bordeaux is located at the mouth of the Gironde River. Although the region does not have any classified growths, there are a number of Crus Bourgeois
Cru Bourgeois
The Cru Bourgeois classification lists some of the high quality wines from the Left Bank Bordeaux wine regions that were not included in the 1855 Classification of Classed Growths, or Grands Crus Classés...
located in the soft clay soil of the Médoc. As Merlot favors the clay more than Cabernet Sauvignon, the wines from this region tend to resemble the right bank style of St.-Emilion more than other Left bank wines.
The Central Médoc includes the area between St. Julien and Margaux. This area is home to many Crus Bourgeois including the Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels rated Château Chasse-Spleen
Château Chasse-Spleen
Château Chasse-Spleen is a winery in the Moulis-en-Médoc appellation of the Bordeaux region of France, just north-west of Margaux. Château Chasse-Spleen was selected as one of six Crus Exceptionnels in the Cru Bourgeois classification of 1932, and through later revisions until the annulment of the...
and Château Poujeaux
Château Poujeaux
Château Poujeaux lies in the wine-producing district of Moulis-en-Médoc in the Bordeaux region of France. It is one of the most highly regarded wines within Moulis, alongside Château Chasse-Spleen...
. Within the Central Medoc there are the appellations Listrac-Médoc and Moulis-en-Médoc
Moulis-en-Médoc
Moulis-en-Médoc is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Geography:The village is situated in the Médoc on a hill, overhanging the Tiquetorte stream, which flows into the Gironde estuary....
. Within Moulis, some wines estates near the village of Grand Poujeaux have added that name to their labels. The Listrac appellation is located on a lime stone based plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
and produced highly tannic wines that require a bit of aging before they soften.
The area just south of Margaux is called Southern Médoc with wines produced in this area using the Haut-Médoc designations or, in some cases, Margaux. This area includes the classified growths of Château La Lagune
Château La Lagune
Château La Lagune is a winery in the Haut-Médoc appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen Troisièmes Crus in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855....
in Ludon
Ludon-Médoc
Ludon-Médoc is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
and Château Cantemerle
Château Cantemerle
Château Cantemerle is a winery in the Haut-Médoc appellation of the Bordeaux wine region of France, in the commune of Macau. The wine produced here was the final estate to be classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855...
in Macau
Macau, Gironde
Macau is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:...
.
St-Estèphe
Among the four famous Left Bank communes, St-Estèphe is the northernmost region with the jalleStream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
du Breuil dividing it from Pauillac to the south. The soil of St-Estèphe is a heavy composite of clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
washed ashore from the Gironde. This soil type drains slowly and gives St-Estèphe estates an advantage during dry summers. The wines produce here tend to have more acidity than other red Bordeaux and with less perfume. While Cabernet Sauvignon is still the dominant grape, this sub-region has more planting of Merlot than any other area on the Left Bank.
St-Estèphe has five classified estates. The Second Growths Château Cos d'Estournel
Château Cos d'Estournel
Château Cos d'Estournel is a winery in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. It is also the name of the red wine produced by this property...
and Château Montrose
Château Montrose
Château Montrose is a winery in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen Deuxièmes Crus in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855....
. The Third Growth Château Calon-Ségur
Château Calon-Ségur
Château Calon-Ségur is a winery in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of the Bordeaux wine region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen Troisièmes Crus Classés in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855...
. The Fourth Growth Château Lafon-Rochet
Château Lafon-Rochet
Château Lafon-Rochet is a winery in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of ten Quatrièmes Crus in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. The Chateau has planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet...
. The Fifth Growth Château Cos Labory
Château Cos Labory
Château Cos Labory is a winery in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.-Wines:...
. The region also has numerous Cru Bourgeois including Château Haut-Marbuzet
Château Haut-Marbuzet
Château Haut-Marbuzet is a Bordeaux wine estate in the Saint-Estèphe appellation area of the Haut-Médoc.Although its origins go back to the 18th century, the estate only emerged as a leading quality producer from 1952 after Hervé Duboscq acquired it....
