Bordeaux - The Left Bank

Last time we explored the Right Bank of Bordeaux with its Merlot-based red blends, primarily from the appellations of Saint Émilion, Pomerol and Fronsac. Next, its over to the Left Bank.

Located west of the Gironde and Garonne Rivers, the Left Bank is also known for its red blends. The two primary appellations for red blends on the Left Bank are Médoc and Graves.  These appellations are further broken down as follows:

• Médoc

  • Pauillac

  • Margaux

  • St-Estéphe

  • St-Julien

  • Haut- Médoc (this 'fifth' region is a receptacle for less expensive wines from Médoc that are grown outside the other four regions)

• Graves

  • Pessac- Léognan

  • Sauternes

The Left Bank blends are based on Cabernet Sauvignon.  And, like the Right Bank, these blends may include Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec. But typically, the Left Bank blends are comprised of 70% or more Cabernet Sauvignon with small fractions of the other, usually to soften the final product.

While the Left Bank is typically thought to have the "better" wines, they certainly have the more expensive wines.  And wines that are well suited to aging.

But sometimes these Cabernet Sauvignon blends are described as a bit bitter when young.  This is largely due to the high tannin levels in the Cabernet Sauvignon. And these wines tannins 'soften' as they age.  Some might ask "Why pay a premium for a Bordeaux that's bitter initially and then have to age it for it to be really good?"  And I suppose that's a question that can only be answered by actually experiencing an aged Bordeaux.

The Left Bank of Bordeaux is the only bank to produce white wines. And these are based on Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle.  But the most famous white wine-producing region is Sauternes, a sub-region within Graves. These are tropical fruit flavored sweet wines made from botrytized grapes. And before you say "I don't like sweet wines" you really should give the Sauternes wines a chance. If you can afford to purchase one, that is.  These wines can easily go for $100 to $1000 for a bottle.

The sweet wines of Sauternes are extremely expensive to make, for several reasons. First, there is a lot of risk involved in leaving ripe grapes on the vines for an extended period of time to achieve botrytized grapes. Second, grape pickers must be paid to make the multiple passes through the vineyards, searching for grape bunches affected by botrytis. Third, Sauternes wines are usually aged in expensive oak barrels for 18 and 36 months. And on top of all this, there is no guarantee that botrytis will develop in the vineyards at all, since it is entirely dependent on specific climatic conditions. So, in some years, almost no Sauternes wine is produced at all.

So there's a quick look at the Left Bank of Bordeaux. And while Bordeaux is a famous wine-producing region of France, no discussion of French wines would be complete without addressing other important regions such as Burgundy, Champagne, the Rhône Valley, the Loire Valley and Chateaunuf de Pape.  And I'll get to those in future blogs.  Cheers!

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Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week - Chateau Bellegrave Bordeaux Médoc ($15)

This red blend is from Médoc which is an appellation on the Left Bank of Bordeaux in France.  Being from the Left Bank, it is a blend, predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon. This is an affordable Left Bank Bordeaux that is big and bold without being overly tannic. Great with a steak!

Bordeaux - The Right Bank

Bordeaux is one of the greatest wine producing regions in the world. It is divided into two distinct regions referred to as the "Right Bank" and "Left Bank" depending on which side of the Dordogne River it is located.  Different dominant grapes used in each of its wines also define the two banks.  In Bordeaux, the name of the game is red blends not varietal superstars. So it's the combination of the grapes, soil, and climate (terroir) that defines the wines. 

In Bordeaux, wines do not identify the grapes used in their production on the label. Rather, the appellation where the grapes are grown will be listed. This can be quite confusing at first when trying to decide on purchasing a Bordeaux.  But let me try to make it a bit simpler. 

First, there are several appellations on the Right Bank or 'The Libournais' as the French call it.  The three primary appellations are Saint Émilion, Pomerol and Fronsac. If you can remember these three you can almost always determine if a Bordeaux is from the Right Bank versus the Left Bank.  But that's only half the equation. 

The other thing you need to know is about the grapes of Bordeaux. Each of the two banks of Bordeaux focuses on different grapes as their primary component. On the Right Bank, the dominant grape used in their blends is Merlot. On the Left Bank, the dominant grape is Cabernet Sauvignon. Other grapes are typically blended with these grapes and, by local regulations, may include Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. 

