TABLE OF CONTENT

Abstract

Bordeaux

Terrior
• Climatic condition
• Regions
• Vine varieties
• Wine making

Wine styles

History and evolution

The revamp and revival

Official classification

The pest assault and the great fraud

The trade and commerce

The Chateaux concoction

• The picturesque view

Wine labels

Conclusion

Annexure

Reference
ABSTRACT
Bordeaux has been the finest region of wine making in the world. The art was transferred to
them by the Romans in the 1st century. The world came to know about this region from 12th
century when the marriage of Henry Plantagenet and Aliénor d’Aquitaine took place and
trade started between the two countries. After that England became a huge market for the
Bordeaux wines. The owners used to adjust according to the Englishmen. Netherlands has
impacted Bordeaux; they gave them new methods of wine making. Bordeaux has seen many
ups and downs like "the great fraud”, mildew effect and phylloxera. It affected the market but
the great interest shown by various countries in the region helped them to recover. The great
fraud led to the first classification of Bordeaux wines which are still used. England played a
vital role in the growth of Bordeaux. England got made many a-changes in Bordeaux too like
the building of chateau, parks, gardens and especially trade.

Bordeaux
Bordeaux, important French port on the Garonne river leading to the Gironde estuary on the
west coast. Bordeaux gives its name to a wine region which includes the vineyards of the
Gironde department and, as such, the wine region which produces more top-quality wine than
any other, from a total vineyard area of about 100,000 ha/247,000 acres divided among
13,000 producers.

(Source: http://www.winepros.com.au/jsp/cda/reference/oxford_entry.jsp?entry_id=384)

TERRIORS

A "terroir" is a group of vineyards from the same region, they have a specific appellation, and
these vineyards have the same type of soil, weather conditions, grapes and wine making
savoir-faire, which contribute to give its specific personality to the wine. To make it more
simplified it means-

Terroir = Region + Appellation + Grapes + Wine making

CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

The climate of Bordeaux is mild and favours mild wines. The vineyards of Bordeaux are
moderated and heavily influenced by their proximity to the Atlantic, warmed by the Gulf
Stream, and this gentle oceanic regulation of the climate extends well inland. The maritime
climate helps Bordeaux to protect the vines from winter freeze and frost.

Springs are mild and damp, provides sufficient supplies of water. Most grapes are ripened but
the region’s weather and flowering season in June is critical, this time has cold rains, strong
winds and unpredictable weather. Coulure (when the vine has grown, the grape in place of
each flower should grow, the failure of grape to grow is called coulure) and millerandage are
threats.

Summers are usually hot, with occasional storms but rarely prolonged rainfall. The forests of
the Landes to the south help to moderate temperatures (and to protect the wine districts from
strong winds off the Atlantic), which reach an average maximum of 26 ° C/79 ° F in August,
the hottest month. July is usually the driest and sunniest month. Annual average sunshine is
well over 2,000 hours. Rainfall can vary considerably from vintage to vintage and within the
Bordeaux region itself, with the Medoc being wetter overall, with an average annual rainfall
of 950 mm/37 inch, than more inland districts.

Excessive rain is the chief hazard at harvest, especially in a year during which full ripeness
has yet to be achieved. In the sweet wine areas, humidity is sought in autumn, particularly
morning mists which evaporate during the day to encourage the spread of noble rot. It is no
coincidence that Bordeaux's sweet white wine districts are clustered together on either side of
the Garonne about 20 miles upstream of the city where the river Ciron flows into the
Garonne.

VINE VARIETIES

Red Grapes

Bordeaux is most famous as the home of Cabernet Sauvignon. This variety, which has been
planted all over the globe, finds its finest expression in Bordeaux, in the Medoc and Graves
regions.

Cabernet Sauvignon is a grape high in phenolics, built to produce robust, long-lived wines.
Its flavour has blackcurrants which hit on the nose and gives and aroma of green pepper. It
develops complex secondary aromas. It is a grape variety that responds well to oak
maturation and long bottle ageing, and it is this complexity that has given Cabernet
Sauvignon which made it famous between wine drinkers.Cabernet Sauvignon generally
grows slow and the owner can rely on full ripe of this grape. Due to this reason vineyard
owner in Medoc region doesn’t rely completely on this slow growing grape variety, they have
planted other grape varieties which grow faster. The wines of Bordeaux are generally a blend
of three or more varietals.