, Château Les Ormes-de-Pez
Château Les Ormes-de-Pez
Château Les Ormes-de-Pez, or Château Ormes de Pez, is a winery in the Saint-Estèphe appellation of the Bordeaux wine region of France, near the hamlet of Pez. The wine produced here was classified as one of 9 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels in the 2003 listing...
, Château de Pez
Château de Pez
Château de Pez is a vineyard located across the road from Château Calon-Ségur, in the northern parts of Saint Estèphe. Traditionally one of the leading Bourgeois Supérieur wines of the Médoc, it is believed by some to deserve higher classification. In a 2003 Cru Bourgeois classification revision,...
, and Château Phélan Ségur
Château Phélan Ségur
Château Phélan Ségur lies in the commune of Saint-Estèphe in the Bordeaux region of France, neighbouring vineyards Château Calon-Ségur and Château Montrose. In a 2003 Cru Bourgeois classification revision, it was listed as one of 9 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels.A second wine is produced since 1986,...
. The area is also home to several independent vigneron
Winemaking
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
s who produce wine as various co-operatives such as the Marquis de Saint-Estèphe and Canterayne.
Pauillac
Located south of St-Estèphe, the area around Pauillac has the highest elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of the Médoc with the estates of Château Mouton Rothschild
Château Mouton Rothschild
Château Mouton Rothschild is a wine estate located in the village of Pauillac in the Médoc, 50 km north-west of the city of Bordeaux, France. Its red wine of the same name is regarded as one of the world's greatest clarets. Originally known as Château Brane-Mouton it was renamed by Nathaniel...
and Château Pontet-Canet
Château Pontet-Canet
Château Pontet-Canet is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux wine region of France. Chateau Pontet-Canet is also the name of the red wine produced by this property...
sitting on a summit
Summit (topography)
In topography, a summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a local maximum in elevation...
of 100 ft. Up until the early 19th century, Malbec
Malbec
Malbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. The French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West...
was considered the great grape of the Pauillac region. Eventually the Cabernet Sauvignon vine took hold in the gravel soil of the area. Vineyards in Pauillac are not as parcel
Lot (real estate)
In real estate, a lot or plot is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner. A lot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property in other countries...
ed as other regions of Bordeaux with entire slopes and plateau
Plateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
s belonging to a single estate.
The area of Pauillac has more classified first growth estates then any other area of Bordeaux. These include the First Growths Château Lafite-Rothschild
Château Lafite-Rothschild
Château Lafite Rothschild is a wine estate in France, owned by members of the Rothschild family since the 19th century. The name Lafite comes from the Gascon term "la hite" meaning "small hill"....
, Château Latour
Château Latour
Château Latour is a French wine estate, rated as a First Growth under the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. Latour lies at the very southeastern tip of the commune of Pauillac in the Médoc region to the north-west of Bordeaux, at its border with Saint-Julien, and only a few hundred metres from the...
and Château Mouton Rothschild
Château Mouton Rothschild
Château Mouton Rothschild is a wine estate located in the village of Pauillac in the Médoc, 50 km north-west of the city of Bordeaux, France. Its red wine of the same name is regarded as one of the world's greatest clarets. Originally known as Château Brane-Mouton it was renamed by Nathaniel...
. The Second Growths Château Pichon Longueville Baron
Chateau Pichon Longueville Baron
Château Pichon Longueville Baron is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Pichon Longueville Baron is also the name of the red wine produced by this property...
and Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande is also the name of the red wine produced by this property...
. The Fourth Growth Château Duhart-Milon-Rothschild
Château Duhart-Milon-Rothschild
Château Duhart-Milon, previously also Château Duhart-Milon-Rothschild, is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of ten Quatrièmes Crus Classés in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. The Château...
. The Fifth Growth Château Pontet-Canet, Château Batailley
Château Batailley
Château Batailley is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.-History:...
, Château Haut-Batailley
Château Haut-Batailley
Château Haut-Batailley is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was part of the property that was classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.-History:Historically the estate was part of...
, Château Haut-Bages-Liberal
Chateau Haut-Bages-Liberal
Château Haut-Bages-Libéral is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Haut-Bages-Libéral is also the name of the red wine produced by this property...
, Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste is also the name of the red wine produced by this property...
, Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse
Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse
Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.-Name:...
, Château Lynch-Bages
Château Lynch-Bages
Château Lynch-Bages is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Lynch-Bages is also the name of the red wine produced by this property...
, Château Lynch-Moussas
Château Lynch-Moussas
Château Lynch-Moussas is a French winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Lynch-Moussas is also the name of the red wine produced by this property...
, Château d'Armailhac
Château d'Armailhac
Château d'Armailhac, previously named Château Mouton-d'Armailhacq , Château Mouton-Baron Philippe , Mouton Baronne and Château Mouton-Baronne-Philippe , is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France...
, Château Pedesclaux
Château Pedesclaux
Château Pédesclaux is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.-History:...
, Château Clerc-Milon
Château Clerc-Milon
Château Clerc-Milon is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855....
, and Château Croizet Bages
Château Croizet Bages
Château Croizet Bages is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.- References :...
.
St-Julien
Situated on two plateauPlateau
In geology and earth science, a plateau , also called a high plain or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting of relatively flat terrain. A highly eroded plateau is called a dissected plateau...
s between Pauillac and Margaux, the wine region of St-Julien has the smallest wine production of the four major regions in the Médoc. The region is divided into essentially two areas - the riverside estates around the village of St.Julien and the southern estates around the village of Beychevelle where the areas Cru Bourgeois are also grouped. The waters of the Gironde estuary
Gironde estuary
The Gironde is a navigable estuary , in southwest France and is formed from the meeting of the rivers Dordogne and Garonne just below the centre of Bordeaux...
have a warming influence on the climate which, coupled with the south-easterly exposure of most vineyards, helps to fully ripen the Cabernet Sauvignon vines in this area.
St-Julien has the highest proportion of classified estates of all the regions in Bordeaux. They include the Second Growth Château Léoville-Las Cases
Château Léoville-Las Cases
Château Léoville-Las Cases is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Léoville-Las Cases is also the name of the red wine produced by this property...
, Château Léoville-Poyferré
Château Léoville-Poyferré
Château Léoville-Poyferré is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Léoville-Poyferré is also the name of the red wine produced by this property...
, Château Léoville Barton, Château Gruaud-Larose
Château Gruaud-Larose
Château Gruaud-Larose is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. It is also the name of the red wine produced by this property...
, and Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is also the name of the red wine produced by this property...
. The Third Growths Château Lagrange
Château Lagrange
Château Lagrange is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Lagrange is also the name of the red wine produced by this property...
, Château Langoa Barton, Château Saint-Pierre
Château Saint-Pierre
Château Saint-Pierre is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of ten Quatrièmes Crus Classés in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855....
, Château Talbot
Château Talbot
Château Talbot is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Talbot is also the name of the red wine produced by this property...
, Château Branaire-Ducru
Château Branaire-Ducru
Château Branaire is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Branaire is also the name of the main red wine produced by this property and which was classified as one of the ten 'Fourth Growths' in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of...
, and Château Beychevelle
Château Beychevelle
Château Beychevelle is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of ten Quatrièmes Crus in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. The chateau makes a second label wine called Amiral de Beychevelle.-...
. These eleven classed growths account for nearly 80 percent of the entire region wine production.
Margaux
The Margaux appellation encompasses the village of Margaux and the neighboring villages of ArsacArsac
Arsac is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Labarde
Labarde
Labarde is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:...
, Soussans
Soussans
Soussans is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:...
and Cantenac
Cantenac
Cantenac, sometimes Cantenac-Margaux, is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.It is located near Bordeaux.-Population:-Wine:...
. It is the most southerly of Médoc's appellations. The commune makes almost entirely red wine, harvesting Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
and Petit Verdot
Petit verdot
Petit Verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It ripens much later than the other varieties in Bordeaux, often too late, so it fell out of favour in its home region. When it does ripen, it is added in small amounts to add tannin, colour and flavour to the...
grapes, with only a small amount of white wine made. This region has the thinnest soil in the region with the highest proportion of gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
that allows the soil to drain very well. The wines from this area are very susceptible to the overall quality of the vintage year and the weather effects during the growing season and harvest.
