Bordeaux is a massive wine region, producing a wide variety of wine styles. As such, it’s useful to consider Bordeaux not as one place and one wine style, but at the sub-regional or “appellation” level. Developing a better understanding of individual appellations will help you buy better Bordeaux wines, whether as a professional wine buyer or a consumer.
The French term “Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC)” indicates a delimited geographic area within which winegrowers and wine producers must adhere to strict production criteria.
Natural vineyard factors like soil composition, micro-climate and proximity to bodies of water, among others, vary widely from one part to another. Producers respond to this by planting different grape varieties and crafting different types of wine. Those producers may also decide, for commercial, environmental or philosophical reasons, to produce a range of wines that are wildly different from one another but that all may carry the name “Bordeaux” somewhere on the label.
A few basic rules of thumb can help you navigate the 60-odd Bordeaux appellations.
Bordeaux & Bordeaux Supérieur: Basic red wines
Red wines that are labelled Bordeaux AOC or Bordeaux Supérieur AOC sit at the entry level and are likely to be relatively light in body with simple fruit flavours. Bottles from these “generic” Bordeaux appellations can be produced anywhere in the Bordeaux area. These wines don’t tend to be overly complex, and well-made examples are ideal quaffing wines.
You’ll find a lot of Bordeaux’s big “brands” at this level. Note that in Bordeaux-speak a “branded” wine is distinct from an estate-grown (“château”) wine. For example, Mouton Cadet is a “brand” while Château Mouton Rothschild, from the same parent company, is not. A branded wine is generally produced by a wine merchant (“négociant“) and is a blend of either grapes or finished wine sourced in bulk from other producers. Some brand owners take great pride in their grape supply and work closely with growers year in and year out. Others are more opportunistic and buy bulk wine as a commodity. A well-made branded wine will be far better than a poorly-made estate wine.
Bordeaux vs. Bordeaux Supérieur
If in doubt, opt for a Bordeaux Supérieur rather than plain old Bordeaux. While it’s not a guarantee of quality, “Supérieur” here indicates that the wine has a higher minimum alcohol percentage and is subject to stricter yield. This equates to riper grapes and less of them, neither of which is a bad thing at all.
Bordeaux Blanc and beyond: Dry white wines
Several Bordeaux appellations have the right to make dry white wine. Four are worth knowing. White Bordeaux Blanc tends to be on the lighter, simpler side. Entre-Deux-Mers AOC fits that bill for the most part, too. Whites labelled Graves AOC and especially Pessac-Léognan AOC are more structured, often fermented and aged in oak barrels.
If you’re on a budget, grab an Entre-Deux-Mers. I quite like Château Thieuley. Splashing out? Look for a Pessac-Léognan. There’s few better than Domaine de Chevalier, though you could do a lot worse than nearby Domaine de la Solitude, managed by the same team and costing quite a lot less.
The Right Bank: Merlot-based red wines
Merlot dominates the right bank of Bordeaux. Fans of bigger, softer and suppler wines should focus their efforts on wines from Saint Emilion AOC, Saint Emilion Grand Cru AOC and Pomerol AOC.
Note that “Saint Emilion Grand Cru” is an appellation rather than a classification. As such, it’s really no indication of quality. There is a (rather contentious) classification here, so if you are into that sort of thing you should look for wines labelled Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classé. The growing area for both Saint Emilion and Saint Emilion Grand Cru is the same, though broadly speaking the wines made under the “Grand Cru” appellation will be better. There are exceptions, of course.
Pomerol and Saint Emilion alternatives
While cheap Saint Emilion is rarely good and cheap Pomerol basically doesn’t exist, there are plenty of alternatives.
