Although the wines of Bordeaux have fallen out of popularity in recent years, especially with Millennial drinkers, it is still an important region worth getting to know, if for no other reason than its dope history, insane bucket list wines, and elusive yet affordable gems.

Bordeaux Growths from Classification of 1855. Top tier is First Growths. From left to right - Mouton Rothschild, Lafite Rothschild, Margaux, Haut-Brion, and Latour. (Carl Laubin 1992) Bordeaux is an AOC in the southwest of France. It is a region that follows the Gironde estuary whose waterways split the region in two, Left Bank and Right Bank, an important feature we will come back to. Bordeaux is the largest appellation in France. At over 115,000 hectares (a little more than 284,000 acres) it is four times the size of Burgundy. The somewhat 6000 producers in Bordeaux make white, red, sparkling, rosé, and sweet dessert wine, but what has made Bordeaux famous is its red wine.

The history of Bordeaux is rich and very much the main thread in the history of wine in the world. Vineyards in Bordeaux were probably planted by the Romans as early as the 1st Century but it wasn't until the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II King of England that wines from Bordeaux TOOK OFF!

This marriage secured a monopoly trade between England and Bordeaux. There was a solid period of trade between the two which caused the Bordeaux wine industry to flourish. Then the Hundred Years' War happened and trade between the two countries was ended and a period of turmoil ensued. Decades later Louis XI allowed British ships to once again enter the port of Bordeaux. The Dutch then moved in and, being the sly traders they were, invested their time and energy into the region. They helped push for the draining of the Médoc which was at the time a giant swamp, now THE prime appellation in Bordeaux.

The Classification of 1855

The next chapter in the history of Bordeaux is a little designation known as the Classification of

1855. This classification system ranked chateaux (producers) (the x makes it plural btw)

according to market price and quality (and probably a little bit of reputation and namesake tbh).

This ranking system ranked the best chateaux from First Growth to Fifth Growth, First being the

most prestigious.

There are 61 Chateaux classified as Growths but only 5 First Growths.

- Chateau Lafite Rothschild

- Chateau Latour

- Chateau Margaux

- Chateau Haut-Brion

- Chateau Mouton Rothschild

This classification still influences market prices today which is crazy because, since 1855, there has only been one major adjustment to the classification. That change came in 1973 when Chateau Mouton Rothschild was elevated to First Growth.

A lot can change over the course of 164 years. And although the 5 First Growths are still incredible and the most sought out wines of Bordeaux, there are others that, one could argue, are nearly just as or more amazing. These First Growth wines have become pretty unattainable by us normal folk with prices that average about $1000 a bottle and often reach up into 5 and 6 digit prices.

Even though most people will never taste a First Growth wine, they are important, like high end fashion lines, because they spark market trends. When it comes down to it, Cab was planted and dominates California because of Bordeaux. Places all around the world have attempted to mimic these wines hoping to cash in on the historical popularity of Bordeaux. Another trend Bordeaux started was the red blend. You can buy red blends here at Frugal or any grocery store, and while other regions have traditionally blended grapes, it is the Bordeaux grapes and blends that we (U.S.) attempt to recreate.

Again, there are other Bordeaux wines that are not First Growth or even classified that are just as delicious as First Growths and there are some that are even just as famous. For instance, Chateau Petrus makes a Bordeaux wine that averages $2500 a bottle, higher than the average First Growth price, and Chateau Petrus is not classified as a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th Growth. I say this to say that the Classification of 1855 is just that, a classification that happened a long ass time ago. It has historical relevance and gives us a broad ranking of Bordeaux wines, but it now in no way is an accurate reading of the best wines in Bordeaux.

