0 items £0.00
The Bordeaux Wine Region of France is the most prestigious wine producing region in the world, best known for its fabulous red wines.
These reds are full-bodied with bold aromas of blackcurrants, plums and cedar. The aroma is dark fruits with an earthy background and a long smooth finish with some acidity depending on the grape mix.
The whites deliver flavour packed wines with citrus and grassy notes full of grapefruit, lemon, gooseberry and lime. Along with the big fruity flavours, Bordeaux are very light, dry and often crisp.
The exceptional conditions for growing vines in the Bordeaux region are the main factor behind its flourishing winemaking industry. With 57 appellations (AOC) and 38 sub-regions it's the biggest producer of appellation wines in France.
The most commonly used grape varieties in the production of well-known Bordeaux wines are Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, often accompanied by Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. These red grape varieties are globally recognized as the "Bordeaux Blend".
While red wine production accounts for 90% of the total output, there are also white Bordeaux blends made with primary grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. In some cases, Muscadelle is also used in this blend.
The city of Bordeaux is situated at the junction of the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers, which flow into the Gironde estuary. These rivers divide the region into three main areas:
"The right bank", located on the northern side of the Dordogne, around Libourne city.
"Entre-Deux-Mers", which translates to "between two seas", lies between the tidal Dordogne and Garonne rivers in the centre of the region.
"The left bank", situated on the western and southern sides of the Garonne, including the city of Bordeaux. The left bank can be further divided into two regions: "Graves", found upstream of Bordeaux city, and "Médoc", located downstream of Bordeaux on a peninsula formed by the Gironde and the Atlantic.
In Bordeaux, the concept of "terroir" is crucial to wine production, with top vineyards aiming to create wines that showcase the unique characteristics of their location, often using grapes from a single vineyard. The soil in Bordeaux is a combination of gravel, sandy stones, and clay. The most highly regarded vineyards are typically located on well-drained gravel soils near the Gironde river. It is said that the best estates in Bordeaux have a view of the river from their vineyards. These river-facing lands are mostly occupied by classified estates.
