Bordeaux is without a doubt the world's wine capital. The region's roads are a succession of castles possessing legendary names. More than anywhere else, here wine is omnipresent, shaping the cities, the region and history.
One of the key dates in the history of Bordeaux is March 21, 1152, the date of the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Duchess of Aquitaine) and Henry Plantagenet (King of England). Through this alliance, Bordeaux came under the control of England and entered a period of great commercial growth.
But the city we know today was shaped much later, in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, with the rise of colonial trade and the explosion of the export of Bordeaux wine. Bordeaux became the second leading world port during this period and gradually constructed the architectural elements that we can still see today. The population explosion and the wealth of the city encouraged the construction of major buildings (the Grand Théâtre, Place de la Bourse, Palais Rohan and many other mansions) and led to the creation of new quarters.
The city of Bordeaux, a masterpiece of French architecture, has now been listed on the World Heritage list by Unesco, just as has the village of Saint-Emilion.
It is to the Romans, who arrived in the region during the first century AD, that we owe the origins of the Bordeaux vineyards. The town became prosperous through maritime trade and imported its first vines.
The wine trade developed rapidly in Bordeaux. As evidenced by the quote of the poet Ausonius: "You, who possesses illustrious wines and rivers…". The city, in antiquity, had already been centered on wine. But the times of upheaval following the fall of the Roman Empire undermined that winemaking heritage.
Bordeaux had to wait until its alliance with the crown of England, in 1152, for its renewal. At that time, the English were very fond of Bordeaux wine and the vineyards continue to expand. In 1303, 102,724 barrels were exported. A record that would be matched until 1950! But at that time the wine produced in Bordeaux was not the red wine that we know today, but rather Clarets, which are quite dark rosé wines.
It was not until the seventeenth century that Bordeaux began producing robust, red wines at the request of Dutch customers to whom Bordeaux then reoriented its exports. The Bordeaux region then began a vast quality campaign and introduced of the idea of "Cru". The 1855 classification of Grands Crus ranked the greatest wines of that time.
Although techniques have evolved considerably, thanks to major advances in the science of oenology, Bordeaux today remains the world's wine capital and the Chateaux ranked in the 1855 listing continue to amaze us.
It is difficult to speak of a single Bordeaux wine. For, if the whole region enjoys a climate favorable to the growing of grapes (mild winters, hot summers, heavy rains brought by the ocean), the nature of the soil requires us to distinguish two distinct regions separated by the Gironde.
On the left bank, west of the Gironde, where we can find the Haut-Medoc, Medoc and Graves, gravelly soils dominate. This warm, filtering soil is particularly suited to growing Cabernet Sauvignon. This grape produces tannic and structured red Bordeaux wines with aromas of cassis that can at times be somewhat austere in their youth. Cabernet Sauvignon is a good grape for aging, but it takes time to fully develop. For this reason, among others, it is blended with other varietals to achieve more balanced wines.
The right bank of the Gironde, which is home to Saint-Emilion and Pomerol, concentrates more of the Merlot varietal. Indeed, the clay-limestone soils, fresh and moist, give freshness to this varietal that can at times be too exuberant. This soil favors the slow ripening of the Merlot, which develops a pleasant complexity that is rarely found when the varietal has been planted elsewhere. The wines of the right bank combine richness and velvety tones with a rich aroma.
In addition to its famous, strong red wines, it is impossible not to also mention the wonderful white wines produced in the region. Bordeaux develops beautiful dry white wines using the Sauvignon varietal, especially in Graves and Entre-Deux-Mers. The other white wines of Bordeaux are the greatest sweet white wines in the world in Sauternes and Barsac.
"Grand Cru" is a term that is often mentioned when talking about Bordeaux wines. But are we talking about a great vintage in Médoc, Saint-Emilion, Sauternes or Graves? Here is a short summary of the classification of Bordeaux wines.
The best known ranking, and the one to which one usually refers is that of Medoc. During the 1855 World's Fair in Paris, the French Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification of Bordeaux wines to be made so as to be able to present that classification during the Fair. The wine merchants of Bordeaux selected the wines which were considered to be the most prestigious. The Reds were classified into 5 categories (first cru to fifth cru). Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Margaux, Château Latour and Château Mouton Rothschild all came from the Medoc zone except Chateau Haut-Brion (Premier Grand Cru) which was in the Graves zone. Since April 1855 the ranking has undergone only two changes: the first, a few months after the publication of the rankings in September 1855, when the Chateau Cantemerle joined the ranks of the fifth crus; the second, in 1973, when Chateau Mouton Rothschild went from second grand cru to first grand cru. The Chateau de la Tour Carnet is, for example, included in this ranking.
Did you know it ? Most of the wineyards which make Grand cru classés wines also produce Second wines like the well-known Carruades de Lafitte, Le Petit Mouton, etc… These Second wines are made with the grapes not considered interesting enough to make the First Label.
At the same time, in 1855, a classification of Barsac and Sauternes white wines was made, divided into three categories (1st Cru Supérieur, 1st Cru, and 2nd Cru This classification still exists today. Note that only Chateau d'Yquem is classified 1st Cru Supérieur.
At the time of the 1855 rankings, the Graves vineyards were ravaged by mildew. The wines of Graves had to wait until 1953 to have their own ranking for red wines and until 1959 for white wines. The Chateaux Haut-Brion and Pape Clement are among the best known members of this ranking.
The latest ranking of Bordeaux wines dates from 1955, and concerns the wines of St. Emilion. This ranking is unique in that it is updated every 10 years. The ranking distinguishes Premiers Grands Crus Classes A (Chateau Ausone and Chateau Cheval Blanc), Premiers Grands Crus Classes B and Grands Crus Classes.
All of these rankings have been put into place to distinguish the best wines of Bordeaux. Nevertheless, the Pomerol appellation, although possessing some of the region's most renowned wines (Petrus, etc ...) has never been included in a ranking. Moreover, there today exist a number of great wines that remain unranked, such as the Girolate from the Despagne vineyards. Remember that the most important thing is the pleasure to be found in tasting the wine, not the label that adorns the bottle!