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Bordeaux Fine wine
Bordeaux is arguably the most famous wine region not just in France, but the world, its renowned châteaux reading likes a who’s who of fine wine. The red wines from Bordeaux’s Left and Right Banks are a mainstay of any reputable cellar, showcasing astonishing complexity and ageability on a palate that marries sweetness and savouriness as few other wines can do.
Bordeaux reds and whites
It is the reds – generally a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot – which carry Bordeaux’s reputation. Such communes as Pauillac and Pessac-Léognan, St-Julien and St-Emilion are home to a dazzling array of classified growths whose grands vins would grace any cellar in the world. But the wider region also encompasses a multitude of wines of all styles and at all levels. Many cru bourgeois and unclassified estates are making wines of the quality being made by crus classés a decade or so ago, while less vaunted sub-regions such as Bourg and Blaye yield an earlier-drinking, fresher iteration of the same style. The white wines – made both by the big names and more modest estates – marry Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon in a lush manner that is hard to find elsewhere. Meanwhile, the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac are among the most indulgent ‘stickies’ in the fine wine firmament.
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- En Primeur
Prestigious Bordeaux appellations
Bordeaux wine FAQs
What is the overarching style of wines from Bordeaux?
The red wines of Bordeaux are blended from a handful of permitted grape varieties, in most cases dominated by three – Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The region’s soils and climate lend themselves to these varieties in particular, delivering a savoury rendering of their dark-fruited profile that many other regions try – and often fail – to match. Within this, there are multiple nuances, with the more Cabernet Sauvignon-led wines of the Médoc, on the Left Bank, tending towards a more structured, chiselled style, and the Merlot-dominant wines of St-Emilion and Pomerol on the Right Bank traditionally showing more lush, rounded notes.
Why do the top wines of Bordeaux have such status?
Much of Bordeaux’s fame can be traced back through its history. Many of the most famous estates have been producing wines for centuries, thereby establishing and furthering their renown and know-how over many generations. The 1855 classification, which ranked the top châteaux of the Left Bank according to their price, has been set in stone ever since, serving as a hierarchical structure that, while not always strictly accurate in terms of quality or price, nonetheless makes for an easy reference point for wine lovers the world over. The associated prestige has made these wines – and other, similarly-graded wines from across the region – icons of the fine wine market, with their ageability lending further appeal to their status as collectables.
Do all Bordeaux reds need to be aged?
No, but many of the top wines definitely benefit from time spent in the cellar. Wines from classed growths (crus classés) can be very structured and tannic in their youth, elements that become smoother and more integrated with age. The wines also gain in depth and interest over time, the bright, primary fruit melding into more savoury, earthy flavours that lend wonderful layers of complexity that are hard to find in other wines. Some wines can develop for decades. That said, more modest wines from unclassified estates can be delicious to drink young, offering wonderfully fresh, crunchy fruit.
How important is the vintage in wines from Bordeaux?
Improvements in viticultural techniques have made poor years relatively rare in Bordeaux, but there can still be quite a degree of vintage variation in terms of quality and style. With the top red wines in particular, vintages quickly assume a reputation from the time the wines are first tasted ‘en primeur’, which can be difficult to shift. 2022’s benevolent conditions made for a dream harvest for most producers, with the largely radiant, structured, ageworthy wines suitably well received, whereas the cool, wet summer of 2024 quickly led to lower expectations of less imposing, more simple wines. It’s important to note, though, that there are always exceptions to such generalisations, with some producers and communes bucking the trend.