Bordeaux wines (486)

Bordeaux - a safe haven for good taste

Bordeaux is balance. A harmony of terroir, grape varieties, and wines. On 120,000 hectares of water-permeable and calcareous gravel soils, the highly praised and proudly titled Graves garonnaise, the deep-rooted vines find ideal conditions to establish the foundation, better the groundwork for nuanced and balanced red wines from Bordeaux, crafted with great care and expertise.

With a focus on native grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, velvety and full-bodied cuvées emerge, enhanced with Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc, continuing a centuries-old balance in perfection. However, the Bordeaux region is by no means a homogeneous vineyard area. Divided into the left and right banks as well as the intervening areas of Entre-Deux-Mers, each vineyard region has developed its own style, dominant grape varieties, thus contributing to the entirety of the Bordelais.

Left Bank

The so-called Left Bank embodies some of the most famous Châteaux that the wine world has to offer. Divided into the three wine regions of Graves, Sauternes, and Médoc, these areas provide optimal conditions for the cultivation of Cabernet Sauvignon. Tannin-rich, spicy Bordeaux red wines with great aging potential are the result, with great wines being the matured outcome.

The Médoc

Located right on the 45th parallel, the relatively flat vineyards of the Médoc are swept by the Atlantic Ocean climate. Between the Atlantic coast and the city of Bordeaux, renowned Châteaux line the banks of the Gironde, year after year enhancing the fame of Bordeaux with their best red wines. Cabernet Sauvignon reigns supreme here, finding the best conditions from Saint-Estèphe over Pauillac to the plateau in Margaux.

Graves

South of Bordeaux, the Garonne dictates the course of the Graves vineyard area. Closely planted vines occupy only a few square meters - low quantity, high quality. Together with the fertile floodplain with pebble, sand, and clay components, and favorable microclimate, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, as well as white grape varieties like Cabernet Blanc and Sémillon, enjoy ideal conditions for harmonious to crisp wines from Graves.

Sauternes

The world-famous sweet wines from Sauternes give the small vineyard area amid Graves a distinctive hallmark. On large limestone deposits, Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, and the leading Sémillon produce excellent results enveloped in fog. The municipalities of Sauternes, Barsac, and Cérons demonstrate year after year that Bordeaux can do more than just produce opulent red wines.

Right Bank

Although the Right Bank, in contrast to the Left Bank, lacks an ancient classification and tradition and history play a lesser role, the wines from the right bank of the Gironde and Dordogne are considered no less legendary. Merlot is the main focus here, dictating the taste of the vineyards Blaye, Bourg, and Libournais with its abundant fruity and floral aromas.

Blaye and Bourg

Opposite the Châteaux of the Médoc lie the vineyards of Blaye and Bourg, which, with their sun-facing vineyards, are predestined for powerful and fruity red wines. The diversity of grape varieties grown on the clay and limestone soils is great and offers winemakers many opportunities when creating their Bordeaux cuvées. Primarily, Merlot produces the floral and rounded character typical of the quality wines from this area.

Libournais

A true gem in the historical Bordeaux region is the Libournais, with the village of Saint-Émilion, which, as a UNESCO World Heritage site, provides the perfect ambiance for fruity and velvety red wine. As is typical for the Right Bank, Merlot is the most important grape variety on site, followed by small proportions of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, and Malbec. The well-known vineyard areas of Pomerol, Puisseguin Saint-Émilion, and Lussac benefit from the clay-limestone mixture of the gravelly soils, which allows the vines to root deeply with good drainage.

Entre-Deux-Mers

While the left and right banks clearly define Bordeaux wines as red, it is the Entre-Deux-Mers vineyard area that overturns these conventions and brings freshness and crisply white wines from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle to Bordeaux. Mainly vibrant and fruity white wines, but also a few red and sweet wines, expand the offer of exquisite Bordeaux wines.

Vintages

The climate in the Bordeaux region is influenced by the proximity to the Atlantic. In conjunction with the rivers and forests, a mild and stable climate emerges. Only the hours of sunshine and rainfall are an unpredictable variable that can lead to significant vintage fluctuations in the wines.