The area is home to more classified second and third growths than any other appellation as well as one first growth, Château Margaux
Château Margaux
Château Margaux, archaically La Mothe de Margaux, is a wine estate of Bordeaux wine, and was one of four wines to achieve Premier cru status in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855. The estate's best wines are very expensive...
. The region is also home to the second growths Château Rauzan-Ségla
Château Rauzan-Ségla
Château Rauzan-Ségla, or Château Rausan-Ségla, is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Rauzan-Ségla is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen Deuxièmes Crus in the original...
, Château Rauzan-Gassies
Château Rauzan-Gassies
Château Rauzan-Gassies is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Rauzan-Gassies is also the name of the red wine produced by this property...
, Château Durfort-Vivens
Château Durfort-Vivens
Château Durfort-Vivens is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. It is also the name of the red wine produced by this property...
, Château Lascombes
Château Lascombes
Château Lascombes is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen Seconds Crus in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855...
, and Château Brane-Cantenac
Château Brane-Cantenac
Château Brane-Cantenac is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux wine region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fifteen Deuxièmes Crus in the original Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855....
. The region's third growths include Château Kirwan
Château Kirwan
Château Kirwan is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen Troisièmes Crus in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855....
, Château d'Issan
Château d'Issan
Château d'Issan is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen Troisièmes Crus in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. The winery is under the proprietorship of Emmanuel Cruse II of the...
, Château Giscours
Chateau Giscours
Château Giscours is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France, in the commune of Labarde. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen Troisièmes Crus in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.-History:The first written reference to the domain of...
, Château Malescot St. Exupery
Château Malescot St. Exupéry
Château Malescot St. Exupéry is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen Troisièmes Crus in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855...
, Château Cantenac-Brown
Château Cantenac-Brown
Château Cantenac-Brown is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen Troisièmes Crus in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. The Chateau has planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and...
, Château Boyd-Cantenac
Château Boyd-Cantenac
Château Boyd-Cantenac is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen Troisièmes Crus in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. The Chateau has planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet...
, Château Palmer
Château Palmer
Château Palmer is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen Troisièmes Crus in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855...
, Château Desmirail
Château Desmirail
Château Desmirail is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen Troisièmes Crus in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. -History:...
, Château Ferriere
Château Ferrière
Château Ferrière is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen Troisièmes Crus in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855...
and Château Marquis d'Alesme Becker
Château Marquis d'Alesme Becker
Château Marquis d'Alesme Becker is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux wine region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of fourteen Troisièmes Crus in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.The estate produces a second wine named Marquise...
. The three fourth growths are Château Pouget
Château Pouget
Château Pouget is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of ten Quatrièmes Crus in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.- External links :*...
, Château Prieure-Lichine
Chateau Prieure-Lichine
Château Prieuré-Lichine, previously Château Le Prieuré and Château Prieuré-Cantenac, is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France, in the commune of Cantenac...
, Château Marquis de Terme
Château Marquis de Terme
Château Marquis de Terme is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of ten Quatrièmes Crus in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855. -History:...
. The two fifth growths are Château Dauzac
Château Dauzac
Château Dauzac is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855...
and Château du Tertre
Château du Tertre
Château du Tertre, or Le Tertre, is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France, in the commune of Arsac. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.- History :Located on the tertre from...
. The area's Cru Bourgeois include Château Labégorce Zédé
Château Labégorce Zédé
The winery of Château Labégorce Margaux and Château Labégorce Zédé lies in the commune of Margaux in the Médoc region in the département of Gironde....
and Château Siran
Château Siran
Château Siran is a winery in the Margaux appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of 9 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels as of the 2003 listing. The Chateau owns planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc. A second wine is...
.
The Médoc appellations
- Médoc AOCMédoc AOCMédoc is an AOC for wine in the Bordeaux wine region of southwestern France, on the Left Bank of the Gironde estuary that covers the northern section of the viticultural strip along the Médoc peninsula. The zone is sometimes called Bas-Médoc , though this term is not permitted on any label...
- Haut-Médoc AOCHaut-Médoc AOCHaut-Médoc is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for wine in the Bordeaux wine region of southwestern France, on the Left Bank of the Gironde estuary...
