Bordeaux, in southwestern France, is one of the most famous, prestigious and prolific wine regions in the world. The majority of Bordeaux wines (nearly 90% of the production Volume) are the Dry, medium and Full-bodied red Bordeaux blends for which it is famous. The finest (and most expensive) are the wines of the great châteaux of Haut-Médoc and the right bank appellations of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol. The former focuses (at the highest level) on Cabernet Sauvignon, the latter on Merlot.
The legendary reds are complemented by high-quality white wines made from Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. These range from dry whites that challenge the best of Burgundy (Pessac-Léognan is particularly renowned) to the Sweet, botrytised nectars of Sauternes. Although Bordeaux is most famous for its wines produced in specific districts or communes, many of its wines fall under other, broader appellations. These include AOC Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur and Crémant de Bordeaux.
The Bordeaux Red appellation represents more than a third of the total production. The official Bordeaux wine region extends 130 kilometres inland from the Atlantic coast. 111,000 hectares of vineyards were registered in 2018, a figure that has remained largely constant over the previous decade. However, the number of winegrowers has consolidated; in 2018 there were around 6,000, compared to 9,000 a decade earlier.
Pinot noir is an important red grape variety in Burgundy and Champagne, and its reputation is well known! Great wines such as the Domaine de la Romanée Conti elaborate their wines from this famous grape variety, and make it a great variety. When properly vinified, pinot noit produces red wines of great finesse, with a wide range of aromas depending on its advancement (fruit, undergrowth, leather). it is also the only red grape variety authorized in Alsace. Pinot Noir is not easily cultivated beyond our borders, although it has enjoyed some success in Oregon, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.
pink wines from the region of Bordeaux go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, lamb or pork such as recipes of roast beef casserole, lamb crumble with oregano and feta cheese or tartiflette.
On the nose in the region of Bordeaux often reveals types of flavors of red fruit.
Decanter has published a list of ‘12 vineyards to rule them all‘, featuring some of the greatest vineyards across the globe, after consulting a selection of leading wine world experts. After much debate and discussion, the final dozen takes wine lovers on a journey across the international wine world, from Burgundy and Barolo to Napa Valley, via South Australia and Argentina – to name just a few destinations. Not everyone will agree with the choices made, of course. It’s a list that ...
The Barton family announced yesterday (19 January), ‘We have the immense sadness to inform you that our beloved Anthony Barton passed away at the age of 91 years old.’ Known as the ‘gentleman’ of Bordeaux wine and admired for his sense of humour and charisma, Anthony Barton was also widely respected for modernising family estates Léoville Barton and Langoa Barton – the respective 1855 second and third growth châteaux in the St-Julien appellation. Barton was credited, too, with maintaining ...
Described by Courvoisier as ‘daring’, ‘visionary’ and ‘a first-of-its-kind collaboration’, Courvoisier Mizunara was created by the house’s recently-retired maître de chai, Patrice Pinet, and Shinji Fukuyo, chief blender of Japanese whisky maker Suntory. The project dates back to 2015, when the president of Suntory visited Courvoisier at Jarnac shortly after Suntory took over Beam Global, the Cognac house’s then owner, in a deal worth US$16bn. Pinet expressed an interest in experimenting with miz ...
