Bordeaux gives its name to a wine region which includes the vineyards of the Gironde departement and is the region producing more top-quality wine than any other, from a total vineyard area of about 247,000 acres with 13,000 producers. Bordeaux has a high proportion of very large estates and is known in England as Claret. The climate is moderated by the surrounding waters being the Atlantic Ocean with the warm Gulf Stream water, the Gironde Estuary, and the Garrone and Dordogne Rivers. Bordeaux has built its reputation on its red wines [75% and 25% white] and the wines for the most part are blended from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petite Verdot. With Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle grapes for the whites. The total production for the area is just more than 25% of all of the Appellation Controlee wines of France.

Brief History: Evidence of viticulture dates from the first century A.D. Romans and they named the wines vinum clarum because of their light and clear appearance. With the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine from the southwest and Henri of Anjou from the northwest the whole west side of France came under one ruler in 1152 and when Henri became the King of England the wines from Bordeaux became the preferred drink in the entire Brittish Isles [excluding all others] until 1453 when the British were forced to relinquish their holdings in France. Soon the Dutch Navy became the largest fleet and was used to transport the different styles of Bordeaux throughout the ports of northern Europe. In the seventeenth century the marshy Medoc was dredged by Dutch engineers. During the eighteenth century, attempts were made to elevate the wines by using the superior grape varieties and lowering yields. Glass bottles and cork stoppers were introduced to protect wines from oxidation while being stored in cellars. The wealth from international trade allowed the city to expand and build fine mansions, theaters, restaurants, and hotels. Negociants from many nations set up shop on the Quai des Chartrons on the Garonne River. By the 1790's the finest wines were labeled with the name of the chateau on the bottle and were made in a heavier style that would benefit from cellaring. In 1855 a classification of the estates was made based on the quality and prices that they received at that time. Critics argue that the classification is antiquated, but, with the exception of elevating Mouton Rothschild in 1973, the Bordelais have resisted change. Phylloxera and ouidium a powdery mildew caused great difficulty in the later 1800's. During the 1950's the regions of Graves and St. Emilion were classified. In the 1960's America became an important export market when Baron Philippe de Rothschild's Mouton Cadet led the way in sales.

Labeling Wines are labeled by location with the individual chateau as the smallest source for wines. As an example Chateau Latour is in the commune of Pauillac, in the Haut Medoc portion of the Medoc, in the region of Bordeaux.

Regional Wines Bordeaux, Bordeaux Superieur, Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux, Bourg and Blaye, Entre-Deux-Mers [between two seas], Graves de Vayres, Neac, Lalande-de-Pomerol, Fronsac, Canon Fronsac, Medoc [between the waters], Haut Medoc[ with the six communes of St-Estephe, Pauillac, St. Julien, Listrac, Mouilis, and Margaux], Graves, Sauternes, St-Emilion and Pomerol.

The classification of 1855

Premier Grand Cru Classe [ first great classified growth ]

Deuxiemes Crus [ second growths ]

Troisiemes Crus [ third growths ]

Quatriemes Crus [ fourth growths ]

Cinquiemes Crus [ fifth growths ]

In 1932 three levels were added to the classification.

Cru bourgeois [ a minimum of a 17.3 acre/ seven hectare vineyard ]

Grand bourgeois [ adds oak aging ]

Bourgeois exceptionnel [ adds mise en bouteilles au chateau,& Haut Medoc ]

A recent E C ruling allows only the term Cru Bourgeois to be used.

The Red Grapes

Cabernet Sauvignon: Provides a darker color, bigger flavors of plumb and cassis, more tannin for longer aging. Late to ripen, needs a warm season to produce top quality. Does better on well drained gravel soils and is resistant to rot.

Merlot: The first grape to ripen. When blended with the tannic, tough, deeply colored Cabernet Sauvignon, it offers softness, flesh, and suppleness to balance out the texture of the Cabernet Sauvignon. Lower acidity and tannin are the main atributes. The wines with more merlot will mature more quickly.

Cabernet Franc: Lacks the color of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot but does offer complex aromas of mint, herbs, and spices.

Petite Verdot: Planted in very small percentages, ripens very late and rarely achieves full maturity. Used to provide tannin to some wines that are predominantly Merlot. Also can add color and alcohol when ripe.

Malbec: This grape has fallen into disfavor and in most vineyards has been replanted.

The White Grapes

Sauvignon Blanc: Used in both the dry white wines of Graves and the sweet white wines of the Barsac/Sauternes region. Sauvignon Blanc renders a very distinctive pungent nose, somewhat herbaceous and a crisp, austere flavor. Most are blended with Semillon.

Semillon: Very susceptible to the noble rot called Botrytis, essential to sweet Sauternes. Semillon is used to provide a rich creamy, intense texture to both dry and sweet Bordeaux. More Semillon than Sauvignon is used in the sweet wines.

Muscadelle: The least planted, a fragile grape that produces a wine with a flowery, perfumed character. It is used in tiny proportions in Sauternes/Barsac and is used sparingly in white Graves production.