- Saint-Estèphe AOCSaint-Estèphe AOCSaint-Estèphe is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for red wine in the Bordeaux region, located in the Médoc subregion. It takes its name from the commune of Saint-Estèphe and is the northernmost of the six communal appellations in Médoc. Five classified growths of 1855 are located within the...
- Pauillac AOC
- Saint-Julien AOCSaint-Julien AOCSaint-Julien is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for red wine in the Bordeaux region, located in the Médoc subregion. It takes its name from the commune Saint-Julien-Beychevelle and is one of the six communal appellations in Médoc...
- Listrac-Médoc AOC
- Moulis-en-Médoc AOC
- Margaux AOC
- Saint-Estèphe AOC
Graves
This region is bordered on the north by the Garonne river and contain the sub regions of Pessac-LéognanPessac-Léognan
Pessac-Léognan is a French wine appellation, within the Graves subregion of the Bordeaux wine region. Both red and white wine is produced within the appellation, which consists of 10 communes: Cadaujac, Canéjan, Gradignan, Léognan, Martillac, Mérignac, Pessac, Saint-Médard-d'Eyrans, Talence and...
, Sauternes and Barsac
Barsac, Gironde
Barsac is a commune on the left bank of the Garonne river in the Gironde department in southwestern France.-Population:-Wine:The town gives its name to a wine making appellation, Barsac AOC, that produces sweet white wines....
. It is known for its intensely gravelly soil. The soil is the result glaciers from the Ice Age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
which also left white quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
deposits that can still be found in the soil of the some of the top wine making estates. While Château Haut-Brion was included in the 1855 classification of the Médoc, the Graves appellation itself was classified in 1953 for its red wine producers. White wine were included in an updated 1959 classification.
The Graves is considered the birthplace of claret
Claret
Claret is a name primarily used in British English for red wine from the Bordeaux region of France.-Usage:Claret derives from the French clairet, a now uncommon dark rosé and the most common wine exported from Bordeaux until the 18th century...
. In the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, the wines that were first exported to England were produced in this area. Château Pape Clément
Château Pape Clément
Château Pape Clément is a Bordeaux wine from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, ranked among the Premiers Crus for red wine in the Classification of Graves wine of 1959. It is the oldest wine estate in Bordeaux, harvesting its 700th vintage in 2006. The winery and vineyards are located in the...
, founded at the turn of the fourteenth century by the future Pope Clement V
Pope Clement V
Pope Clement V, born Raymond Bertrand de Got was Pope from 1305 to his death...
, was the first named chateaux in all of Bordeaux. In 1663, Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys FRS, MP, JP, was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament who is now most famous for the diary he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man...
' mention of Château Haut-Brion was the first recorded mention of French Claret in London.
Pessac-Léognan
This area of the Graves, located just south of the city of Bordeaux, is home to the first growth estate Château Haut-BrionChâteau Haut-Brion
Château Haut-Brion is a French wine, rated a Premier Cru Classé , produced in the Gironde region. It differs from the other wines on the list in its geographic location in the north of the wine-growing region of Graves...
, as well as all the 1953 classified Graves Growths, including Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Château La Mission Haut-Brion
Château la Mission Haut-Brion is a Bordeaux wine from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, classed among the Grand Crus in the Graves classification of 1953...
and Château Laville Haut-Brion
Château Laville Haut-Brion
Château Laville Haut-Brion was a Bordeaux dry white wine from the Pessac-Léognan appellation, which was ranked among the Premiers Crus in the Classification of Graves wine of 1953...
. In addition to wine production, the area is known for its crops of pine trees and vineyards are often separated by rows of forest trees. The soil of Pessac-Léognan is composed of gravel terraces
Terrace (agriculture)
Terraces are used in farming to cultivate sloped land. Graduated terrace steps are commonly used to farm on hilly or mountainous terrain. Terraced fields decrease erosion and surface runoff, and are effective for growing crops requiring much water, such as rice...
with sediments from different geological eras.
The area received appellation status in 1987 and produces both red and white wines. All of the estates named in the 1959 Graves classification are located in this appellation. Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape variety, followed by Merlot and the white wine grapes Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
and Sémillon
Sémillon
Sémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, most notably in France and Australia.-History:The origin of the Sémillon grape is hard to determine. It is known that it first arrived in Australia in the early 19th century and by the 1820s the grape covered over 90 percent...