The other major variety is Merlot. In St Emilion, Pomerol (right bank) Merlot grape is the
dominant varietal. On the left bank it normaly plays second fiddle to Cabernet Sauvignon.
Merlot rips fully in cooler regions, and performs well on cool, clayey soils. Bordeaux makes
wine combining two-three varieties of grapes. Each grape has its special characteristics.
Merlot has got characteristic to soften the hard tannins present in cabernet and gives an extra
degree of fruitiness and gives lighter colour compared to cabernet. This wine is appreciated
between youngsters, without lengthy bottle maturation.

The third most important red grape variety is Cabernet Franc. It grows in a cool-climate
variety that is best known in the Loire Valley, where it produces single varietal wines such as
Saumur, Chinon and Bourgueil. In Bordeaux its ability to ripen in cool locations or vintages
made it extremely popular. These grapes produce lightish coloured wines, low in tannin and
early maturing. It displays attractive red fruit or herbaceous aromas.

Other red varietals often found in Bordeaux; Petit Verdot, a late ripening varietal that yields
concentrated, deeply coloured tannic wines. Malbec, used in small percentages in some right
bank wines and Carmenère, a deeply coloured varietal that produces excellent wines, but
whose susceptability to coulure has resulted in a decline in its importance in the vineyards of
Bordeaux.
White Grapes

Semillon was the most important white grape variety in Bordeaux, but in the last 30 years it
has been supplanted by Sauvignon Blanc. Probably the finest dry white comes from the
Graves and Pessac-Leognan appellations, where they may also gain complexity from the
judicious use of oak barrels for fermentation and maturation.

The most famous white wines of the area are the lusciously sweet Sauternes and Barsac. Here
the blend is reversed with Semillon dominant, and the possible addition of a third varietal,
Muscadelle.

WINE STYLES
The Bordeaux wine region is divided into sub-regions including Saint-Émilion, Pomerol,
Médoc, and Graves. There are 57 Bordeaux appellations and the wine styles are categorized
into six main families, four red based on the sub-regions and two white based on sweetness:

Red Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur. This is the basic red wine produced mainly in all parts of
Bordeaux and these are considered to be the cheapest wine of the region. The nature of wine is fruity,
a minimal flavour of oak and it is meant to be drunk young.

Red Côtes de Bordeaux. These tend to be intermediate between basic red Bordeaux and the more
famous appellations of the left and right bank in both style and quality.

Red Libourne, or "Right Bank" wines. Around the city of Libourne, 10 appellations are there. The
wine is made with very little Cabernet Sauvignon, the two most famous being Saint Emilion and
Pomerol. These wines is fruity in nature and has softer tannis.

Red Graves and Médoc or "Left Bank" wines. North and south of the city of Bordeaux, produce wines
dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, but often with a significant portion of Merlot. These wines are
concentrated, tannic, long-lived and most of them meant to be cellared before drinking.

Dry white wines. Produced in the whole region; from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon grapes from
Graves. For better version of wine it should have oak influence.

Sweet white wines. White wine is made from Sémillon, Savignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes. The
best-known of these appellations is Sauternes, which also have an official classification, and where
some of the world's most famous sweet wines are produced.

HISTORY AND EVOLUTION

Bordeaux used to import wines from Roman traders and around 1st century they got tired of
paying so high prices for the wine so the people of Bordeaux decided to plant their own
vineyards. The wine in Bordeaux got developed and improved by the initiatives of the
merchants who traded with them. Two main aims of growing vineyards were-

1) To save themselves from the exploitation of the Roman merchants who used to charge
high amounts for wine from natives of Bordeaux.
2) They got an idea how much profit they will get if they start with their own vineyards
and start exporting to new market in the world like Britannia.

To start with their own vineyards they had to select from variety of vines that will be
best suited for the kind of soil and temperature conditions they have in Bordeaux and
they chose “BITURICA”.

The Bordeaux wine industry got a set back with the fall of the Roman Empire with result to
the invasions of many dynasties like Goths in 406 AD, the Vandals in 408 AD and the
Visigoths in 414 AD. The wine of Bordeaux got appreciation in the agricultural estates of
Archbishop surrounding Bordeaux. The wine which was produced was consumed by people
and started offering to their guests also.

