Bordeaux has a maritime climate – the Atlantic helps moderate the temperature, preventing extremes and helping grapes to ripen evenly, an effect that is less pronounced as one moves inland where the climate is slightly more continental.
 There are several types of soil in Bordeaux. Gravel is the classic type that helps make the wines of the Médoc and Graves (on the left bank of the Gironde River) wonderful year after year. This is because the Cabernet planted in these soils ripens particularly well late in the season because it suffers a slight water deficit from the free-draining gravel soils. Surrounding the gravel outcroppings is sandy land known as palus that is unsuitable for quality wine production
On the other side of the Gironde (the “right bank”) in St. Émilion, Pomerol and surrounding areas two of the classic soils are limestone hills and soils rich in clay. These are cooler, moister types of soil that are favored by Merlot, which tends to dominate the blend.
 
A standard blend on gravel soils would be roughly one-half to two-thirds Cabernet, possibly 10 – 20% each of Bouchet (Cabernet Franc) and Merlot, and the balance (if any) in small quantities of Cot (Malbec) and Petit Verdot. Top châteaux often use an even greater proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon – for example, at Mouton, Cabernet often accounts for 85% of the blend. Château Palmer is an exception, occasionally using 40% Merlot. Up to 30% Cabernet Franc is blended with the Merlot that dominates right bank blends, and 10% Malbec is also used in the blend, depending on the exact breakdown of the soils.
White wine is also produced in Bordeaux, and the blend is often a 50/50 mix of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. South of the Graves is Sauternes and the surrounding appellations, where Semillon dominates the grape blend (often 70 – 80%) followed in importance by Sauvignon Blanc. Some properties also add 5 – 10% of Muscadelle.
Irrespective of region or soil, the less expensive wines (Bordeaux rouge and blanc) tend to be made from Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc respectively, since these varietals are capable of high yields and ripen with comparative ease.
 Winemaking will vary according to the target market and resale price, with the more expensive wines receiving longer, slower fermentations and macerations and more time in oak casks with a greater proportion of new wood, whereas the least expensive wines are not barrel aged at all. The less expensive wines also sometimes use the carbonic maceration process (see the section on Beaujolais for more details on this process) to give soft, deeply colored wines.
The top wines benefit from the selection process: only the best lots are used for the first wine (or grand vin), and the remainder will be sold as a second wine at a lower price. This allows the château to maintain the quality and the price of the Grand Vin.
Inexpensive dry white wines are fermented in stainless, concrete or lined steel tanks and bottled soon after the fermentation and stabilization are complete. Better wines are often fermented and aged, at least in part, in barrel. This is also the case with Sauternes and other sweet wines, which may spend two to three years in cask.
 In Bordeaux a unique system has developed over the last several hundred years for the commercialization of the wines. Growers work with agents known as courtiers, who work, in turn, with a number of merchant firms or négociants and help to set the price.
There are several hundred négociants in the place de Bordeaux, and each of them sells the wines that they purchase to a different market – some specialize in the US, or Germany, or French supermarkets, for example. The négociants also buy wine (or must or grapes) in bulk for branded wines. Some handle particular chateaux exclusively, completing élevage, marketing, and distribution. According to Christian Seely of AXA Millésimes, there are 400 négociants. Of these 400, however, there are 13 who do 52% of the business, and the top 25 do 75% of the business. This total amounts to 2.4 billion euros.
The wine is allocated to the négociants, who routinely purchase their entire allocation for fear of losing out in a good vintage. Sales are thus taken almost entirely out of the hands of the château owners. Difficulties arise, however, in poor years and with second wines.
Wine in Bordeaux is sometimes sold sur souche, or before the vintage, which is very risky, although most often it is offered “en primeur” – after the wine is finished, but before it is bottled. Châteaux will offer their wine in several batches or “tranches”, with the first “slice” being offered at the best price.
Unlike Burgundy or Alsace, the classification of the Bordeaux vineyards is not a feature of AC regulation. The most well known (that of 1855) was created by the négociants at the request of the government in preparation for the world’s fair of that year. It represents a rough ranking of the better properties of the Médoc and Sauternes (with Haut Brion from Pessac thrown in) according to their relative market price at that time. The wines of the Médoc are divided into five categories called crus, while those of Sauternes are divided into two, with d’Yquem set apart as a grand premier cru classé. A less exalted category is that of cru bourgeois, which was officially codified in 1932. The wines of the Graves were classified in 1953 (with the simple designation of cru classé, either for red or white or both) and those of St. Émilion were classified in 1955 (see below).