• 2009: The summer was hot, and the nights cool; ideal for alcohol-rich and fruity red wines with elegantly integrated tannins. Overall, an exceptionally good vintage.
• 2010: Many hours of sunshine with a long finale resulted in fully ripe and healthy grapes, blessing the red wine with strong fruity aromas, harmonious acidity, and very good aging potential.
• 2011: While the spring was sunny, the summer turned out to be damp, cold, and lacking in sunshine. Nevertheless, the red wines testify to a fine structure with fruity finesse and captivating color.
• 2012: Following a frosty start to the year, there was a sunny transition from summer to autumn - enough for the grapes to develop fully. This brought an unprecedented freshness and spice to the red wines from Bordeaux, resulting in a successful vintage when combined with the fruity aromas.
• 2013: Almost devastating influences of rain, storms, and even hail caused significant difficulties for the winemakers. The smallest harvest in decades still produced rounded fruity red wines that are most enjoyable when young.
• 2014: Strong temperature fluctuations in the earlier part of the year and ideal conditions later on made this vintage a great success. Intense colors shape the elegant structure, which only improves with age.
• 2015: The climate offered perfect conditions for viticulture in Bordeaux in 2015. Sunny days and cool nights enrich the red wines with a perfect structure, fruity and intense aromas, and subtle tannins.
• 2016: The abundant harvest of this year is attributed to the extremely dry climate, with the long-awaited rainfall in late summer. The perfectly ripened grapes shone with impressive fruit sweetness and tasty aromas of dark fruits, which is reflected in the almost black color.
• 2017: Difficult weather conditions marked the grapes. Little stored water in the soils, frost, hail, and severe drought in the summer. The harvest losses are immense, and it remains to be seen whether the wines of 2017 will meet the standards of Bordeaux.
• 2018: Time will tell what treasures the winemakers in the Bordeaux region will create in the coming years. Until then, enjoy the exquisite Bordeaux wines from older vintages. On VINELLO you will find affordable Bordeaux quality wines for the enjoyment of the finest drops.

The quality hierarchy in Bordeaux

The classification of Médoc and Sauternes 1855

That the wines from the Bordeaux region are good was already known by the Romans, who planted numerous vines around the settlement of Burdigala at that time. How good the wines really were, Napoleon III wanted to find out in 1855 before they were to be presented at the World Exhibition in Paris. This was followed by an irreversible breakdown of the estates of the Left Bank, mainly Médoc, Sauternes, and a red wine from Graves, based on production quantity into several categories. Premiers Crus, meaning First Growth and at the top of the hierarchy, then included 4 and today 5 estates, 3 of which are near the city of Pauillac. The categorization ended with the Cinquièmes Crus, the fifth growths, or with the second wines, whose characteristics do not qualify for the Crus status. This means that they are not qualitatively on a level with a Grand Cru, but certainly high-quality wines from Bordeaux. A similar classification was also carried out simultaneously for the sweet wines from the municipalities of Sauternes and Barsac, with only Premier Cru Supérieur, Premier Cru Classé, and Deuxième Cru Classé distinguished.

Graves

Between 1953 and 1959, a single-tier classification for the vineyard areas around Graves followed. Unlike the categorization of the Châteaux in Médoc, the estates in Graves were either classified or not.

Saint-Émilion

The classification of the estates in Saint-Émilion in 1954 differentiates a total of 3 categories. The highest level is Premier Grand Cru Classé, which is further divided into two subcategories A and B. The categorization ends with the Grands Crus Classé. Unlike in Médoc, this classification is temporary and is reassessed every 10 years. Thus, ascending and descending estates are not uncommon.

Pomerol

A special feature among the vineyard areas of the Bordeaux region is Pomerol. No classification of the wines takes place there, although wine connoisseurs are well aware of the elevated reputation of some Châteaux.

Our VINELLO recommendation

Mouton Cadet Edition Vintage Bordeaux AOC 1.5 l - Baron Philippe de Rothschild

From the glorious vineyards around the town of Pauillac, the winery Baron Philippe de Rothschild gifts us with a garnet-red and spicy red wine of the highest class. The full potential of the grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc are embodied in the round body, which caresses the palate with fruity nuances of blackberries and currants. Rounded off with noble roasting notes, vanilla, and oak spice, the Mouton Cadet Edition Vintage AOC 1.5 liters offers aromatic fullness that harmonizes wonderfully with hearty meat dishes.

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