Bordeaux
Bordeaux is the gold standard for fine wine. Located in southwest France, it produces the world's most famous blends and established the models for Cabernet and Merlot that are followed globally today.
A Tale of Two Banks
Bordeaux is divided by the Gironde estuary into two main areas. The soil determines which grape dominates.
Left Bank
Medoc, Graves
- Dominant Grape:Cabernet Sauvignon
- Soil:Gravel (retains heat)
- Style:Structured, tannic, savory
- Home to the famous 1855 Classified Growths (Lafite, Latour, Margaux).
Right Bank
Saint-Émilion, Pomerol
- Dominant Grape:Merlot
- Soil:Clay & Limestone (cool)
- Style:Plush, softer, fruit-forward
- Home to Petrus and Cheval Blanc.
The Bordeaux Blend
Almost no red wine in Bordeaux is a single varietal. Winemakers blend to balance the vintage.
Sweet Wines: Sauternes
Bordeaux also produces some of the world's greatest sweet white wines in Sauternes. Grapes (Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc) are left on the vine to be affected by Botrytis cinerea ("Noble Rot"), which shrivels the grapes and concentrates the sugars and flavors into a nectar of honey and apricot.
Old World vs. New World
Compare a Bordeaux Blend against a Napa Cabernet in a blind tasting. Can you spot the earthier French style?