Le Cordon Bleu - French Wines #5

Vineyards owe their perfection to the parallel of moderation.

Temperate weather of the 45th parallel makes Bordeaux one of the best climates for wine production. Regulated by water.

Flowing southwest, along the eastern border of Bordeaux. The Dordogne River meets the north-westerly Garonne. Together forming the Gironde, an Atlantic Ocean estuary – often mistakenly called a river.

Moreover. The forest on the west blocks all easterly winds and rains. Bringing additional safety to the grapes.

Bordeaux consists of over 100,000 hectares of wine growth. Making it the biggest AOC in the world. Grape varieties vary throughout, but mainly consist of the following.

Rouges

• Cabernet-sauvignon
• Cabernet-franc
• Merlot
• Côt (Malbec)
• Petit Verdot
• Carmenère

Blancs

• Sémillon
• Sauvignon-blanc
• Muscadelle

The largest AOC is not necessarily the most complicated. Following all other wine regions. Wines labeled with Bordeaux are the most generic. It is the sub-regional appellations and specific town labeled bottles that you should be buying.

The sub-regional appellation breakdown looks like this.

In general. Graveled soil of the Garonne’s left bank produces tannic, well structured, tough wines. Predominantly from cabernet-sauvignon. Whereas the right bank – clay and limestone – is merlot dominant. Making fruitier, full-bodied wines.

With that said. Cabernet-sauvignon needs a bit of roundedness from merlot. Just like merlot benefits from cabernet-sauvignon’s structure. Therefore they are almost always blended together. Linked with malbec. And enhanced with carmenère – more of a yesterday’s grape – or petit verdot – making a come-back.

Whites tend to be very aromatic and dry. Characteristics of the heavily used sauvignon-blanc. Structured with muscadelle. Sémillon’s prone-to-noble-rot trait makes it perfect for dessert wines. Especially in Sauternes, Barsac, and Cérons – where the dividing river, Ciron, flows into the larger Garonne.

When the Ciron’s warmer water flows into the cooler Garonne, mist is created. Forming water droplets on the grapes, breeding fungus. Dried daily by sunshine. Slowly reducing the grape’s moisture. In turn. Increasing sugar-concentration. Noble Rot (botrytis cinerea). Perfect for dessert wine production.

My suggestion. As always. Drink them all and write down your favorites.

Session #5 – Tastes

• Côtes de Blaye (merlot, cabernet-sauvignon, cabernet-franc) by Château Lacaussade Saint Martin, 2008
• Entre deux Mers (sauvignon-blanc, muscadelle) by Château Haut Rian, 2009
• Montagne-Saint-Emilion (merlot, cabernet-sauvignon, cabernet-franc) by Château Corbin, 2006
• Pessac-Léognan (sauvignon-blanc, muscadelle, sémillon) by Château Tour Léognan, 2007
• Moulis (merlot, cabernet-sauvignon, cabernet-franc, malbec, petit-verdot) by Château Mauvesin, 2006