The least prestigious appellations in Bordeaux are Bordeaux rouge and blanc, followed by Bordeaux Supérieure. These are the lightest wines, made for current consumption. Quality can range from quite good to disappointing.
Médoc is a regional appellation for the less desirable (north and west) portions of the Médoc peninsula, where the soil is richer and sandier, and the wines less concentrated. These wines are classic in balance and can be quite economical.
Haut Médoc is the regional appellation for the better parts of the peninsula that fall outside of the well-known communes. Some of these wines can be quite good. They are usually more deeply colored, with more body and tannin and a longer finish.
 The wines of St. Estèphe have a reputation as big wines that can be tannic and unapproachable in their youth, and even when properly aged, somewhat austere. This is less true today, and modern winemaking can add flesh to the structure. Examples include Cos d’Estournel and Montrose among the second growths and the third growth Calon Segur among others.
 Pauillac has the deepest gravel beds on the Médoc peninsula. As a consequence, this is the region with the most Cabernet Sauvignon. The best wines are deeply colored, with full body, firm but velvety, pronounced fruit aromas and flavor and a long finish. These are classic clarets, powerful and elegant, with distinctive aromas of blackberry, currant, cassis, and violet. As they mature, they develop aromas of cedar, tobacco and leather. The best known examples are Latour, Lafite, and Mouton among the first growths, Pichon Baron and Pichon Comtesse (2nd growths), and a host of fifth growths including Lynch-Bages, d’Armailhac, Batailley and others.
 The wines of Margaux are known as elegant and soft – they are sometimes thought of as the most feminine of the Médoc. This is due to the lightness of the soil. Margaux, however, includes portions of many surrounding communities. It is the largest AC of the Médoc, and is considered the most inconsistent by many. Château Margaux is the most famous property, and the only first growth. Other Margaux properties include Brane-Cantenac (2nd growth) and Palmer (3rd growth).
There are a host of other communes to the west of these famous villages. The two that are the most well known are Listrac, producing rich and powerful wines such as Château Fourcas-Hosten that sometimes lack the elegance of the wine produced in the top communes, and Moulis, whose wines are somewhat more supple. Examples include Chasse-Spleen and Poujeaux.
The Graves is the region to the south of the city of Bordeaux. It is a fairly large region, where red, white, and dessert wines are all produced. The best wines, however, all come from the part of the region closest to the city. This was later set aside as a separate appellation of Pessac-Léognan. The most famous among them is Haut Brion, and other examples include Smith-Haut-Lafite and Carbonnieux. The wines produced are full-bodied and long-lived, with a distinct earthy, minerally note and broad, full texture on the palate.
 Sauternes is the most well known appellation for botrytis-affected dessert wine, and includes the communes of Bommes, Preignac, Fargues and Barsac (although Barsac also has own AC). Other communes producing similar wine include Cerons, Ste-Croix du Mont, Loupiac, Cadillac, although these are not nearly as concentrated or interesting as their more illustrious neighbors. Any red or dry white produced here is plain Bordeaux AC.
 The wine of these appellations is produced from grapes affected by botrytis cinerea. This is a special type of fungus (called noble rot) that degrades the skin of the grape, allowing the water to evaporate, concentrating the sugar and all of the other elements inside. The net effect is to greatly reduce the total yield while concentrating the sugar and imparting a particular and unmistakable botrytis aroma and flavor that some refer to as “leafy”.
This particular condition is produced only when the weather co-operates. Cool, misty mornings are necessary to start the spread of the rot, while warm and sunny afternoons dry the grape out and prevent the over-rapid spread of botrytis. If the rot spreads too quickly, the skin of the berries will burst and they will be attacked by another form of botrytis that produces only gray rot, making them unusable.
In Sauternes, the fog is produced where the Cerons empties into the Garonne. The Cerons is a small, quick, cold stream, and the Garonne at this point is a large, warm, slow river. These morning fogs are trapped around the vineyards by the hills and the Landes forest, a large forest that surrounds the area.
