Bordeaux Supérieur is an appellation level applied to wines produced in the Generic area of the Bordeaux PDO. They are produced from the classic Bordeaux Grape varieties. The reds are, as the name suggests, intended to be a slightly "superior" form of the standard Bordeaux AOC wines. They are therefore heavily based on Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.
Some wines may feature the "lost child" of Bordeaux, Carménère. Small quantities of white wine are produced. However, as the wines must be Sweet, this does not represent a level of quality as is the case for the red designation. These wines are generally made from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.
Some blends may include Muscadelle, Ugni Blanc and Merlot Blanc. Similarly, the Graves Supérieures appellation is specific to sweet white wines. Only two French wine regions have adopted the concept of having a "superior" level for their appellations. The other is Beaujolais.
Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.
wines from the region of Bordeaux Supérieur go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, veal or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of shepherd's pie (quebec!), paupiettes in a casserole with cream or venison stew.
On the nose in the region of Bordeaux Supérieur often reveals types of flavors of cherry, grapefruit or oaky and sometimes also flavors of citrus, smoke or butter. In the mouth in the region of Bordeaux Supérieur is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.
