KNOWING YOUR
BOURDEAUX

The 6 Wine Families
Bordeaux is a region of such tremendous diversity in geography, soil, weather, and winemaking tradition that it produces a myriad of wines, each with a unique character. It is nonetheless easy to become familiar with the basics of Bordeaux because the 57 Bordeaux appellations are commonly divided into six families of wine: four red and two white.
Each family shares characteristics which result from similar growing conditions and from the regulated blends used in production. Read this concise summary of the kinds of Bordeaux wines and the more commonly available appellations in each category, and you're on your way to becoming a true connoisseur.

Red wine familiesBordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur
These can offer the best value and are no less drinkable than the most distinguished Bordeaux wines. They are balanced and bracing but light with a delicate nose and are meant to be drunk young. Rosé and clairet wines also fall into this family, but only receive the most general appellation, Bordeaux.

Côtes de Bordeaux
The various côtes appellations of the Bordeaux region are light- to medium-bodied wines with a fine bouquet and color. These fresh wines mature quickly. Some of the Côtes are Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, Premières Côtes de Blaye, Côtes de Bourg, Côtes de Castillon, and Côtes de Francs.

Libournais
The Libournais vineyards include the prestigious Saint-Èmilion and Pomerol wine-producing districts. Situated on the eastern, or right, bank of the Gironde River, the soil is particularly suited for growing grapes from which the popular Merlot wines are produced. Libournais wines are softer and fruitier than Médoc and Graves wines. They are medium-to full-bodied and can be enjoyed young, but the best appellations should be aged to bring out their full complexity and distinct qualities. Other appellations include Saint-Èmilion Grand Cru, and the satelite appellations of Montagne-Saint-Èmilion, Lussac-Saint-Èmilion, Puisseguin-Saint-Èmilion, Saint-Georges-Saint-Èmilion, Lalande-de-Pomerol, Fronsac, and Canon-Fronsac.

Médoc and Graves
Médoc (on the western, or left, bank of the Gironde estuary) and Graves (south of the city of Bordeaux) are renowned for the most prestigious châteaux where some of the best and most age-worthy wines in the world are produced. The dominant grape here is Cabernet Sauvignon and in general the wines merit long aging to enhance the rich and complex flavors. Other appellations include Haut-Médoc, Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Listrac, Moulis, Margaux, and Pessac-Léognan. White wine families Dry White Wines
Elegance best defines the dry white wines of Bordeaux. They basically fall into two styles, light and delicate with a crisp bouquet, or fuller bodied and aged in oak. Other appellations include Bordeaux, Graves, Entre-Deux-Mers, Côtes de Blaye, Premières Côtes de Blaye, Côtes de Bourg, Côtes de Francs, and Pessac-Lèognan.

Sweet White Wines
Sweet white wines come with both medium and full bodied and are produced with a majority of the Sémillon grape, a variety particularly susceptible to noble rot. The most famous of Bordeaux's sweet white wine producing regions is Sauternes whose classified châteaux produce luscious wines worthy of aging to bring out their intense flavor. Other appellations include Barsac, Loupiac, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, Cadillac, and Cèrons.

Wine Glossary

You needn't be a specialist in Bordeaux wine or fluent in French to speak about and choose these wines intelligently.
This short vocabulary list of basic wine terms will ease your initiation into Bordeaux.

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (A.O.C.)
Loosely translated, this means "controlled name of origin." It is a strict set of carefully enforced French laws that specify wines by geographical origin and minimum production conditions. The more specific the appellation, the better the wine. From general to specific, appellations are as follows: Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur, district name (such as Médoc or Saint-Èmilion), and finally commune or village name (such as Listrac or Pauillac). There are 57 appellations in Bordeaux.

Château (Chateaux, pl.)
In the Bordeaux wine-producing region, "château" (or alternatively Clos, Cru, or Domaine) specifically means a vineyard of a regulated size that has winemaking and storage facilities on the property. Château-bottled wines ("mis en bouteille au château," which you will see on the label and sometimes on the cork) means the wines were bottled at the estate. There are over 9,000 individual châteaux in Bordeaux.

Chêne Oak
"Elevé en fûts de chêne" on the label means aged in oak barrels.

Clairet
A little known Bordeaux wine made like a red wine from red-wine grapes, but the juice (called "must," see below) is left on the skins for a very short time yielding a pale red color wine slightly darker than a rosé with light tannin qualities.

Claret
The British term for red Bordeaux wine.

Côtes and Coteaux
Hillsides planted with vineyards.

Cru
Growth or high-quality vineyard. "Grand Cru Classé" on the label means the wine comes from an excellent vineyard that has been officially classified as such.

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