. The white wines of this area are barrel fermented
Fermentation (wine)
The process of fermentation in wine turns grape juice into an alcoholic beverage. During fermentation, yeast interact with sugars in the juice to create ethanol, commonly known as ethyl alcohol, and carbon dioxide...
and aged on their lees
Lees (fermentation)
Lees refers to deposits of dead yeast or residual yeast and other particles that precipitate, or are carried by the action of "fining", to the bottom of a vat of wine after fermentation and ageing. The yeast deposits in beer brewing are known as trub...
.
Sauternes and Barsac
Sauternes (wine)
Sauternes is a French sweet wine from the Sauternais region of the Graves section in Bordeaux. Sauternes is made from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by Botrytis cinerea, also known as noble rot. This causes the grapes to become partially raisined,...
is a subregion of Graves known for its intensely sweet, white, dessert wine
Dessert wine
Dessert wines are sweet wines typically served with dessert.There is no simple definition of a dessert wine. In the UK, a dessert wine is considered to be any sweet wine drunk with a meal, as opposed to the white fortified wines drunk before the meal, and the red fortified wines drunk after it...
s such as the Premier Cru Supérieur classified Château d'Yquem
Château d'Yquem
Château d'Yquem is a Premier Cru Supérieur wine from the Sauternes, Gironde region in the southern part of the Bordeaux vineyards known as Graves. In the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, Château d'Yquem was the only Sauternes given this rating, indicating its perceived superiority...
.
Wines produced in the region of Barsac, such as Premiers Crus Château Climens
Château Climens
Château Climens is a Premier Cru Classé Sauternes wine producer from the Barsac appellation. The estate is located in the southern part of France’s Bordeaux wine region in the district of :Graves, an eighth of a mile away from Barsac's other most historically rated vineyard, Château Coutet.It is a...
and Château Coutet
Château Coutet
Château Coutet is a Premier Cru Classé sweet wine from the Sauternes-Barsac appellation located in Barsac, in the southern part of France’s Bordeaux vineyards...
are allowed to be labeled either with the commune name or with Sauternes. The intense sweetness is the result of the grapes being affected by Botrytis cinerea
Botrytis cinerea
Botrytis cinerea is a necrotrophic fungus that affects many plant species, although its most notable hosts may be wine grapes. In viticulture, it is commonly known as botrytis bunch rot; in horticulture, it is usually called grey mould or gray mold.The fungus gives rise to two different kinds of...
, a fungus that is commonly known as noble rot
Noble rot
Noble rot is the benevolent form of a grey fungus, Botrytis cinerea, affecting wine grapes. Infestation by Botrytis requires moist conditions, and if the weather stays wet, the malevolent form, "grey rot", can destroy crops of grapes...
. In the autumn, the Ciron
Ciron
The Ciron is a left tributary of the Garonne, in Gironde, Southwest France.- Geography:The Ciron rises in the eastern end of the Moors of Gascony, in Landes...
river produces mist that descends upon the area and persists until after dawn. These conditions are conducive to the growth of the fungus which desiccates
Desiccation
Desiccation is the state of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. A desiccant is a hygroscopic substance that induces or sustains such a state in its local vicinity in a moderately sealed container.-Science:...
the grape and concentrates the sugars inside. The three main grapes of this area are Sémillon, Sauvignon blanc and Muscadelle
Muscadelle
Muscadelle is a white wine grape variety. It has a simple aroma of grape juice and raisins like grapes of the Muscat family of grapes, but it is unrelated....
.
Production costs for this area's botrytized wines are comparatively high. The evaporation and fungus produce low yields, five to six times less than in other Bordeaux regions. The grapes are normally harvested individually from the bunch with pickers going through the vineyards several times between September and November to ensure that the grapes are picked at their optimal points. The wine is then fermented in small oak barrels, further adding to the cost. Even with half bottles of the First Growths priced at several hundred dollars, these wines still have difficulties turning a profit and in the mid 20th century a string of bad vintages drove many growers in the region out of business.