(Sidenote: There are other classification systems in Bordeaux. The 1855 classification is not the only one. Saint-Émilion for instance has its own classification of vineyards defining the top Chateaux as Premier Grand Cru Classé A, Premier Grand Cru Classé B, and Grand Cru Classé. The 1855 is just the OG overarching classification.) Bordeaux AOC

Now for the fun part! GEOGRAPHY! As I mentioned earlier Bordeaux is geographically split into halves. We call these halves the "Left Bank" and the "Right Bank" (see map). The Gironde estuary flows off of the Atlantic Ocean and into the southwest of France. On its left bank is the Médoc and Graves. The best vineyards here are planted on well drained gravel soils that face the river. All First Growths are in these two Left Bank appellations. Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the Left Bank followed by Cab Franc and Merlot. Think 70% Cab Sauv in Left Bank blends. The most important appellations in the Left Bank are Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, and Margaux, all of which are in the Médoc. Left Bank wines being mostly Cab are higher in tannin and acidity and thus will age longer than Right Bank wines. This makes them generally more expensive.

The Right Bank on the other hand is dominated by Merlot, where it makes up the majority of the fields and the blends (Merlot is the most planted grape in all of Bordeaux fyi). Famous Right Bank appellations include Pomerol and Saint-Èmilion. Chateau Petrus is a Right Bank wine and thus Merlot (one of the few 100% Merlot wines). Right Bank wines being mostly Merlot are softer and juicier than Left Bank wines and are meant to be consumed earlier. Right Bank wines tend to be less expensive and easier to come by.

Chateau Margaux

There are only 6 red grape varieties that you can legally plant in Bordeaux - Merlot, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Carménère (amount grown in that order). As we talked about last week the ratios of different varieties planted changed drastically after the last couple decades of the 19th century when Phylloxera infestations destroyed nearly all the vines in Bordeaux. Merlot covers over 60% of all red grape hectares in Bordeaux. The smaller amount of Cab Sauv grown is nearly all on the Left Bank and more expensive.

White Bordeaux

White Bordeaux or Bordeaux Blanc is made up of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle. These grapes are also used in making the sweet dessert wines of Sauternais, an appellation in the south of Bordeaux. Sauternes is famous for being infected by a fungus called Botrytis, or Noble Rot. This fungus raisins the grapes on the vines so that sugars are concentrated. The Classification of 1855 also classified white wines but on a scale from 1-3. Only one Chateau was given the top ranking of Superior First Growth - Château d'Yquem.

I'll go into more depth on the white wines of Bordeaux in a later letter but wanted to focus today on red wines, as that is what Bordeaux is most known for.

White Bordeaux or Bordeaux Blanc is made up of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle. These grapes are also used in making the sweet dessert wines of Sauternais, an appellation in the south of Bordeaux. Sauternes is famous for being infected by a fungus called Botrytis, or Noble Rot. This fungus raisins the grapes on the vines so that sugars are concentrated. The Classification of 1855 also classified white wines but on a scale from 1-3. Only one Chateau was given the top ranking of Superior First Growth - Château d'Yquem.

My second suggestion is a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru for ya'll tryna spend a pretty penny. This is Petit-Figeac Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2012. This bad boy has got some age on it which you can just start to taste (dried fruits, fruit pie, fig). It is Saint-Émilion, so Right Bank, so mostly Merlot. It shows flavors of plum, blackberry, some oak notes of vanilla, tobacco, and smoke. It is $56.99, but normally goes for over $100. NOICE!

Bordeaux is loaded with goodies. Come in and explore the options. We have some Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe, Pomerol, Saint-Émilion, Fronsac, Canon-Fronsac, Pauillac, Haut-Médoc, Sauternes, and more. We just dipped a toe into the region. There is so much more to learn from this historical AOC.

I know this was a heavy read today! Thanks to those of ya'll who read these each week and give feed back. It is much appreciated! Nothing better than getting emails or shoutouts from people who learned something from these letters or tasted a new wine because of them. Ya'll Rock!

See what you remember from the read in the quiz below!!! Good Luck

Cheers,

Preston Hunt

Wine Manager, WSET II

Frugal MacDoogal

Nashville, TN