12th century is the period from where the world started getting a clear picture about Bordeaux.
The conditions for the wine trading got changed. In the end of 12th century the marriage of
Henry Plantagenet and Aliénor d’Aquitaine the popularity of Bordeaux got increased.
Aquitaine came under English territory after the marriage of Henry Plantagenet and Aliénor
d’Aquitaine and this lead to majority of Bordeaux exported. Bordeaux got its rise in 13th
century when La Rochelle was captured by King of France in 1224. Bordeaux became the
leading exporter of Gascon wines to England. The king of England and Duke of Aquitaine
granted taxes and trade privileges that controlled the shipping of wines to England. Bordeaux
became the English cellar in Middle Ages. They also became the first region to export wine.
Land was cleared for the planting of vines and vineyards spread through graves around the
city, through St-Emilion and Libourne regions, along the bank of Garonne upstream of
Bordeaux and across Baourg and downstream Blaye region. Palus, the low lying land was
also planted. The cultivation of the area in Bordeaux was started by the middle men.

In medieval France the fermentation time was short for one-two days for red wines. The short
fermentation resulted wine to be pale in colour. These wines exported from Bordeaux region
were called Vinum Clarum or Clariet and Claret has been derived from English term. Claret
was made from red and white grapes which were pressed together. Soon it became
unpalatable following the harvest. The English wine lovers wanted to consume wine from a
particular lord or property. In 1453 the English rule got over but it soon picked up and British
Isles was important export market for the merchants of Bordeaux. Heavy taxation was on the
products but still they were a part of trade between two nations France and England.

Borde
aux started the cultivation in the palus of Gironde. These were specialized wine- producing
holdings, planted in furrows. Verdot started producing “cargo” the type of red wine for the
sailors new type of wine came into being.

With arrival of Netherland engineers and entrepreneurs the traditional method of wine
making was changed in 17th century. The costal marshes in Bas Medoc, Aunis and Saintonge
were drained by the engineers. City commerce transformed with the help of the Flemish “the
wagoners of the sea”.
 The result of producing new type of wine by Dutch people affected the Bordeaux export. In
1688, under the Dutch William of Orange, King of England, barriers were erected by the
English market and it affected the Gascon claret. Due to the barriers in trade the” black
wines” of Portugal and Spain got favoured by the British. It affected the owners of the
vineyards, so to make their wine sell in British market they came with different types of wine
which will attract rich English drinkers.

THE REVAMP AND REVIVAL

For Bordeaux vineyards owners England was land of gold. They didn’t want to lose so they
were always trying something new so that their wine gets high appreciation. In 1666 Arnaud
de Pontac sends his son Francois Auguste to London to set up a restaurant after the great fire.
In the restaurant he used to sell wine made in his vineyard. They gained selected clientele of
writers like Daniel Defoe, Swift, philosopher John Locke. After that a lot of writers and
philosopher went to Bordeaux and wrote about the wine making process. At time wines have
fetched the owners five-six times more than those of ordinary clarets during the time of
international peace when exported to London. The innovation made by the Pontac family
gave courage to parliamentarians, rich middle class of Bordeaux to invest in vineyards. This
led to investment in Medoc, lowland of the Ambes, Blanquefort region, Margaux region,
Pauillac and St Estephe.

A lot of changes were happening in the wine making process. With new methods coming into
use it improved the selection of vines to be planted. Fertilisers were used. The Medoc
Chateaux arranged their vines in vast parcels arranged in reges and ploughed with the help of
oxen. It gave hierarchy in vineyards; regisseur, the head of cultivation, home d’ affaires, a
team of cattle hands and wine makers from the country side. Grapes were carefully plucked
and fermenting time was short.

In 18th century the wines were kept in barrels for around 4years. During this time a huge
number of merchants came which lead to increase in economic level. The maximum
merchants came were of British origin, few of them were Bartons, Johnston. Chartreux,
changed its name to Chartrons (outside the old city of Bordeaux). Wine merchants
(negociants) and vineyards owner started getting into good relations because of the new
generation of courtiers des vins and most of them belonged to British Isles. They also settled
in Chartrons. 18th century turned to be a golden age for Bordeaux, age of commercial
prosperity and appearance of refined society, which lead to establishment of Chamber Of
Commerce in 1705 and Academic Royale des Sciences in 1712-1713. This society modelled
themselves in London rather than Paris. High class in London appreciated fine wines and
frequently visited coffee houses.

Oak barrels came into use to put new wine. Racking carried out in every three months; solid
impurities were removed by decanter operation. From 1730s sulphur di oxide was used after
each racking and sterilizers were used. The wines were sent in barrels to Bordeaux negociant,
who send the wine in cask for export.