The Graves appellations
- Graves AOC
- Pessac-Léognan AOC
- Cérons AOC
- Barsac AOC
- Sauternes AOC
Right Bank
The area of Libournais encompassed much of what is referred to as the Right Bank. Named for its historical capital, LibourneLibourne
Libourne is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.It is the wine-making capital of northern Gironde and lies near Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.-Geography:...
, this area sits on the right bank of the Dordogne river and expands west past the convergence of the Isle river
Isle River
The Isle is a 255 km long river in south-western France, right tributary of the Dordogne. Its source is in the north-western Massif Central, near the town Nexon . It flows south-west through the following départements and towns:...
. Further west, after the Garonne and Dordogne rivers meet, the region of Bourg and Blaye is found the right bank of the Garonne. The expression Right Bank typically refers to wines from the Pomerol and St-Emilion areas of Libournais.
Pomerol
The area of Pomerol was first cultivated by the RomansAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
during their occupation of the area. Up until the early 20th century the area was known mostly for its white wine production. This area within Libournais doesn't have a distinct city center with several villages spread across an area about the same size as St.-Julien. The area overall has gravel-based soil that is typical of Bordeaux, with western and southern sections having more sandy soil while the northern and eastern sections toward St.-Emilion have more clay composition.
The wines of Pomerol have a high composition of Merlot in their blends and are considered the gentlest and least tannic and acidic of Bordeaux wines. Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
, known in this area as Bouchet is the second leading grape and helps to contribute to the dark, deep coloring that is typical of Pomerol wines. Due to the reduced tannins found in these wines, they can typically be drunk much younger than other red Bordeaux. The chateaus in the area are not classified, with the winemakers seemingly disinclined to devise one, although Château Pétrus
Château Pétrus
Pétrus is a Bordeaux wine estate located in the Pomerol appellation near its eastern border to Saint-Émilion. An estate of limited size, it produces a limited production red wine almost entirely from Merlot grapes, on occasion with small amounts of Cabernet Franc, and produces no second wine...
is often unofficially grouped with the First Growths of Bordeaux.
Saint-Émilion
The wine region of Saint-Émilion centres around the commune of the same name. There are several villages around the region that share the Saint-Émilion name, such as Montagne-Saint-ÉmilionMontagne-Saint-Émilion
Montagne-Saint-Émilion is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée for wine in the Bordeaux wine region of France, where it is situated in the Libourne subregion on the right bank of the Dordogne...
and St-Georges-Saint-Émilion, and are permitted to label their wines under the same name. The area is bordered to the west by Pomerol. Merlot is the dominant grape in this area, followed by Cabernet Franc. The climate and damper, cool soils of the area makes it difficult for Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to fully ripen and as such is less often used. The wines take a little longer to mature then the ones in Pomerol but are still able to drunk relatively young for a Bordeaux (4–8 years). In favorable vintage
Vintage
Vintage, in wine-making, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product . A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certain wines, it can denote quality, as in Port wine, where Port houses make and...
s the wines have a good aging potential.
Saint-Émilion wines were first classified in 1878 and have been continuously revised with the most recent revision occurring in 1996. Chateaux are divided into two First Growth classification-Premiers Grands Crus Classés A, which currently includes Château Ausone
Château Ausone
Château Ausone is a Bordeaux wine from Saint-Émilion appellation, one of only two wines, along with Château Cheval Blanc, to be ranked Premier Grand Cru Classé in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine...
and Château Cheval Blanc
Château Cheval Blanc
Château Cheval Blanc , is a wine producer in Saint-Émilion in the Bordeaux wine region of France. Its wine is one of only two to receive the highest rank of Premier Grand Cru Classé status in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine of 1955, along with Château Ausone.The estate's second wine is...
, and Premiers Grands Crus Classés B which currently includes 13 chateaux such as Château Angélus
Château Angélus
Château Angélus, until 1990 known as Château L'Angélus, or simply L'Angélus, is a Bordeaux wine from the appellation Saint-Émilion, ranked Premier grand cru classé B in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine...
and Château Figeac
Château Figeac
Château Figeac is a wine estate in the Saint-Émilion appellation of Bordeaux. It is the largest estate in Saint-Émilion, with of vineyards. Due to its soil, which is dominated by gravel, it is planted in grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon , Cabernet Franc , and Merlot...