The so-called “satellite” regions nearby offer wines that are broadly similar stylistically. Look for sub-regions like Lussac Saint Emilion AOC and Lalande de Pomerol AOC. Fronsac AOC and Canon-Fronsac AOC aren’t exactly fashionable (and probably don’t need to be two distinct appellations), but they can be really expressive. Worth knowing for those on a budget are the Côtes de Bordeaux AOC appellations. Wines labelled as such can be blended from the several smaller regions within the so-called Côtes if the producer so wishes. Those smaller places can append their name to the larger appellation, for example, Castillon-Côtes de Bordeaux AOC.
Saint Emilion recommendations
Probably because I can’t afford top Pomerol, I have a soft spot for Saint Emilion. To get some really interesting stuff, look for a great producer with a large portfolio and buy according to your price range.
The Vauthier family of Château Ausone have a well-deserved reputation for fine wine at the highest level. Ausone itself will set you back somewhere between €800 and €1,000 a bottle. Many of their other wines will not. Look for Châteaux Simard, Haut-Simard or de Fonbel.
Englishman Jonathan Maltus launched Le Dôme in 1996. It’s excellent, it’s in high demand, and it’s not cheap. Maltus’ Saint Emilion portfolio has several more approachable options including Château Laforge, Vieux Château Mazerat and Le Carré. His home property, Château Teyssier, is very consistent and keenly-priced.
The Left Bank: Cabernet Sauvignon-based red wines
If tannic grip and dark berry fruit is more your thing, Cabernet Sauvignon is widely used in the red wines of the Médoc AOC, Haut-Médoc AOC and Graves AOC. The best wines of Graves are from Pessac-Léognan AOC and labelled as such.
Within the Médoc peninsula, four village appellations are universally considered to produce the best quality red wines. This is Grand Cru Classé country, and you can (but certainly don’t have to) spend serious money here. Saint Estèphe AOC and Pauillac AOC are a little big bigger and more powerful, while Saint Julien AOC and Margaux AOC veer more towards elegance and perfume.
The “lesser” villages of Moulis-en-Médoc AOC and Listrac-Médoc AOC don’t tend to reach the lofty heights of their neighbours but are well worth getting to know. Wines labelled as Médoc are produced at the northern extreme of the Médoc peninsula, beyond Saint Estèphe. You’re likely to find more Merlot here than in the more southerly parts. The Haut-Médoc is, perhaps confusingly, located further south and includes the villages named above.
Médoc recommendations
If money is no object and you want the full Médoc experience, go for a Pauillac. The village is dominated by the Grands Crus Classés and includes no less than three first growths in Latour, Lafite and Mouton-Rothschild. If they’re a little out of your budget, there’s plenty of others to choose from. Pontet-Canet and Lynch-Bages are superstars and are priced accordingly. Grand-Puy-Lacoste usually offers a solid quality/ratio. The co-op produces a branded wine, La Rose Pauillac, which can offer a taste of the region without breaking the bank.
For something a little more “everyday”, the Crus Bourgeois can be a useful reference point. Château du Moulin Rouge is located in the Haut-Médoc, between Margaux and Saint Julien. My friend and former classmate Geoffrey Ribeiro is the 13th or 14th generation of his family to run the property, and it’s outrageously good value for money.
Noble Rot: Sweet white wines
Bordeaux makes a lot of sweet white wines, with the best and most expensive coming from Sauternes AOC and Barsac AOC. Barsac is actually located within Sauternes, though its producers can opt to label their wines with either term. You can find strong value for money in nearby Cérons AOC. The natural and human factors that contribute to the production of these wines may surprise you, and they are mostly very modestly priced when you take that into consideration.
The reference point here is the singular Château d’Yquem, but you really don’t need to spend a lot to get excellent sweet wines here. Check out Doisy-Daëne, Coutet or Climens from Barsac. Château de Fargues is a personal favourite in Sauternes, and I’m partial to Domaine de la Gauche.
Others
This is by no means an exhaustive account of Bordeaux appellations or wine styles. The region produces various styles of rosé, traditional method sparkling wine and semi-sweet wines, though production is tiny relative to reds and, to a lesser extent, dry and sweet whites.