So now armed with these two pieces of information, to first-order, you should be able to figure out that a red wine from Saint Émilion, Pomerol or Fronsac will be a Merlot-based blend. All the other red blends from Bordeaux will use Cabernet Sauvignon as the primary grape.

And, by the way, there are no white wines produced on the Right Bank. In Bordeaux, the whites come from the Left Bank, which we'll explore next time.

So, if you are like me, you'll want to have these simple clues with you when you are shopping for wines from Bordeaux.  And I'd suggest trying a sampling of wines from the Right Bank to really get a sense of how the Merlot grape is used in their wines.

Next time we'll take a look at the Left Bank. But for now, pull the cork on a Bordeaux from one of the Right Bank appellations (remember Saint Émilion, Pomerol and Fronsac) and begin to develop an understanding of the wines of this region. Cheers!

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Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week - Tertre du Moulin Bordeaux ($15)

This red blend is from Saint Émilion which is an appellation on the Right Bank of Bordeaux in France.  Being from Saint Émilion, it is predominately a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. A great value for a wine with a soft, smooth mouthfeel. Goes great with meats and cheeses.

What is a Bordeaux Wine?

Nothing about French wine seems to be straightforward or simple. But once you get to know the various wine regions of France it becomes a bit clearer.

In the past couple of postings I've touched on the French wine region of Burgundy.  I discussed that there are Bourgogne Rouge (red) and Bourgogne Blanc (white) wines.  The reds of Burgundy are primarily Pinot Noir with the exception that the sub-region of Beaujolais produces red wines from the Gamay grape.  The Chardonnay grape dominates the white wines of Burgundy, with all wines from the Chablis sub-region being produced from Chardonnay.

So now let's take a look at the wines from another famous wine region in France, Bordeaux.  Here, more than 90% of the wines produced are reds. The primary grapes used in red Bordeaux wines are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. But, Petite Verdot, Malbec and Carmenere are also permitted to be used.

The white wines, again comprising less than 10% of Bordeaux's production, are made from the Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes.  This is quite a contrast to the not so distant past. Prior to the 1960's, Bordeaux's vineyards were dominated by white wine producing grapes.  Consumer tastes changed and red wine production methods improved and now we see the reds dominating Bordeaux wines.

Within Bordeaux, the geography is such that it is divided into the Left Bank and the Right Bank. The banks refer to which side of the Gironde River, or its two smaller rivers, they are located. And each of the Left and Right banks have multiple sub-regions that all produce great wines based on different grapes.

And, there is one other key sub-region in Bordeaux. It is called Sauternes and it is famous for its sweet dessert wines made mostly of Semillon grape, with some Sauvignon Blanc.

There's a lot to cover in Bordeaux. So next time we'll start exploring the sub-regions of Bordeaux in a bit more detail. For now, cheers!

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Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week - Château de Belcier ($10)

This Bordeaux is a blend of 69% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 6% Malbec.  This is very typical of the Bordeaux blends of the Right Bank with its focus on Merlot. It is from the sub-region of Bordeaux called "Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux."

As you can see from the label, it is "Mis en Bouteille au Château" meaning it was bottled at the estate or on the property of the winery. But, the "Grand Vin de Bordeaux" is an unregulated term.  It is most often used as a way for a château to indicate that this is their best wine, a step up from the second bottling.

What is Red Burgundy?

Previously I covered the most widely known white Burgundy (Bourgogne Blanc) from Chablis. We learned that wines from Chablis are produced from the Chardonnay grape.

The other most notable wines from Burgundy are red wines (Bourgogne Rouge). And, the most widely produced red wine in France's Burgundy region is Pinot Noir.  French wine labels generally only identify the region where the wine is produced and not the grape varietal used to produce it. So you just have to remember that if you are looking for a French Pinot Noir, a Burgundy is what you are looking for.

Burgundy is the original home of Pinot Noir with records of its existence dating back to the 1300's.  And like most French wines, they are highly regulated. There are several levels of classification in Burgundy:

• Grand Cru

  • These account for just over 1% of Burgundy's production from just 33 vineyards. And because of this, they go for top dollar. These wines are described as being bold, complex and worthy of aging.