Botrytis begins as black spots on the healthy grapes. These black spots spread until the entire grape is covered, a stage known as "complete rot" – pourri complet. The enzymes produced by the rot degrade the skin of the grape, allowing the water to evaporate, concentrating the sugars and acidity (although the former more so than the latter). The final stage is known as "roasted rot" -pourri roti. At Yquem, only grapes at the pourri roti stage are harvested.
Picking proceeds in several passes through the vineyard. This varies according to the property between three and seven in a normal year, but may be as many as twelve. After the harvest, the grapes pressed and fermented, in cask at the better properties. This is done with difficulty since the grapes are so sugar rich.
 As mentioned above, St. Émilion is located on the right bank of the Gironde, east of Libourne and Pomerol, and the wines are largely based on Merlot. This is arguably the finest terroir for Merlot in the world, producing wines of concentration and depth, with pronounced plum and blackberry fruit character and a minty edge to the nose and a silky firmness on the palate with soft acidity and great length. It is important to remember, however, that this is not a homogenous region, and Cheval Blanc, one of the finest châteaux in anyone’s estimation, has a majority of Cabernet Franc planted in the vineyard (since it is located largely on a gravel outcrop).
The terroir of St. Émilion is fairly complex, with several distinct soil types, including limestone slopes covered with clay (Côtes) and the limestone plateau with gravel patches. Examples of properties from the Côtes include Ausone and Pavie, while Canon and Clos Fourtet are on the plateau and Cheval Blanc is mostly on gravel. Near the river the soil becomes richer and more fertile.
The classification In St. Émilion is re-evaluated every ten years. The top level is Premier Grand Cru Classé, followed by Grand Cru Classé and Grand Cru. The top level is further subdivided into two Premier Grand Cru Classé “A” châteaux (Cheval Blanc and Ausone) and several Premier Grand Cru Classé “B” (this number changes, but currently it includes Angélus, Beauséjour, Beau Séjour-Becot, Belair, Canon, Clos Fourtet, Figeac, La Gaffelière, Magdelaine, Pavie and Trottevielle).
These chateaux can be downgraded to the next level, Grand Cru Classé, if they fail their tasting. The number of properties in this category also varies, but currently there are 68. These properties can be downgraded to the next lower category, “Grand Cru” without the “Classé”.
A large number of St. Emilion properties are given the right to use the classification “Grand Cru” without the “classé” if the wine passes a tasting. This distinction lasts for one vintage only, but does not continue automatically from year to year. If a property is promoted for ten consecutive years, it is eligible for promotion at the next reclassification.
Unique among the other major regions, Pomerol is not classified at all.
 West of St. Émilion lies Pomerol, with sandier soils in the west, gravel with a high iron content in the eastern part of the appellation and a high clay content to the soil in the north. These are wines with deep color and full body. Some describe them as a cross between the wines of the Médoc and those of St. Émilion. Others refer to their almost Burgundian richness. The best-known examples include Petrus, Le Pin, and Vieux Château Certan.
Lalande de Pomerol is a satellite area located to the north of Pomerol on well-drained gravel soils. In spite of this, Merlot dominates the grape blend. The wines in general are lighter and more rustic, sometimes lacking in finesse and sometimes tending to overripeness.
Fronsac is an area west of Libourne, planted on limestone and sandstone soils. It produces full-bodied, hard and dense spicy fruit. The area is divided into Canon Fronsac and Côtes Canon Fronsac. Cabernet Franc is an important grape in the blend, along with Merlot.
Côtes de Bourg, Côtes de Blaye and Prèmiere Côtes de Blaye are along the Dordogne, planted on clay and limestone soils. Côtes de Bourg is considered the superior appellation, while the Côtes de Blaye is more spotty.
Bordeaux Côtes de Castillon is an appellation just east of St. Emilion. This area has the least maritime influence. It produces full-bodied and robust red wine. At least one notable chateaux (Faugères) produces both a high-end St. Émilion and a much less expensive Côtes de Castillon. The vineyards are planted on sandy gravel and sandy clay, and the wines have aromas of ripe, almost dried fruit with an earthy undertone.
The Premières Côtes is a region of Bordeaux producing light reds and sweet whites. Entre-Deux-Mers (between the Dordogne and the Garonne) is the largest region of Bordeaux, producing dry white wine only – any red produced is AC Bordeaux rouge.
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Wine Regions of the World
