Understanding Bordeaux
How to read a Bordeaux wine label
The label tells you where the wine is from rather than the grapes used in the blend as is more common in other places.
“Mis en bouteille au château” means that the wine was bottled at the Chateau and also that the grapes where grown there and that is was fermented and aged at the Chateau.
"Grand Vin" means that it is the Chateaus first label/best wine. It is not uncommon that a Chateau also produce a second label and some even produce a third label. All at different price ranges.
Vintage is the year the grapes where harvested.
In Bordeaux the wine-producing estate is called a Château even if no actual Château is present.
Appellation is the geographical area where the wine is from.
Appellations recognized by the AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controllée) include for example on the left bank Médoc, Pauillac and Margaux and on the right bank Pomerol and Saint-Émilion.
The more specific a label is about appellation the better.
So Bordeaux AOC wines can be from any part of Bordeaux and is more generic and AOC Bordeaux Supérieur covers the same geographic area but must adhere to stricter regulations. If the bottle instead is labeled with a specific appellation such as for instance Pauillac it is usually a good sign.
Left and right banks?
The Gironde estuary is where the rivers of Dordogne and Garonne meet and flow out into the Atlantic ocean.
The left bank refers to the area on the left side of the Gironde estuary and the right bank refers to the right side of the river Dordogne.
The area between the two rivers is known as Entre-Deux-Mers (meaning between two seas or between two tides).
What except for the water between them sets these areas apart when it comes to winemaking?
Well the soils are very different depending on where the vines are growing. Left banks soil is mostly composed of gravel and limestone and the right bank is more clay and limestone. The Entre-Deux-Mers in between has a mixed type of soil so it is a little more diverse. All Bordeaux wines are blends but the primary grape on the left bank is Cabernet Sauvignon while the primary grape on the right bank is Merlot.
Merlot is the grape that is grown the most in Bordeaux with Cabernet Sauvignon as the second most grown.
Other grapes used are Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.
History
Bordeaux has a rich history with Celts, Romans, Visigoths, Vandals, Franks and Vikings in the mix.
The romans introduced vines in the area some 2000 years ago so it goes back a long way to say the least.
In the late 12th century the wine started to be exported to England and the term "Claret" was born.
In the UK the term "Claret" is often used as a name for red wines from Bordeaux.
The name comes from the french word "Clairet" which refers to a type of pink wine from Bordeaux but is now used to describe all red wines from Bordeaux.
Bordeaux is located near the Atlantic ocean in the south-western part of France and is built on a bend in the Garonne river.
The port of the city is called the Port de la Lune or Port of the moon because of the shape of the river as it bends in the city.
In 2007 Unesco listed large portions of the city as a World heritage site.
It is seen by many as the wine capital of the world and is also home to La Cité du Vin which is a museum opened in 2016 dedicaded to wine and its history. Well worth at visit!
The city is home to Vinexpo which is one of the largest exibitions for wine proffesionals from all over the world.
It is held in uneven years and started in 1981.
The wine industry in Bordeaux has had its ups and downs and the 1970s and early 1980s saw some difficult times.
One turning point came when famed wine critic Robert Parker gave the 1982 vintage a rave review as the best vintage in decades.
The famous 1855 Bordeaux Classification
Emperor Napoleon III had for the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris requested that a classification of the best wines of Bordeaux was to be created.
The wines where classified by price and reputation which was seen as indicators of quality.
The wines where ranked from First to Fifth growths (Crus) and only four Chateaus (with a fifth added later) where selected for the top class Premier Cru. The word "growths" does not mean that the grapes where grown in any particular order but is simply used as the name for the classes. All estates on the list are from Médoc except for Haut-Brion from the Graves appellation.
- Premier Cru (First Growth)
Château Lafite Rothschild
Château Latour
Château Haut-Brion
Château Margaux
Château Mouton Rothschild*
*Château Mouton Rothschild was upgraded in 1973 from Second Growth to First Growth