Region
Extending for approximately ninety kilometres around the southwestern French city of Bordeaux, the wine region of the same name is perhaps the world's most renowned and revered. Principally a region of reds, the traditional Bordeaux blend is a much imitated, rarely matched assemblage of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
11
465 (showing 200)
The port city of Bordeaux, with its wealth of historical and cultural sights, has long been a magnet for tourists from all over the world. Offering some of Europe’s finest examples of eighteenth century architecture, as well as a vibrant arts scene, a reputation for serving up gastronomic delights and a location that places it at the centre of planet Earth’s most famous wine-making region, Bordeaux is a city of style, elegance and opulence - traits that it shares with the region's wines.
Whilst no wine is produced within the city limits, the wider region has seen continuous viticultural activity since the Romans first introduced wine for local consumption half way through the first century. Today, the region’s 120,000 hectares under vine account for 15% of France’s entire viticultural land. A patchwork of lush rolling countryside, pine forests, quaint hilltop villages and row after row of beautifully maintained vineyards planted with mathematical precision, the Bordeaux wine landscape is one of stark contrasts and dramatic beauty. Enjoying a temperate climate with long, warm summers, mild winters, excellent soil diversity and natural drainage, the terroir of the region lends itself to the cultivation of the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes that are synonymous with its most celebrated wines.
Intense daytime sunshine in the growing season coupled with cooler night-time temperatures, and a mostly south / southeastern aspect, ensures optimal ripeness and provides the the grapes (and subsequently, the wines) with the unique character and complexity for which they are held in such high regard. Soil structure varies across the region with the left bank vines planted on predominantly gravel-based plots and the estates on the right being dominated by limestone and clay soils; hence the Châteaux of the Médoc (left bank) produce wines dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon (a later ripening variety which thrives in sandy gravel), and those of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol (on the right bank) produce principally Merlot-led blends.
Whilst the esteemed red Bordeaux blend is the region's most recognised export, it is supported by a number of high quality white wines which also have stellar international reputations, in particular the dry whites of Pessac-Léognan and the celebrated sweet, botrytized wines of Sauternes. Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle are the chief permissible varieties in the white Bordeaux blend, although it is common for the wines to be made entirely from the first two grapes, and rare - although not unheard of - for mono-varietals to be produced. In addition to the three principal grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon (nearly two thirds of plantings), Merlot (almost one quarter) and Cabernet Franc (roughly one tenth), the red grape vineyards of Bordeaux also contain smaller amounts of Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carménère, which although permissible, are rarely used in an estate’s Grand Vin.
In all, the region boasts over ten thousand individual producers and more than fifty AOCs, ranging from generic, catch all labels to the prestigious first growth châteaux of the Haut-Médoc on the left bank, and the renowned appellations of Pomerol and Saint-Émilion on the right. Production is varied, quality-focussed and copious. 2016 saw almost six-hundred million litres of wine produced in the region with everything from simple, everyday blends (sold under the Bordeaux AOC label and purchasable for a few pounds) to, at the other end of the scale, some of the world’s most exclusive and expensive wines. Amongst a number of internationally renowned estates, the region is home to Château Pétrus (Pomerol AOC), Château Cheval Blanc (Saint-Émilion), Château Latour and Château Lafite-Rothschild (both Pauillac AOC).
Bordeaux is known first and foremost for its red wines. The region boasts some of the most famous appellations in the world, whether on the left bank of the Gironde, where names such as Margaux and Pauillac lead with long ageing Cabernet Sauvignon; or on the right bank, where the likes of Pomerol and St-Emilion are admired for their use of Merlot and Cabernet Franc.
