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Bordeaux Wines
Bordeaux is a region of such tremendous diversity in geography, soil, weather, and winemaking tradition that it produces a myriad of wines, each with a unique character. The range of Bordeaux wines is reflected in its 57 appellations, 61 Grand cru classes, more than 9,000 wine-producing châteaux, and 13,000 wine growers
Roughly, it may be said that red wines are made north of the city of Bordeaux and white wines to the south. Graves is an intermediate zone where grapes for both red and white are grown, frequently in the same vineyard
The prestigious St.-Èmilion and Pomerol wine-producing districts are situated where the soil is particularly suited for growing Merlot grapes. Graves and Médoc are renowned for the most prestigious châteaux, where some of the best and most age-worthy wines in the world are produced. The dominant grape here is Cabernet Sauvignon
Nearly all Bordeaux regional wines are blends. Bordeaux red must be made from varieties of Cabernet, which supply vigour, tannin and good keeping qualities, and Merlot, which brings softness and suppleness. Bordeaux whites are limited to Semilion, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle and Merlot Blanc grapes
The more restricted regional appellations will nearly always have been bought by a Bordeaux shipper from different vineyards within the given region and blended by him. His reputation is usually the soundest indication of the value of the wine
Red wines of Bordeaux have a characteristic softness and subtlety that only comes with age. In general the wines merit long aging to enhance their rich and complex flavours. In fact, Bordeaux are characterized by their longevity. Some of the greatest Médocs will live for a century in the bottle
The dry white wines of Bordeaux fall into two styles, light and delicate with a crisp bouquet, or fuller-bodied and aged in oak. Sauternes and Barsac, famous for their golden sweetness, are among the best desert wines in the world
Tasting Notes
Wines that receive only the most generic appellation, Bordeaux, account for 1/4 of all AOC wines in France. Bordeaux wines are balanced and bracing but light, with a delicate nose, and are meant to be drunk young. For the 300 years that the region was under English domination, "Claret" was a light red wine which Englishmen loved. The word is still used to refer to Red Bordeaux. Côtes de Bordeaux wine comes from one of 37 listed villages
Graves, which gets its name from gravelly soil, is the only area in Bordeaux to produce both good red and dry white wines. Traditionally, two thirds of Graves wines have been fresh, fruity and dry whites, but recently that split has reversed and Graves now produces more red than white. A Graves red wine is recognizable by its garnet-red colour. Rich and attractive, earthy and tobacco-scented, they are more robust than the other Médoc wines
Médoc wines are delicate and medium coloured. They generally have a lot of body, tannin and acid when they are young. They have a bouquet with aromas of black currant and cedar when they age. The wines labelled with the generic Médoc AOC are generally from the northern half of the district. Haut-Médoc, in the southern half of the district, is the homeland of the most famous vineyards in the world. Its wines are richly coloured, earthy, firm, robust and tannic. They reach their maturity more slowly than other Médoc wines
Margaux, the most delicate of Médoc wines, is named after a village and a château. Margaux wines have a fragrant bouquet and supple tannins
Pauillac is the most important of the four great Médoc wine communes, but individual vineyards overshadow the commune name. Vineyards include Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Chateau Latour, and Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. One half of all cru classes in Médoc can be found in Pauillac. Wines tend to be quite individual, though they share the characteristic of being more full-bodied than is typical of other Médocs. Some are supple with layers of fruit and animal flavours. Some have an intense black currant, cigar box flavour
Pomerol is the smallest wine producing area in the Bordeaux region. Robust and hardy, Pomerol wines have an exclusive velvety quality. They are deep coloured and full bodied, with a rich flavour, soft tannins and a hint of minerals
St.-Émilion, sometimes referred to as the "Burgundy" of Bordeaux, is one of the most prestigious AOC's in the world. St.-Émilion wines, considered the most robust of the Bordeaux, are richly coloured, and reach their maturity more quickly than other red Bordeaux. They are softer and fruitier than the Médoc and Graves wines. St.-Émilion is the oldest viticultural area of the region
Characteristically full and with a big nose, St.-Estèphe wines vary within the region. At the opposite end of the scale from the delicate wines of Margaux, St.-Estèphe wines are likened to the heavier St.-Émilion wines. They are tannic and slow maturing, tough, deeply coloured and acidic
St.-Julien wines are much lighter and very aromatic. As a regional wine, it is probably the best known of the four leading Médoc communes. The wines are harmonious and well balanced. They are rich and full-bodied, with flavours of black currant, cedar, and cigar-box
Sauterne is an elegant, sweet dessert wine. The wines are made from overripe grapes using a very special process. The benign fungus, botrytis cinerea, otherwise known as "noble rot" is essential to production of these sweet wines. Manual successive pickings of nobly rotten grapes are required to get just the right degree of ripeness. Because it is high in sugar, it sometimes reaches an alcohol content of 16% to 17%. Sauternes are mainly made from Semilion and Sauvignon grapes, with the addition of Muscadelle in very small amounts. Sauternes are luscious wines worthy of aging to bring out their intense flavour. Barsac is a well-known commune in the Sauterne AOC
Chateau d'Yquem is heralded as the greatest natural, sweet white wine. Yquem is distinguished from other Sauternes by a full richness and luscious depth, and a more beautiful gold colour
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