Bordeaux
by Brenda Francis
The name Bordeaux conjures up thoughts of a quaint village, rolling hills, sheltered by grape vines, as far as the eye can see. It is true that many parts of the region are covered by vines, but Bordeaux is a major port city, with over one million citizens and is the site of the biggest wine convention in the world, Vinexpo.
     Bordeaux is intersected by the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers. These rivers eventually run into the massive Gironde Estuary. The Gironde Estuary is capable of handling large ocean faring ships as it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. This estuary has been a major seaport for hundreds if not thousands of years. This is one of the reasons wines from Bordeaux are known throughout the world.
     Most people are surprised to learn that Bordeaux produces white wines. In fact about 20% of Bordeaux's three-quarters of a billion bottles produced each year are white wines. Bordeaux's most prestigious white is Sauternes, a rich, exotic dessert wine, not to be confused with the cheap American imposter sauterne. The white grapes permitted in Bordeaux are sauvignon blanc, sémillon, muscadelle, and ugni blanc. The five permitted red grape varieties of Bordeaux are cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, malbec, and petite verdot.
     Bordeaux is split in two by the Gironde Estuary. The left bank, produces wines primarily of cabernet sauvignon. The right bank produces wines primarily of merlot. The left bank contains gravelly soil, which makes for good drainage, while the right bank is plagued with clay.
     The left bank contains the appellations of Graves and the Médoc. Haut-Médoc, inside of the Médoc, contains the smaller communes of Margaux, St.-Julien, Pauillac, Listrac, Moulis, and St.-Estephe. The right bank contains the appellations of Pomerol and St.-Emilion.
     In 1855, wine experts at the Worlds Fair in Paris proclaimed five levels of quality for sixty-one wine estates. All remaining properties that did not make the classification ranking were called Cru Bourgeois. The top classification was called First Growth. The four chateaux earning the highest designation where Chateau Margaux, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Chateau Latour, and Chateau Haut-Brion (the only estate to be outside of the Médoc). The subsequent Chateaus were categorized as Deuxièmes Crus (second growths), Troisièmes Crus (third growths), Quatrièmes Crus (fourth growths); and Cinquièmes Crus (fifth growths). This decree in quality was deemed permanent.
     This evaluation stirred up some controversy and the loudest protests came from then second growth producer Chateau Mouton-Rothschild. It was not until 1973 that Chateau Mouton-Rothschild was upgraded to first growth. It is the only time any adjustment has been made to the list.
     Bordeaux is a bit mysterious for those of us that insist on having the name of the grape listed on the label. For the adventurous, it can be a delicious challenge to try and guess the blend. Whether you buy Cru Bourgeois for drinking tonight, or study the Classified Growths, Bordeaux offers style, within the footprint of thousands of years. With a little investigation, before you know it, you can be well versed in the language of Bordeaux.