OFFICAL CLASSIFICATION
In 19th century wine growing areas went through hard times. The Bordeaux traders who acted
as lenders to the Chateaux, exploited them and increased their control over the grand crus (is
a regional wine classification that designates a vineyard known for its favourable reputation
in producing wine). The traders followed the policy of subscription for long terms (5-
10years) at a fixed rate with many of the grand crus. For merchants this turned to be very
profitable.

On 18 April 1855, a list of famous grand crus was realised by the union of Bordeaux
courtiers. It was displayed for visitors around the world. It was not legally recognized and
was unofficial. The wines were ranked according to the chateaux’s reputation, trading price
and quality.

The wines were ranked in importance from first to fifth growths (crus). Total of 58 crus of
red wine were presented which included from Gironde and 22 crus of sweet white wines were
chosen by the union.

THE PEST ASSAULT AND THE GREAT FRAUD

In the following year the region had to face disastrous fall in production because of
“OIDIUM” (The powdery mildew fungus). Odium left the finest region under black clouds
for 10years. It led to drastic fall in production. Medoc for seven consecutive years harvest
one-third of its production. Finally in 1860 sulphuration was adopted and removed the
fungus.

In market the Bordeaux wine lovers had to struggle through its scarcity. The sudden drop of
wine led to high prices of wine and Bordeaux became prosperous. They earned high profits.
The rise in prices led to reconstruction and erection of new chateaux in the nearby areas. New
wine cellars, schools, houses, clinics were installed near chateaux. The railways were
constructed between Bordeaux and Paris in 1853. The head of Parisian Bank acquired Lafite
in 1868.

The prosperity didn’t stay for long with Bordeaux. After 30years of great prosperity three
major events happened; attack of phylloxera, mildew and “the great fraud”.

The phylloxera destroyed the vineyards. The owners saved their vineyards by using
insecticides, it turned out to be a costly but it maintained the quality of grand cru.

Mildew also attacked the vineyards of Bordeaux. It affected the wines; acidic in nature, low
in alcohol.

The Great fraud from 1895-1914 was the blending on Sicilian, Spanish and Languedoc wines
with the Bordeaux wines. The labels were changed; appellation was also added that it seems
the wine is from Bordeaux. They were then exported to Britain. To end fraud the state passed
strict legislation between 1905 and 1911.

These problems led to the downfall of Bordeaux’s premium name in the wine world.
THE TRADE AND COMMERCE

In the Middle Ages, the Archbishop, the monks and the Bordeaux bourgeoisie were the
owners of the land and planted vines. From 1152-1453 the kings of England were the lord of
Bordeaux region. Gascon vineyards were favoured by the kings because of their wine.
Exports to England made the city prosperous twice in a year (spring and autumn). The trade
was huge and to have specific facilities to maintain that kind of trade. Grapes were pressed in
chais and barrels were stored in vaulted caves. The basement of Piliers de Tutelle,
magnificent Roman monument was used as cellar. Inner harbours were lined with the
warehouses to load the barrels. The profits from the trade were used to build schools,
churches.

The link between Bordeaux and England was broken when Bordeaux returned to French
king. Bordeaux started searching new trade countries like Netherlands, northern Germany.
To reach these new countries Bordeaux started improving their wine quality. Bordeaux forgot
the river with got trade between them and England during the reign of Louis XVI (1643-
1715) which are written with golden words. The ships were loaded with barriques in front of
the Palace Royale built in honour of Louis XV. Changes were made to the architecture styles
of Louis XV and Louis XVI by Gabriels and Victor Louis architects from Paris.

To save France from invasion of England the king of France built forts and controlled the
people who were quick to revolt. A change in wine export was in introduced by building
Chateaux Trompette beside the Garonne and to protect it was surrounded by huge glacis.
Foreign merchants anchored downstream of the Chateaux.

Wine became a trade for Bordeaux and made them prosperous. To make the people happy a
lot of middle class architecture took place in Bordeaux.

THE CHATEAUX CONCOCTION

The term chateaux came into being by merchants and parliamentarian middle class. The word
came into being when wine became a substantial source of revenue. Chateaux are a manor
house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or
without fortifications. It is a badge of a family that represents the royal authority. Grand is a
chateaux which is not that old.

