The flavor of sassafras in wine of Bordeaux
Discover the of Bordeaux wines revealing the of sassafras flavor during the olphactive analysis (nose) and during the gustative analysis (mouth).
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.
In the UK wine calendar, wine merchants concentrate on selling certain regions at the same time every year. For Burgundy, it’s January; Bordeaux starts in April. Others, like the Rhône, aren’t quite so specific, but merchants do seem to agree that autumn is the right time to turn their attention to this part of France. Following a number of Rhône-focused tastings, and with my full report on the 2021s coming out soon, I have tasted and rated wines that are available to buy in the UK now and my re ...
Bordeaux’s administrative court of appeal has effectively validated the St-Emilion 2012 Classification after rejecting long-standing complaints from three châteaux. France’s national appellation body, INAO, said the decision upholds an original court ruling from 2015. It added the complainants still have two months in which to appeal the judgement, however. Legal challenges to the St-Emilion 2012 Classification have been a feature of the past decade in Bordeaux. INAO said it was ‘reassured’ by t ...
On the highest volcano in Europe, the magic number is 142: the contrade of Etna represented on a colourful new map just released by the Consorzio Tutela Vini Etna DOC. In the age of viticultural cartography, the Sicilian district has embraced ‘zoning’ to enhance every single nuance of its territory, mostly cultivated with Nerello Mascalese and Carricante. ‘This map establishes the full viticultural maturity of our district and underlines the attitude of its winemakers to team up,’ said Francesco ...