The Bordeaux wine region in France

Bordeaux - The city of wines

Bordeaux is a city in the south of France. It has been the model for the entire wine world for centuries and has lost none of its uniqueness in terms of wine and culture to this day. The city of Bordeaux gained its reputation not only through its high-quality Bordeaux wines, but also through its excellent cuisine and the city's architectural and cultural heritage. The entire wine world, whether in France, California, Australia or Italy, is orientated towards the style and quality of Bordeaux wines.

The vines are grown on very poor soil. However, this topsoil is able to store and retain an enormous amount of water and heat. These conditions and the mild winter climate as well as the long summer (high number of hours of sunshine per year!) are ideal for the vines and therefore lead to the production of the unique Bordeaux wines.

The city of Bordeaux is divided into eight administrative districts (arrondissements), the first six of which are located on the left bank of the Garonne, numbered from north to south. The seventh administrative division is located on the right bank of the Garonne. The eighth administrative area is the district of Cauderan.

The history of the city of Bordeaux

The history of Bordeaux has been recorded for over 2,300 years. It has been shaped by the Celts, the Romans, the Franks and the Anglo-French conflict. Bordeaux has been associated with France since the 15th century. In the 3rd century, Bordeaux wine experienced its first great "flowering" and lasted for several hundred years. In the fifth century, Bordeaux was hit by a formative blow when the Visigoths ravaged Bordeaux and the city was later conquered by the Franks. Many areas were devastated, disease broke out and the local population suffered. In the 9th century, the Normans plundered the city again. It was only after this time that Bordeaux slowly began to recover. From the 12th to the 15th century, Bordeaux experienced its second "heyday" under the leadership of the kings of England. The third "golden age" then followed in the 18th century due to the rise of maritime trade and led to a new wealth in the region. In the 20th century, despite the First and Second World Wars, Bordeaux remained virtually undamaged. During the wars, the city of Bordeaux was a stronghold of resistance, where resistance was exemplified and put into practice.

Bordeaux only began to undergo structural change in the second half of the 20th century. Adjustments were made on a cultural and agricultural level. These new guidelines were long overdue and helped producers to set new quality standards and raise Bordeaux wines to a new level. It was not until the 1990s that the city fully realised its historical heritage. The old town centre was redesigned to reduce traffic congestion and historic buildings were extensively and expensively renovated. Tourism now found its way to Bordeaux in leaps and bounds. This happened independently of the long wine-growing tradition and created a new source of income for the people of the region.

Grape varieties in Bordeaux

Bordeaux wine is made from a blend of different grape varieties. The special selection of wines, which are blended together, serves the special character of Bordeaux wines. They refine the overall picture and result in an almost inimitably unique flavour. Depending on the climatic conditions of each vintage, Bordeaux wines are blended from three to five wine varieties. As a rule, however, at least two grape varieties are used. The exception to this is the high-quality Pomerol wines such as Chateau Pertus, which is made from Merlot. Occasionally, single-varietal wines are also produced on the Left Bank, such as the 1994 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, which is a 100 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon wine.

The most famous wines such as Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Latour, Haut Brion, Leoville Las Cases, Chateau Palmer or Pichon Baron are predominantly made from four grape varieties. These are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The main part of the Bordeaux wine-growing region is planted with red vines, although some white varieties such as the noble sweet Semillon grape (Chateau D'Yquem) are also present. Dry white wines are made from Sauvigon Blanc, but only form a small part of Bordeaux wines. The world-famous Haut Brion blanc should be mentioned here (best years 1989, 1990, 2000 and 2005).

Branded wines and estate wines (chateau wines) - two types of Bordeaux growths

• In the case of a branded wine, suitable wine varieties are combined to appeal to a wide range of customers (mass wine). Well-known brands include "Mouton-Cadet" and "Michel Lynch". The circulation is very high and the quality is consistent over the vintages and forms a recognition value for the

• The so-called Chateau wines (so-called Grand Cru Classé wines) come from a single estate owner. The 'reputation' of an owner plays a very important role in these wines and has grown over centuries. These include the famous and glamorous Bordeaux chateaus such as Lafite, Mouton, Haut Brion and Margaux.

Gastronomy

It is not only the wine, but also the varied cuisine that makes Bordeaux so famous and unique. Bordeaux wine is used in a large number of specialities. Some spices such as garlic and onions are partially replaced with these wines and the grape juice is used in many sauces and dishes. A particular speciality in Bordeaux is the so-called "Lamproie a la Bordelaise", which means "lamprey". Lamprey is a snake-shaped fish whose red blood is processed with Bordeaux wine into an elaborate sauce.

Crus and their hierarchy

As already described, a chateau produces a single, special wine. This is also where the term "Grand Vin" comes from. This forms the cru of a producer and is the centrepiece of production. Other batches and barrels that are not suitable for a cru wine are often labelled as second wines or bottled as estate wines.

Due to the different qualities of the producers and their cellar techniques, different and divergent hierarchies quickly developed over the past centuries. In 1855, the official classification of the wines from the "Médoc" and the sweet wines of the "Barsac - Sauternes" took place. This classification was created for the Universal Exhibition in Paris on the basis of ancient documents and represented a real innovation. However, many producers disapproved of this procedure because they feared for their existence and sales problems for their wines. It was actually planned to extend and adapt these categorisations. Since then, however, only one revision has actually been successful, the promotion of "Château Mouton Rothschild" to the first class in 1973.

The 1855 classification is certainly not always up to date today. Some lower-rated estates have risen enormously and formerly highly-rated producers have fallen through mistakes or a lack of commitment. This makes it very difficult for borrowers to make an informed purchasing decision for Bordeaux wines based on the 1855 classification. However, the estates declared premier cru classé are still the non-plus-ultra of the region!

A new phenomenon in Bordeaux, independent of the classification described above, began in the nineties of the last century - the so-called garage wines. These wines are produced in very small quantities by small wineries with the highest possible quality standards. These wines are considered cult wines for wine connoisseurs and gourmets worldwide and are particularly popular with millionaires and billionaires. The grapes used in production are characterised by the highest possible ripeness of the grapes, a high concentration and extreme use of new barriques (small barrels). Many established wineries regard garage wine as a fashionable wine and either do not recognise its rise or only disapprove of it. Probably the best-known garage wine is Chateau Le Pin, an extremely expensive wine with an almost vanishingly small production run. The best vintages of Le Pin were 1982, 1989, 1990, 2000 and 2005, but it is not affordable for the average consumer, with the 1990 vintage costing over 3,000 euros.

Price development of Bordeaux wines

Year after year, wine lovers recognise strong fluctuations in the pricing of Cru Classé wines. In the past, this was mainly due to the different qualities of the vintages and the different production volumes at the turn of the year. The dollar exchange rate also played and still plays a role. Today, however, prices are determined almost exclusively by the ratings of the wine popes such as Robert Parker and demand from Asia and Russia is causing prices to rise further, especially for the coveted and well-known chateau wines.

Bordeaux in one sentence:

The measure of all things in cuvée wines - where tradition meets innovation.