The first Chateaux built accidentally for the purpose of wine erected in 1525 in the immediate
surroundings of Bordeaux. This Chateau was Haut-Brion at Pessac. This started with the new
concept which was adapted by many vineyards owners in the 19th century. Chateau is
supported by lands, composing a demesne that renders the society of the château largely self-
sufficient, in the manner of the historic Roman and Early Medieval villa system. In modern
time, a chateau retained a fenced, gated, closeable forecourt, perhaps a gatehouse or a
keeper's lodge, and supporting outbuildings. Besides court of honour entrance, the château
might have an inner court, and inside, in the private residence, the château faces a simply and
discreetly enclosed park.

In early times the chateau signified the long standing of the vineyard in the business. The
name of chateau was quite simple- the name of the locality of used. Some used the name of
the commune, a common occurrence when a chateau was surrounded; some took the name of
traditional localities.

THE PICTURESQUE VIEW

Bordeaux is a place where a person will find huge number of different element, fashionable
things. One of them was parks, gardens and landscapes which have interested the wealthy
owners to make their Chateau different from other Chateau. It gave Chateau a fine and royal
look.

The gardens belonged to the ruling class. The gardens were built around 1580s; terraces were
planted with the orchards and vegetable gardens. The main purpose of gardens was for leisure
purpose. The reflection of French style gardens were seen late in Bordeaux region. An
example- Suduiraut where in the semi-circular forecourt, marked out by lines of deciduous
trees. Sale is one of the most successful gardens. A lot of sale gardens were built in 18th
century, but these were small scale and less ambitious design. Wealthy people used to fill
their chateau with sculptures, music rooms, factories, ponds with or without fountains.

English gardens can’t make much impact on the owners but still we can see 4-5 examples of
English type of gardens. It came in 1789 in L’Hospital but it didn’t get recognized till 19th
century. Some of the features of English gardens were- transformation of the parterres into a
simple patchwork, avoided great lines of deciduous trees of classic garden. The path was
wound through the woods.

In the beginning of 1980s chateau started maintaining beautiful grounds. New owners were
calling on the English architect to modernize the parks and garden. To live in fashion of
nobility in Bordeaux region it was essential to have chateau with beautiful gardens. The trend
which was started in the classic ages is followed till date.

WINE LABELS

In 1660 in England begun to use heavy bottles of glass produced by Sir Kenelm Digby with
cork stopper for the production of "Sparkling Champagne". To the end of 1600 the use of
glass bottles and cork stoppers for production of "Champagne" were last in France. This type
of closing allowed also to conserve more to along red or clarets wines.

Source: http://www.vinetichette.it/storia_english.htm

Some says vineyards gave wine to the merchants in barrels and it was their duty or
responsibility how to promote the wine.

It has not been clearly found who got the wine labels to Bordeaux.

Bordeaux wine labels generally include -

1. The name of estate –(example: Château Haut-Batailley)

 2. The estate's classification - (example: Grand Cru Classé en 1855).
3. The appellation- Appellation d'origine contrôlée laws dictate that all grapes must be harvested
from a particular appellation in order for that appellation to appear on the label. The
appellation is a key indicator of the type of wine in the bottle. With the image example,
Pauillac wines are always red, and usually Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape.
4. Whether or not the wine is bottled at the chateau (Image example: Mis en Bouteille au
Chateau) or assembled by a Négociant.
5. The vintage
6. Alcohol content

CONCLUSION
 Wine has been probably one of the most important words in the world’s vocabulary, not only
of the modern world but ages in the past as well as the ones to come. It has been widely used
in all forms of life.

Religion wise, the Jews have an obligation to drink at least four glasses of wine to impress
upon the holiness of the festival through the godly drink. They indeed say a prayer about it
before obligating: Praised to be the Eternal, Ruler of the Universe, who makes the fruit of
wine.

The Christians likewise hold wine in high esteem and keep it for Eucharist of the last supper
as ‘Jesus had bread and wine with his followers and asked them to “do this in remembrance
of me”.’

Indeed wine has been an essential part of our civilization. So much so that it has been prized
and possessed by all parts of our system. The leaders, sailors and army men, actors, the rich
and the poor, the peasant and the landlord, the Devil and his Imp, God and his Disciple, all of
them have been huge fans of the tinkling, sensuous amber white, rose or red liquid.

For a conclusion, I, hereby present some simple but very effective lines from a great English
writer and an ardent wine lover Gilbert Keith Chesterton:

Feast on wine or fast on water,

And your honor shall stand sure
If an angel out of heaven
Brings you something else to drink,
Thank him for his kind attentions,
Go and pour it down the sink.

