Bordeaux Red Wine
Try our Bordeaux Selection cases
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Wine in Bordeaux - key facts
- Bordeaux is the largest single wine-producing region in France by area and volume
- The principle grape varieties used in Bordeaux red wine are; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and for white wine; Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc
- Bordeaux is home to some of the most prestigious Châteaux in the world, and to the world’s most expensive wines
- The vast majority of wine coming from Bordeaux, however, is at best ordinary
- Bordeaux is home to the world-famous sweet wine appellations, Sauternes and Barsac.
The Bordeaux wine region takes its name from the region’s main city, and is centered around the Gironde estuary and the rivers Garonne and Dorgogne. Its area spreads out some 60 miles around the city, and its climate is heavily influenced by the Atlantic Ocean creating a temperate environment with a high degree of humidity.
There are 57 ‘appellations’ in Bordeaux (named, distinct, areas with recognisable quality and style attributes) with approximately 7,000 wine-producing Châteaux.
Wine in Bordeaux
Winemaking in the region goes back 2000 years into history, and much political wrangling has seen trade patterns change and evolve in the intervening years. Interestingly, until the late 17th century (when it was drained), the Médoc was too marshy to produce wine and was known mainly for growing corn. Some of the wines produced at this time were a mixture of red and white grapes fermented together and called ‘clairet’ in Old French – which is the origins of the term Claret.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, merchants from England, the Netherlands and Germany controlled most of the wine production in Bordeaux. Merchants bought wine in barrels and casks, and sometimes bottled then matured them to sell on later. In 1855, these merchants created a ranking to distinguish the finest wines – the classification still exists today – the ‘Grand Cru Classés’.
The left and right banks
Many people refer to Bordeaux’s left and right banks - these terms refer to the banks of the Gironde estuary. Left bank: Médoc, Haut Médoc (including St Julien, Pauillac, Margaux, St Estèphe), Pessac Leognan, Graves, Barsac, Sauternes. The Entre deux Mers (between two seas) lies in the middle. Rght bank: Blaye, Bourg, Fronsac and Canon Fronsac, St Emilion, Pomerol and Côtes de Castillon.
Click here for a map of Bordeaux's key wine regions
Wine and Vintage
Bordeaux’s weather is sufficiently unpredictable that the quality of vintage varies considerably year after year; hence it’s not uncommon to see huge price differentials based on supply and demand. As always, it’s difficult to generalise as quality depends on the actions of the grape-growers and winemakers, as well as their own particular vineyard environment, but here’s a rough guide to vintages over the last few years from Alastair Marshall:
2008 – still in barrel as we write – looking modest to good
2007 – wet vintage, needs careful selection
2006 – good year, especially the Right Bank
2005 – sensational year, over-priced
2004 – a ‘restaurant’ vintage (in other words, not an investment vintage)
2003 – hot year, some good wines
2002 – dilute but drinking well now
2001 – solid, well made, underrated
2000 – a great vintage, if you can get it
1999 – surprisingly good, for medium-term drinking
1998 – patchy but some great wines
Bordeaux’s sweet white wines
Due to the proximity of so much water, damp mornings and warm, dry days give rise to perfect conditions for the growth of a fungus called Botrytis cinerea.
This fungus is encouraged in the sweet white wine production areas of Sauternes, St Croix des Moines, Lupiac, Cadillac, Cérons and Barsac. The appellations are close to the Garonne and, for Sauternes and Barsac, a tributary of the Garonne, Cirons. The fungus penetrates the grape skins which means the grapes lose water, thus concentrating acids and sugars. These grapes produce the most sublime wines with unique flavours.
Buying wine en primeur
Bordeaux offers some of the most highly sought-after wines in the world. Many of these wines are bought 'en primeur' whilst the wines are still maturing in barrel and before they are bottled. For an explanation of how en primeur works, click here.
Our top recommendations from Bordeaux:
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