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The region of Bordeaux, France is the largest region of wine growing in the world and by far where some of my favorite wines are from. Bordeaux is made up of five main areas - Medoc, St. Emilion, Pomerol, Graves, and Sauternes. The region of Bordeaux is best known for their reds ("Clarets"), but they also produce some awesome white wines as well. Graves creates dry whites using Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grapes. When most people here "Bordeaux wine", they have no idea what kind of wine it is. It is very simple; it typically is the classic red blend of 2 or 3 grapes. Red Bordeaux’s are created with Cabernet Sauvignon, often blended with Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The color tends to be a garnet/ruby shade. The flavor is typically a light one, with blackberry, black fruits, wood, and other notes. Classic Bordeaux is said to have a "cigar box" aroma to it. Bordeaux is one of the most beautiful places I have visited, and by far has some of the best wine on earth. My favorite Chateaus were Pichon, Beychevelle, Latour, Margaux, Lafite, and Angelus. It was a tuff 10 days we visited 23 Chateaus. While visiting 4-5 wineries per day I had the opportunity to spend my nights at Chateau Bernadotte, which is owned by Chateau Pichon-Lalande. The food was amazing and it was an experience that I will never forget. There are many levels of quality of wine grown in Bordeaux, so for the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris (sort of like a World Fair) Napoléon III asked a panel to break the region's wines down by price (therefore, hopefully, quality as well). These classifications of 1855 were never meant to be an official quality roster. The classifications were grouped by region within Bordeaux, and remain mostly unchanged even today. Bordeaux is divided by the Gironde River and Garonne River. To the west, or "left bank", contains the capital city of Bordeaux. The Left Bank is the more well known of the two banks. It contains Medoc, Graves, Margaux, Pauillac, and Pessac-Léognan. To the east, or "right bank", is Pomerol and St-Émilion. FIRST GROWTHS Château Lafite-Rothschild Pauillac SECOND GROWTHS Château Rausan-Sègla Margaux THIRD GROWTHS Château Kirwan Cantenac FOURTH GROWTHS Château St.-Pièrre St.-Julien FIFTH GROWTHS Château Pontet-Canet Pauillac The St-Émilion classification was added 130 years later than the others. Classification of Saint-Émilion wine In 1955 the wines of Saint-Émilion in the wine-growing region of Bordeaux were classified. Unlike the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, the list is updated every 10 years or so. Following the initial classification, the list was updated in 1969, 1986, and 1996 and most recently in 2006. The region’s started planning for a classification of St.-Émilion wine already in 1930, but it took until October 7, 1954 for the classification principles to become official with the acceptance of INAO to take responsibility for handling the classification. The first list of classified St.-Émilion estates was published on June 16, 1955, and was amended on August 7 and October 18, 1958. This list contained 12 Premier grands crus classés and 63 Grands crus classés. The fifth classification of St.-Émilion wine, announced in September 2006 and comprising 15 Premier grands crus classés and 46 Grands crus classés, was challenged by dissatisfied producers but the Conseil d'État, the French Supreme Court, ruled on November 12, 2007 that the classification overall should stand. Premiers grands crus classes A Château Ausone Château Cheval Blanc Premiers grands crus classés B Château Angélus Château Beauséjour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) Château Beau-Séjour Bécot Château Belair Château Canon Château Figeac Château La Gaffelière Château Magdelaine Château Pavie Château Pavie-Macquin Château Troplong Mondot Château Trottevieille Clos Fourtet
Sauternes Wine Information
This region is located near a river, and the resulting misty conditions helps breed a "noble rot" - pourriture noble. This is a type of fungus. Early winemakers found that this rot turned the flavor of the grapes into a rich, honey flavor, with a deep brown color. This wine can age almost indefinitely. Sauternes are primary made with the semillon grape, along with small amounts of sauvignon and muscadelle. It is difficult to make a Sauternes. The rot must be of just the right level, and only the most affected grapes are picked. The grapes get up to 14% alcohol in them - this kills off the yeast, leaving behind much of the sugar that normally would be fermented away. Flavors in sauternes range from apricot, peach, pineapple, and vanilla. The wines are smooth and creamy. More so than many other wine types, vintage in Sauternes is extremely important. The weather conditions can make or break and entire year's crop in this region. "First Great Growth" (Premier Cru Supérieur) of Sauternes-Barsac (1855):
"First Growths" (Premiers Crus) of Sauternes-Barsac (1855):
Sauternes should be served in small glasses at 52F. They are normally drunk on their own as a dessert, but they can also pair well with fruit pastries or mild cheese.  
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