This is just an amateur attempt to bring forward the greatness of the heavenly liquid. The
world though already knows it. Long Live Bordeaux for its fine gift to the Mankind…..

ANNEXURES

THE REGIONS

The wine regions of Bordeaux are the area around the city of Bordeaux within the Gironde
department of Aquitaine. The region is naturally divided by the Gironde River into a Left
Bank area which includes the Médoc and the subregions of St-Estèphe, Pauillac, St.-Julien,
and Margaux and a Right Bank area which includes the subregions of Saint-Émilion,
Pomerol, Bourg and Blaye. Additional wine regions include the area of Graves which is south
east of the Médoc and includes the sub regions of Pessac-Léognan, Sauternes and Barsac.
Across from the Graves, on the Right Bank, is the Entre-Deux-Mers area between the
Gironde and Dordogne rivers.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bordeaux_wine_regions
GRAVES- This is one of the longest established regions of Bordeaux; there was viticulture
here as far back as the Middle Ages, centuries before the marshes of the Médoc were drained
and vines were planted. Graves is situated on the left bank of the Garonne river, in the
upstream part of the region, southeast of the city Bordeaux and stretch over 50 kilometres.
The region's leading light, Chateau Haut Brion, dates back to the mid-16th Century, Chateau
Olivier for at least eight centuries. It is the only region which makes all three main wines-
reds, dry white and sweet wines. This region is further divided in 2 sub-regions.

PESSAC-LEOGNAN- Located just south of the city of Bordeaux, is home to the first growth estate
Château Haut-Brion, as well as all the 1953 classified Graves Growths, including Château La
Mission Haut-Brion and Château Laville Haut-Brion. In addition to wine production, the area
is known for its crops of pine trees and vineyards are often separated by rows of forest trees.
The soil contains gravel terraces with sediments from different geological eras.

SAUTERNES- It is known for its intensely sweet, white, dessert wines such as the Premier
Cru Supérieur classified Château d'Yquem. The sweetness is the result of the grapes being
affected by Botrytis cinerea, a fungus that is commonly known as noble rot. In the autumn,
the Ciron river produces mist that descends upon the area and persists until after dawn. These
conditions are conducive to the growth of the fungus which desiccates the grape and
concentrates the sugars inside. The three main grapes of this area are Sémillon, Sauvignon
blanc and Muscadelle.

Left Bank
The wine regions of the Left bank of the Gironde river is bordered by large coniferous forest
land that have a tempering effect on the maritime climate of the area. The region spans from
the mouth of the river down south and includes the four famous communes of St-Estephe,
Pauillac, St. Julien and Margaux. It also includes the area formerly known as the Bas-Médoc
(lower Médoc), but now simply labeled as Médoc, this region of Bordeaux is located at the
mouth of the Gironde River. Although the region does not have any classified growths, there
are a number of Crus Bourgeois located in the soft clay soil of the Médoc.

The Central Médoc includes the area between St. Julien and Margaux. This area is home to
many Crus Bourgeois including the Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels rated Château Chasse-
Spleen and Château Poujeaux. Within the Central Medoc there are the appellations Listrac-
Médoc and Moulis-en-Médoc.

The area just south of Margaux is called Southern Médoc with wines produced in this area
using the Haut-Médoc designations or, in some cases, Margaux. This area includes the
classified growths of Château La Lagune in Ludon and Château Cantemerle in Macau.

St-Estèphe

Among the four famous Left Bank communes, St-Estèphe is the northernmost region with the
jalle du Breuil dividing it from Pauillac to the south. The soil has heavy composite of clay
washed ashore from the Gironde. This soil type drains slowly and gives St-Estèphe estates an
advantage during dry summers. The wines produce here tend to have more acidity then other
red Bordeaux and with less perfume.[5] While Cabernet Sauvignon is still the dominant grape,
this sub-region has more planting of Merlot than any other area on the Left Bank.[6]

Pauillac

Located south of St-Estèphe, the area around Pauillac has the highest elevation of the Médoc
with the estates of Château Mouton Rothschild and Château Pontet-Canet sitting on a summit
of 100ft. Up until the early 19th century, Malbec was considered the great grape of the
Pauillac region. Eventually the Cabernet Sauvignon vine took hold in the gravel soil of the
area

St-Julien

Situated on two plateaus between Pauillac and Margaux, the wine region of St-Julien has the
smallest wine production of the four major regions in the Médoc. The region is divided into
essentially two areas - the riverside estates around the village of St.Julien and the southern
estates around the village of Beychevelle where the areas Cru Bourgeois are also grouped.
The waters of the Gironde estuary have a warming influence on the climate which, coupled
with the south-easterly exposure of most vineyards, helps to fully ripen the Cabernet
Sauvignon vines in this area.