. Below the Premiers crus are the Grands Crus Classés which currently includes 55 chateaux. Estates can apply for classification by passing two tasting panels.
The Libournais appellations
- Saint-Émilion AOCSaint-Émilion AOCSaint-Émilion is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée for wine in the Bordeaux wine region of France, where it is situated in the Libourne subregion on the right bank of the Dordogne...
- Montagne-Saint-Émilion AOC
- Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion AOC
- Lussac-Saint-Émilion AOC
- Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion AOC
- Pomerol AOC
- Lalande-de-Pomerol AOCLalande-de-Pomerol AOCLalande-de-Pomerol is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for red wine situated in the Bordeaux wine region. The appellation is located on the right bank of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers, just north of the appellation of Pomerol, across the meandering Barbanne stream...
- Fronsac AOC
- Canon-Fronsac AOC
- Néac AOC
- Côtes-de-Castillon AOC
- Bordeaux-Côtes-de-Franc AOC
Bourg and Blaye
Malbec
Malbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. The French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West...
. The area around Bourg also has sizable Sauvignon blanc planting for sparkling wine
Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...
s and Ugni blanc for cognac
Cognac
Cognac is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.-Geography:Cognac is situated on the river Charente between the towns of Angoulême and Saintes. The majority of the town has been built on the river's left bank, with the smaller right...
.
The Blayais-Bourgeais appellations
- Côtes-de-Blaye
- Premières-côtes-de-Blaye
- Côtes-de-BourgCôtes-de-BourgCôtes de Bourg is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée for Bordeaux wine situated around the small town of Bourg-sur-Gironde near Bordeaux, France. The first vineyards in the area were founded by the Romans. In the Middle Ages, Bourg was a major port for wine and the vineyards developed at the same...
Côtes-de-Bourg
Historians date the first vineyards from the 2nd century AD, when the Romans planted the first “Vitis Biturica”. The appellation has a range of gravel, alluvium, clay and limestone soils. The wine from Côtes-de-Bourg is mostly red made from a combination of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Cabernet Franc grapes. There is only a small amount of white wine made from Ugni Blanc and Colombard grapes. There are around 200 Chateaux producers in the appellation including Chateau Roc de Cambes, Chateau Nodoz, Chateau Fougas Maldoror, Chateau Falfas, Chateau Civrac, Chateau Tayac, Macay, Chateau Rousette, Chateau Haut Maco, Chateau Guiraud.Entre-Deux-Mers
Entre-deux-mers (literally, between two seas) is a dry white wine made in Bordeaux. The appellation is one of the largest in the Bordeaux region and is situated between the Garonne and the Dordogne (which are actually considered inland seas). The area is responsible for three quarters of the wine sold under the generic Bordeaux AOCBordeaux AOC
In the Bordeaux wine region there are seven regional Appellations d'origine contrôlée that may be used throughout the Gironde department. These are Bordeaux Rouge AOC, Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge, Bordeaux Clairet, Bordeaux Rosé, Bordeaux Blanc, a dry white, Bordeaux Supérieur Blanc, a sweet white,...
or Bordeaux supérieur labels.
The Entre-Deux-Mers appellations
- Entre-Deux-Mers AOC
- Graves de Vayres AOC
- Premières Côtes de Bordeaux AOC
- Cadillac AOCCadillac AOCCadillac is an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée for medium-sweet to sweet white wine from the Bordeaux wine region in France. It is located within the Entre-Deux-Mers subregion of Bordeaux...
- Loupiac AOC
- Sainte-Croix-du-Mont AOCSainte-Croix-du-Mont AOCSainte-Croix-du-Mont is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée for sweet white wine from the Bordeaux wine region in France.-Geography:...
- Haut-Benauge AOC
- Côtes-de-Bordeaux-Saint-Macaire AOC
- Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux AOC
External links
- Bordeaux.com Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB)
- Bordeaux wine map
- Bordeaux wine guide
- Académie du vin de Bordeaux