As
you most certainly know, the Bordeaux
region is considered to produce the world’s
best wines. Simple as that. True for centuries,
at this point.
As the story goes, Bordeaux’s
first vineyards were planted under the
Roman occupation – as in the Roman
Empire. Then a major period of expansion
and cultivation occurred during the Middle
Ages, when the southwest part of France
came under British rule and the export
trade boomed. Then, back under French
control by the late 18th century,
the aristocrats and noblemen of the period
invested heavily in the area. These days,
Bordeaux encompasses some 100,000 hectares
of vines (that’s nearly 250,000 acres)
and produces around 500 million bottles
of wine per year.
So... it’s a lot of
wine. And it’s quite a bit of diversity,
as well. And given that these wines are
the classics... the standard bearers...
the Catherine Deneuves of wine –
you really should get to know them.
First of all, as we’ve
seen over the course of this series, the
term "Bordeaux" on a wine label
refers to the region of origin of the
wine. Bordeaux red wines themselves are
almost always a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, with either
Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot being the
dominant grape.
The
Cabernet Sauvignon dominant wines:
Médoc
Margaux
Pauillac
Ste. Estephe
St. Julien
The Merlot dominant wines:
Pomerol
St. Emilion
The approximately 50/50
Cab/Merlot wines:
Graves
Pessac-Leognan
Each of the names listed
here (like Médoc) are the name of an area
or town that is the geographic origin
of the wine, as well as the "name"
of the wine. As for the wines themselves,
this is basic grape characteristic stuff.
The Cab dominant wines will be fuller-bodied,
more tannic wines. The Merlot dominant
wines will be more medium-bodied, with
smoother tannins. And the 50/50 wines
will be somewhere in between the two.
Easy enough, right?
If you can commit those
9 regional names to memory, along with
what grape variety goes with which, you’re
about 80% there.
Beyond that, there are different
winemaking styles for each of the 9. These
are rather fine distinguishing factors,
and you’ll find as you start tasting
these wines that these points are not
always readily detectable. Furthermore,
it is often preferable, once you’re
familiar with the basic grape varieties,
to buy according to the reputation of
the vintage and of the specific producer
(Château Latour, etc.) Nevertheless...
The winemaking styles
of the Bordeaux red wine regions:
Cabernet dominant wines:
Médoc
(and Haut-Médoc) are ruby colored, with
aromas and tastes of concentrated plum,
earth, oak, and spice, with good balance
and a dry finish. Producers to look for
include Château Cantemerle and Château
la Lagune.
In
the Margaux area, the soil is generally
lighter and finer, which translates into
more elegant, subtle wines. Producers
to look for include Château
Margaux, Château Palmer, and Château
Brane-Cantenac.
Pauillac wines have the
same intense fruit, but exhibit a darker
color, more garnet than ruby. They also
have a slightly metallic hardness known
as le goût de capsule, or ‘lead-pencil
taste.’ These are more masculine,
forceful wines. Producers to look for
include Château
Latour, Château
Mouton-Rothschild (you really do have
to see this site), and Château
Lafite-Rothschild.
Ste.
Estephe wines are full-bodied wines with
the same concentrated fruit and famously
firm tannins. Producers to look for include
Château Calon-Ségur, Château
Montrose, and Cos d’Estournel.
The soil at St. Julien,
the smallest appellation of the Medoc
contains slightly more clay, and this
is reflected in the richer wines that
come from this area. Producers to look
for include Château Ducru-Beaucaillou,
Château
Lagrange, and Château Léoville-Las
Cases.
Merlot dominant wines:
Pomerol soil consists of flint, clay,
gravel, sand, and iron, resulting in wines
that have a famous richness and display
concentrated fruit, but are still velvety
soft. Producers to look for include Château
Lafleur, Château Petrus, and Château Trotanoy.
St.
Emilion, because it is the largest appellation
in Bordeaux, naturally produces more than
one style of wine. Generally speaking,
though, St. Emilion wines are rich, round,
with concentrated sweet fruit, and low
to medium-low tannins. Producers to look
for include Château
Figeac, Château Beauséjour-Duffau-Lagarosse,
and Château Cheval Blanc.
"50/50" Cab/Merlot
wines:
Graves wines tend to present the concentrated
plum fruit of the Cabernet grape and the
round floral sweetness and elegance of
the Merlot grape. Producers to look for
include Château
Haut-Brion, Château
la Mission-Haut-Brion, and
Domaine de Chevalier.
Pessac-Leognan
is so similar to Graves that it is difficult
to name any meaningful differences. If
anything, Pessac-Leognan, being just north
of Graves, may produce slightly softer,
rounder wines. Producers to look for are
the same as those for Graves.
Now all you need to know
is a vintage rundown for the last few
years:
Bordeaux Vintages:
1999 is turning out to be pretty disappointing.
1998 was generally good.
1997 was spotty -- stick to the best producers.
1996 was average to good.
1995 was outstanding – the best vintage
of the decade.
Other great vintages include
1990, 1989, 1988, 1986, 1985, 1982, 1970,
1961, and 1945.
SUMMARY:
I hope you have enjoyed the Skinny Guide
to French Wine series. Be sure and let
me know what you think! Email me at editor@wineskinny.com
-- Cheers!