Margaux

The Margaux appellation encompasses the village of Margaux and the neighboring villages
of Arsac, Labarde, Soussans and Cantenac. It is the most southerly of Médoc's appellations.
The commune makes almost entirely red wine, harvesting Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,
Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot grapes, with only a small amount of white wine made. This
region has the thinnest soil in the region with the highest proportion of gravel that allows the
soil to drain very well. The wines from this area are very susceptible to the overall quality of
the vintage year and the weather effects during the growing season and harvest.

WINEMAKING

The wines are generally blendednot made from single variety of grapes. The typical blend
consists of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon (and/or Cabernet Franc) with small additions of
Petit Verdot and Malbec. Merlot is favored on the right bank and Cabernet on the left, though
Merlot has been increasing on the left bank over the last decade or two. Bordeaux is a highly
controlled process with widespread use of stainless steel vats for fermentation, cooling
apparatus and a high degree of hygienic discipline. Chaptalization (addition of sugar to
grapes) was legalised in 1951 and it has become a common process.

Efforts have been made to advance technology that improves these processes. Technology
has also impacted on the crushing on the grapes. In ancient times this process was done by
treading the grapes by foot, later with machines that were cheaper and safer. Machines came
into use because in ancient times there was a risk of unwanted tannins released into the must.

After the crushing a number of wineries have stopped using pumps and instead raise the
grapes by conveyor belt. This is a more gentle process as it uses gravity to move the grapes
rather than a pumping system.
The fermentation usually takes place in stainless steel vats—a technique introduced in the
1960s earlier lined cement vats were used. The reason for the introduction was hygiene and
control over the fermentation process (especially of temperature). During the 1980s some
producers began reintroducing wooden fermentation vats.

Concentrators are used where a winemaker can remove water from the must. Some producers
are opposed to concentration (Christian Moueix of Pétrus, Anthony Barton of Château
Leoville-Barton). While this process can certainly improve a wine in mediocre vintages it is
also open to abuse with the result being an over-concentrated and poorly balanced wine.

After fermentation comes the pressing. Bordeaux have switched from traditional horizontal
presses to the pneumatic press, where a bladder is filled with air thus resulting in gentle
pressing of the wine. A third type of press is the vertical or hydraulic press. This is the most
traditional and also a gentle type of press but is a very labour-intensive process.

The modern and very popular method of micro-oxygenation, where microscopic amounts of
oxygen are added to the wine during fermentation to stabilize (green) tannins and
anthocyanins, has also caught on in Bordeaux. Micro-oxygenation is also used later in the
process, during élevage, as a way of avoiding racking and controlling the amount of oxygen
applied to the wine (racking leaves for no such control).

In Bordeaux most serious wines undergo barrel-ageing (white wines can be an exception).
Usually six months of in barrel is required but some (prestigious) châteaux barrel-age for as
much as 18–20 months. The amount of new barrels (usually considered the best) can vary
from vintage to vintage, just as the duration of barrel-ageing. Only recently, addition of oak
chips (to add an oaky flavor to the wine) has been legalized in Bordeaux. During barrel-
ageing the wine needs to be racked in order to clear the wine of the lees. But ageing gives
richness to the wine. Once the producer decides the wine has aged for the right amount of
time the selection begins. The winemaker (or his/her team) finds the right blend for the
vintage. The wine released are called grand vin (the first press). Some wine left—either of
inferiour quality or leftovers from the blending. This is usually released as a second-wine.

REFRENCES

http://www.winepros.com.au/jsp/cda/reference/oxford_entry.jsp?
entry_id=384

http://www.slate.com/id/21767

http://www.bls-frenchcourses.com/school-bordeaux-history-english-
GB.html

http://www.thewinedoctor.com/regionalguides/bordeaux3graves.shtml
http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Bordeaux/id/1936227)

http://www.winepros.com.au/jsp/cda/reference/oxford_entry.jsp?entry_id=384

CHATEAUX BORDEAUX by Mitchell Beazley

The Oxford Companion to wine

Exploring wine