• Premier Cru (or 1er Cru)

  • These 635 vineyards, representing approximately 10% of Burgundy's production, may be located directly adjacent to Grand Cru vineyards, but are certainly more affordable.

• Villages Wines

  • These wines are named for the town where are grapes are grown and represent 44 AOCs, or a bit over a third of Burgundy's production. These wines are fresh and fruity.

• Regional Wines

  • These wines are made from grapes grown anywhere in Burgundy and may be labeled as "Burgogne Rouge" which is literally red Burgundy.  These regional wines, from 23 AOCs, account for approximately 50% of Burgundy's production.

Red Burgundy from France has been compared more with the Pinot Noir from Oregon's Willamette Valley due to their bigger and bolder flavor of cranberry with notable earthiness versus Pinot Noir from the Central Coast of California (e.g., Sonoma and Russian River) that tends to have more strawberry, raspberry and cola flavors. 

While Pinot Noir is the most notable red wine produced in Burgundy, there is another red wine produced in Burgundy. You may have heard of it. It comes from the region of Beaujolais. It's produced from the Gamay grape and is usually known as Gamay Beaujolais.

While the Beaujolais Nouveau is widely popular, it is bottled immediately after harvest, is complete and arrives on store shelves within about two months of being picked.  The more sophisticated and aged Gamay Beaujolais will also offer a juicy, fruity scent, but they deliver a smooth texture with a bit of “earthiness” in the taste.  Because Gamay Beaujolais wine is produced at a much higher volume than the Pinot Noir, it is much less expensive, making it a great value for a nice French wine.

So if you are looking for a red wine with medium body, check out a Burgundy. Both the Burgundy (Pinot Noir) and Beaujolais (Gamay) are unlike any other wines produced in the world. Cheers!

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Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week - Louis Jadot Burgundy ($17)

This Red Burgundy (Pinot Noir) is widely available and moderately priced. A great medium bodied wine with flavors of raspberries and a bit of earthiness. This wine goes great with most foods.  Louis Jadot is one of the few French winemakers that, for American's benefit, also identify on the label that this Bourgogne is a Pinot Noir.

What is Beaujolais Nouveau?

Ever heard of Beaujolais Nouveau?  Well, its name literally mean 'new Beaujolais' and it really is 'new.'  

On the third Thursday of each November, France releases Beaujolais Nouveau wine to the world. The 'new' part of this wine is due to the fact that the grapes used to make this wine are picked from the vineyards just a couple of months prior to its release!  Yes, just of couple of months! That's compared to most wines that spend a year or more going through the fermentation and aging process before being bottled and shipped to market.  But Beaujolais Nouveau gets from the vineyard to you in about two months!

Word has it that this wine was originally produced for the harvest workers in France to immediately thank them for all their hard work just after harvest was complete. But now its production is somewhere between 30-60 million bottles so that the entire world can enjoy.

This wine is named for the village of Beaujeu in France, which is a small region just south of Burgundy. And there is a celebration in France each year, the 'Les Sarmentelles' festival to celebrate the release of Beaujolais Nouveau that includes music, dancing, fireworks and plenty of wine.

This wine is produced entirely from handpicked Gamay grapes and because it is so new, it is very fresh and fruity. Many describe Beaujolais Nouveau as having flavors of candied cherries, strawberries, red plum, bananas and even bubble gum!  When was the last time you heard of a wine having flavors of banana and bubble gum?  

Many may say that Beaujolais Nouveau is "not very good," but you have to look at the fact that millions of bottles are sold worldwide and that Beaujolais Nouveau is meant to be enjoyed, not critiqued.  What you will find is that this wine is low in tannin (doesn't make you mouth feel dry) and has high acidity (mouth watering) and is great with foods.

So go out to a local wine store and pick up a bottle or two of Beaujolais Nouveau.  It's not going to be the best wine you've ever tried, but it will be an experience. And raise your glass to the French harvest workers and, for that matter, all vineyard harvest worker around the world. Rather than critique it, just enjoy it!  Cheers!