Bordeaux

Bordeaux is the largest fine wine district in the world, with the whole department of Gironde named after it, covering a production volume of 6 million hectoliters in 2005, second only to the vast Languedoc-Roussillon. Red wine outnumbers white by eight to one.

The great red wine areas are the Medoc, Graves and Pessac-Leognan, which are called the left bank wines. The right bank consists of St-Emilion and Pomerol. The country between Garonne and Dordogne is Entre-Deux-Mers, the name found only on the dry white wines, but the region makes three-quarters of all the red sold as AC Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur.

Some of the fringe appellations are rarely seen outside the region, but there are fine wines coming now from Cotes de Bourg (some good whites) and Cotes de Blaye. Not all Bordeaux wines are glorious, the region is too big and some producers do not have the incentive, will, or ability to produce interesting wines.

The climate is marginal, with some years the grapes are not sufficiently ripened. The appellation produces more red wine than the total of South Africa or Germany. Now a VDP de l’Atlantique was created in 2006 for wines at less favored sites.

The system is simple though without a quality element built into it, with only classification but not a common standard. The most famous classification for wines is that for Medoc in 1855, based on the values assessed by Bordeaux brokers at the time, with the first to fifth growths identified. The present standards may deviate from the classification, in many cases land has been added or exchanged so the vineyards are not the same.

Best vineyards produce a maximum of 5000 litres from each hectare of vines. The first growths can easily produce 200,000 bottles of their grand vin, fetching twice the price of the second growths, but there is no other correlation between the other growths.

One notable development is the emergence of microcuvees particularly on the right bank, with the wines made by garagistes, small production of only a few hundred cases. A long-term significance is the vast improvement in viticultural practices since mid-1990s, with stricter pruning, higher trellising, careful canopy management and cautious use of agrochemicals.

Quality and quantity of wine produced each year can vary markedly in Bordeaux. The position near the sea and threaded with rivers gives it a moderate and stable climate with few frost problems. The forest on the ocean side is the biggest in Europe, as well as the Landes to the south, protects it from the strong winds and moderates rainfall.

The weather during flowering is variable and so the crop size varies too. Summers and autumns are usually warm and sunny, with higher average temperature and rainfall than Burgundy, allowing the growing of later-ripening varieties. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot are the main grapes for red wine, and some Malbec still growing too.

Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc are the main white wine grapes, supplemented by Muscadelle in the sweet wine district and Ugni Blanc towards Cognac country. Because they flower at different time, growing them allow an insurance against a few days of bad weather in June or cool autumn. Nearly all Bordeaux wine estates are planted with a mixture of varieties .

Merlot provides the fleshiness to supplement Cabernet and also ripens early. Cabernet Franc ripens before Cabernet Sauvignon, provides additional insurance and an attractive aroma. Petit Verdot ripens latest of all but when it does ripen fully, provides spicy top notes to the Merlot blend.

The right bank favors the early ripening Merlot over Cabernet Sauvignon, which predominates in Medoc and Graves. In Pomerol Merlot is supplemented with Cabernet Franc rather than Cabernet Sauvignon. Some argues that Cabernet Sauvignon can ripen on the gravelly western plateau of St-Emilion but on limestone it tends to produce very hard, tannic wine.

The status of the vineyard is another factor resulting in difference of one property over another, with the success allowing more money to spend on the care of the land and expand, which help to explain the difference of classed growths vs. unclassified ones. Soil structure and soil type also varies, with variations even within a small area. Gravel can be found commonly in Graves, Sauternes and Medoc.  

Study shows that the soils relate more to wine quality because of the soil regulating the water supply to the deep-rooted vines. Supply of moisture to the vine was more important than the composition of the soil as per the study results from Dr. Gerard Seguin. There is no correlation between how deep the roots go and how good is the wine. The best sites can produce more consistent quality wines even in lesser vintages.