Bordeaux Wine Explained: Regions, Styles, and the Best Bottles to Buy
Learn everything you need to know about Bordeaux wines, from key regions to famous styles, with this guide.
Bordeaux is both a place and a style of wine that’s produced in southwestern France. The 19-square-mile Bordeaux region is bisected by the Gironde Estuary (which divides into the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers) and is one of the world’s oldest wine-producing regions.
The area is characterized by its first-growth vines, iconic chȃteaux that date back to the 12th century, and a neoclassical port city that’s nicknamed La Perle d’Aquitaine, or the Pearl of the Aquitaine.
Its wines have achieved near-mythical status, commanding high prices at restaurants and at auctions. But the region can be confusing. So, what is Bordeaux wine? Bordeaux is predominantly associated with full-bodied, ageable red wine, but the region also crafts fantastic dry white wines and some of the best sweet wines in the world. In fact, Vins de Bordeaux recognizes six families of Bordeaux wines: four red-based wines and two white-based wines. Read on to learn more about Bordeaux’s different wine styles, Bordeaux as a region, and some of the best producers in Bordeaux.
In This Article
What Is Bordeaux Wine?
There are three types of wines produced in Bordeaux: red, white, and sweet wines. Discover the different styles here.
Red Bordeaux Wine
The red wine grapes of Bordeaux are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carménère. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot tend to make up the majority of Bordeaux blends. Producers use the rest of the grapes in smaller quantities to blend and add nuanced layers of flavor and texture to the wines.
Bordeaux is the largest AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) vineyard of France. This means about half of Bordeaux’s vines have Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur AOC designations. Bordeaux Supérieur wines must have a minimum of 10.5% ABV (versus Bordeaux’s 10%) and age for a minimum of 12 months before release.
Côtes de Bordeaux are red wines highlighting Merlot grapes from the northeastern region of Blaye, Bourg, and Côtes de Bourg. They have less aging potential, but their fruity, spicy balance makes them wonderful to enjoy upon release.
Left Bank and Right Bank wines are, respectively, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominant. The concentrated number of first growths and Grand Crus, a small number of top-rated wineries, in these locations accounts for high demand and costs.
White Bordeaux Wine
The white wine grapes of Bordeaux are Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle, Merlot Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Ugni Blanc, and Colombard.
White Bordeaux wines, just like red Bordeaux, are a blend of white grapes that producers grow and harvest in the Bordeaux region. In France, people refer to white Bordeaux wines as Bordeaux Blanc. They are dry and fruity, categorized by floral, lemon, and peach notes on the nose and a zesty, round palate.
Sweet Bordeaux Wine
Sweet wines from Bordeaux are a blend of Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle. Experts sometimes refer to the sweet wines as late harvest wines because the grapes are the last that producers pick, sometimes up to two months after completing the harvest for the dry wines. They leave white grapes on the vines to increase their sugar content as they slowly dehydrate and attract the growth of the botrytis cinerea fungus (also called noble rot).
Noble rot can only occur in specific conditions. As summer turns to fall, the mornings are foggy and the afternoons are dry and sunny. The morning’s humidity allows the fungus to grow and attack the grape skins, so some of the moisture within the grape evaporates. The warm afternoons prevent the grapes from fully rotting. This process leaves a high sugar concentration and distinct honeysuckle flavors. There are 10 appellations in Bordeaux with these conditions.
Sauternes and Barsac are the most well-recognized sweet wine appellations, with the finest producers. However, don’t overlook the eight other AOCs: Cadillac, Cérons, Graves Supérieures, Loupiac, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, Côtes de Bordeaux Saint-Macaire, and Bordeaux Moelleux.
Key Regions in Bordeaux
Want an unforgettable vineyard experience? Look no further: Bordeaux is one of the best wine regions in the world. There are 38 subregions and 65 different appellations (AOCs) in Bordeaux, each of which is renowned for its own style of wine due to the unique microclimates and diversity of the terroir (including distinct soil types). These subregions comprise the six families of Bordeaux wines: Bordeaux Supérieur, Côtes de Bordeaux, Libourne (Right Bank), Red Graves and Médoc (Left Bank), dry white wines, and sweet white wines.
These styles are attached to six primary regions:
- Bourg and Blaye: These regions are famous for Côtes de Bordeaux, Red Bordeaux Supérieur, and white wines made from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.
- Libournais (Right Bank): It creates spectacular Merlot and Cabernet Franc red wine blends. Key subregions within Libournais include Pomerol and Saint-Emilion.
- Entre-Deux-Mers: This region is famed for its dry white wines made from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, plus its Merlot-forward, easy-drinking red blends (Bordeaux AOC).
- Graves and Pessac-Léognan: These regions yield dry white wines and ageable red wines that are Cabernet Sauvignon dominant.
- Médoc (Left Bank): This region is world-famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon-forward red blends. Key subregions in the Médoc include Haut-Médoc, Pauillac, and Margaux.
- Sauternes and Barsac: These neighboring regions are renowned for their full-bodied sweet wines.
Left Bank vs. Right Bank
Wine professionals often refer to Bordeaux wines as Left Bank or Right Bank, as the expression has become an easy way to distinguish between Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant versus Merlot-dominant red wines. The Left Bank is west of the Garonne and Gironde Rivers, while the Right Bank is east of the Dordogne River.
Aside from their geographic contrast, the division is distinct because of the unique soils on either side of the river. The soils on the Left Bank contain a high concentration of gravel, which is ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon vines; thus, historically, Cabernet Sauvignon has flourished there. The Right Bank’s soils are rich in clay and limestone, which Merlot and Cabernet Franc vines prefer.
The terroir of the Left Bank is generally flat, with sprawling vineyards rising on gentle hills. In contrast, the Right Bank contains hilly outskirts and smaller vineyard plots (about 12 acres, versus the Left Bank’s largest plot of 250 acres).
Left Bank wines are bigger and bolder, presenting a tannic structure often described as muscular. Right Bank wines tend to be softer than their Left Bank counterparts, with less astringent tannins and more fresh fruit.
Key Producers in Bordeaux
Generally speaking, Bordeaux wines are an investment, as many of the Grand Cru reds are meant to be cellared so they can age and develop more complexity and the tannins can soften. Sweet wines also improve with time in the bottle.
Côtes de Bordeaux and Bordeaux Blanc are two notable exceptions that are ready to drink upon release. Experts typically suggest aging them for only up to five years.
Right Bank: Château Pétrus, Château LaFleur Pomerol, Château Cheval Blanc, and Château Angelus.
Left Bank: Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Margaux, Château Haut-Brion, and Château Mouton Rothschild.
Dry White Wines: Domaine de Chevalier, Château Pape Clemente, Château Haut Brion Blanc, Château Carbonnieux, and Château la Louvière.
Sweet Wines: Château d’Yquem, Château Climens, Château Rieussec, Château Coutet, and Château Doisy Daëne.
Read More: How to Store Wine
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