New Zealand Wine

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An introduction to Bordeaux Wine

Bordeaux is without doubt the most important, undoubtedly the most widely imitated, wine region found anywhere in the world. The wines themselves range from some of the most exclusive, most recognized wines of the world to workmanlike everyday wines that sell in the $10 range.

Red Bordeaux is made out of 5 accepte varieties and even these are among by far the most planted grapes found anywhere in the world. The three main grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Malbec, a blending variety in Bordeaux, is most recognized as “the grape” of Argentina.

White Bordeaux, though not nearly as well known as the red, is made out of three permitted varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle. Generally, the blend is 2/3 Sauvignon Blanc and 1/3 Semillon, with some infrequent use of Muscadelle.

Bordeaux is divided into 3 major subregions - Graves, the Médoc, and the “Right Bank”.

The Gironde estuary, formed by the convergence of the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers, divides the Médoc peninsula from the mainland of France. The Médoc holds the ...
... appellations of Pauillac, St. Estephe, St. Julien and Margaux. Those appellations form a part of the Haut-Médoc, known as the most prestigious part of the Médoc. The Médoc consists of Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot and the other grapes usually playing a supporting role.

South of the Gironde, west of the Garonne, lies Graves, home of the Pessac-Leognan appellation and Chateau Haut-Brion. Like the Médoc, the wines of the Graves traditionally include Cabernet Sauvignon.

To the east of the Gironde and the Dordogne are the “Right Bank” appellations, most notably St. Emilion and Pomerol. This is the largest section Bordeaux, and the wines usually feature Merlot, with Cabernet Franc as the principal support grape.

In 1855, the wines of the Médoc as well as the Graves were rated by the foremost wine merchants of the time. 61 modern Chateaux are featured in the so-called “1855 Classification,” the Grandes Crus, the very best wines of their day and often, ours. The 61 Chateaux were divided into 5 groups, known in English as “Growths”.

The First Growths, the best of the best, were initially restricted to 4 wines - Chateau Latour, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Chateau Margaux, and Chateau Haut-Brion. In the only alteration to the classification not directly the result of mergers or by properties being divided, Chateau Mouton-Rothschild was elevated from 2nd Growth to 1st Growth status in 1973. Of the First Growths, three are from Pauillac (Lafite, Latour and Mouton), one is from Margaux (fittingly, Chateau Margaux) and one is from Pessac-Leognan (Haut Brion).

As part of the Right Bank, Chateau Ausone and Chateau Cheval-Blanc (St. Emilion) and Chateau Petrus (Pomerol) are seen as having grade equal to the First Growths, although the wines of the Right Bank weren't included in the 1855 Classification.

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