BORDEAUX LEVEL 3.docx

**Bordeaux** Bordeaux is the largest appellation region in France, in terms of both volume and value. It is home to many of the most prestigious names in fine wine. However, these wines only represent a tiny proportion of total production and there is a massive gap between the resources available t...

**Bordeaux** Bordeaux is the largest appellation region in France, in terms of both volume and value. It is home to many of the most prestigious names in fine wine. However, these wines only represent a tiny proportion of total production and there is a massive gap between the resources available to a few very wealthy producers and the vast majority of growers and producers. **[CLIMATE AND GRAPE GROWING]** Bordeaux has a moderate maritime climate that benefits from the effect of the Gulf Stream. This warming ocean current extends the growing season: spring frosts are rarely a problem and grape ripening can continue well into October. However, the Atlantic also brings high levels of rainfall and humidity. The vineyards are protected from the worst of the Atlantic storms by the Landes forest and the coastal sand dunes that lie to the west of the region. Rain falls throughout the year and can disrupt flowering and fruit set, promote rot and dilute the flavours in the grapes at harvest. Consequently, vintage variation is an important consideration in Bordeaux although the top producers can greatly reduce the differences in style and quality between the vintages by rejecting unhealthy and unripe grapes. Changes in canopy management techniques have resulted in healthier grapes (plus a decline in the use of sprays) and a marked rise in the levels of sugar and flavour development at harvest time. **[GRAPE VARIETIES AND WINEMAKING]** Almost all red Bordeaux wines and most Bordeaux whites are produced from a blend of grape varieties. The variability in the weather, in particular rainfall, means that it can be very risky to rely too heavily on one variety. The different varieties permitted in Bordeaux flower and ripen at different times, meaning that one bad frost or heavy shower is unlikely to ruin an entire crop. Thirteen grape varieties are permitted under the appellation regulations, but in practice three black grapes and two white predominate. - [Cabernet Sauvignon] dominates in the Haut-Médoc, and it is also very important in the Bas-Médoc and the Graves. The high stone/gravel content of the soils here raises vineyard temperature and consequently these are the only areas where Cabernet can reliably ripen. Here it can account for three-quarters of the blend in the finest wines. - [Cabernet Franc] is widely used in Saint-Émilion and, to a lesser extent, in the Médoc and Graves. It produces wines with less body and tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon. It can have herbaceous or stalky flavours when unripe but when ripe it can contribute vibrant fruit and floral notes to a blend. Like Cabernet Sauvignon it prefers well drained warm soils. \- [Sémillon:] Given its thin skin and affinity for noble rot is the most important variety for sweet wines in Bordeaux. It is also blended with Sauvignon Blanc in the premium dry white wines of Pessac-Léognan and Graves, where it adds body to these wines. \- Sauvignon Blanc: In Bordeaux produces wines with citrus and green fruit aromas. It is used increasingly for varietal, dry white wines: the one exception to the generalization that all Bordeaux wines are blends. In blended wines it provides high acidity, which is particularly necessary for sweet wines - [The Médoc and Sauternes] - [Graves (Pessac-Léognan)] - [Saint-Émilion Grand Cru] **[REGIONS AND WINES]** **Generic Appellations** The output of the generic appellations is mainly red labelled as either Bordeaux or Bordeaux Supérieur (the latter designation has slightly stricter appellation rules and requires a higher level of alcohol in the final wine). The remainder is white labelled as Bordeaux and rosé labelled as Bordeaux Rosé or Bordeaux Clairet. The standard of these basic Bordeaux wines has improved considerably and continues to do so as export-focused producers are trying to ensure that their wines can compete with similarly priced wines from other parts of the world. At their best, red Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur are early drinking medium-bodied wines with ripe red and black fruit, and sometimes cedar notes from oak. The cheapest can be lighter in body and have more astringent tannins than the better wines. The best Bordeaux rosé is fresh and fruity with an increasing number of producers making high-quality examples. Clairet is a style of wine that is mainly popular on the French market. It undergoes a longer maceration than a typical rosé and is deeper in colour and fuller in body. A few appellations are permitted to produce dry white wines. Entre-Deux-Mers, a large appellation located between the Rivers Garonne and Dordogne, can only produce white wines (red wines from this area must be labelled with a generic appellation name). The appellations of Graves and Pessac-Léognan are permitted to produce white wines as well as reds. The white wines of Graves and Entre-Deux-Mers tend to be made from Sauvignon Blanc in an unoaked style. Pessac-Léognan is the home of many of the very best dry whites, and here the whites may be eligible for cru classé status. They tend to be blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon and have usually been fermented and/or matured at least partly in new oak, giving a medium to full body and toasty oak flavours. Some producers in Médoc and Sauternes also produce premium dry whites. However, these wines cannot be sold using these appellations and instead they are sold using the generic Bordeaux appellation.