The Romans imposed a winemaking culture on the French back in the VI century. BC e. They fire and sword forced the Gauls to plant a vine. After 500 years, the Romans destroyed all the vineyards of Gaul, since they became a threat to all imperial trade. Only the love of the inhabitants for this noble drink was already impossible to eradicate, they started all over again. Today, French wines are a model, experts of all other countries are equal to it. In this article, we give a description of Bordeaux wines, learn more about their history, consider classification and other issues.
Next, let's talk about the most famous French wine regions.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is the oldest region. It is located in a temperate climate on the Atlantic coast. Bordeaux red wine is a world standard of high quality. For the manufacture of wines, mainly 4 grape varieties are used: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. The cost depends on how prestigious the producer is, what year of harvest and aging, because in this area favorable conditions for ripening and growth of grapes do not always develop.
The region is divided into several appellations, the most famous of them: Graves, Medoc, Sauternes and Saint-Emilion. Historically, Bordeaux red wine is sold mainly from small private farms called Château. They follow the traditions of their ancestors and carefully monitor the quality of their products.
Brands:
- Chateau Briot;
- Chateau Bellevue la Mongie;
- Chateau Marjosse;
- Chateau Cavale Blanche;
- Chateau Memoire.
Burgundy
Burgundy is a wine-growing region in the eastern part of France, with a total length of about 200 km. It consists of almost a hundred appellations. Here, mainly Aligote and Chardonnay grapes are cultivated. Due to the variable climate and heterogeneous soil, white Burgundy wines are known for their huge range of taste shades. The most prestigious wineries: Haut-Cote, Cote and Chablis, Chalonne and Maconne.
Champagne
Champagne is the birthplace of sparkling wines. This region is located in southern France near the border with Luxembourg and Belgium. The inventor of the drink is Pierre Perignon (Benedictine monk), who subjected the wine to double fermentation first.
Champagne produces pink and white sparkling wines. In this case, 2 red Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir varieties are used, as well as white Chardonnay grapes.
Beaujolais
Beaujolais is a small region near Lyon, located in a continental cold climate. Winemakers use only 1 grape variety called Game. Due to natural conditions, Beaujolais wine cannot be stored for a long time. It opens on the 3rd Thursday of November in the same year of harvest, after which it is drunk until spring. At the same time, the French created, and then skillfully popularized "Beaujolais Nouveau" - a celebration of young wine. Now it is celebrated all over the planet.
Terroir Bordeaux
Surprisingly well located in the southwestern part of France, or rather, on the edge of the Atlantic, Bordeaux occupies the entire department of the Gironde. Through Bordeaux flow p. Dordogne, Garonne and a variety of small rivers. This naturally satisfies the needs of numerous regional vineyards in constant moisture.
Climate
Bordeaux is moderated by:
- the mouth of the Gironde and the presence of waterways;
- the influence of the warm oceanic current of the Gulf Stream, regulating the weather and warming the air in the region;
- Landsky forest, which serves as an excellent protection against winds from the West.
Soil diversity
At the mouth of the Gironde and on the left coast of the Garonne, the soil mainly consists of rocky sands laid by the Garonne. Such stony soils (gravel, pebbles, sand) accumulate heat well and filter water, which helps the best ripening of grapes. Between Dordogne and Garon soil are mainly clay-calcareous. At the same time, on the right coast of the Dordogne, you can find a very large palette of soils of various compositions: lime, clay, rocky sands, sand - they all have the ability to retain rainwater. Therefore, the vineyard constantly receives a lot of moisture.
Bordeaux: statistics in numbers
In general, local vineyards occupy about 120 thousand hectares. Bordeaux is the largest wine region in the country. 11% of vineyards are occupied by white grape varieties, 89% - red varieties.
About 6 million hectoliters of wine are produced each year in Bordeaux. Dry, white, red, rose Bordeaux wines, sparkling, sweet whites are drunk all over the world. In 2007, local wine sales totaled 760 million bottles worth 3.4 billion euros. At the same time, 67% of the wines are consumed directly in France and the remaining 33% are exported.
Wine Areas
The main wine-growing zones of the region:
- Barsac and Sauternes (Barsac, Sauternes) - produced wine "Bordeaux" white dry, sweet.
- Graves and Medoc (Graves, Medoc). Vineyards are located on the left bank of the Garonne River.
- Libourne (Libournais) - Pomrol, Saint-Emilion, Fronsac, as well as their companions. Vineyards are located on the right coast of the Dordogne River.
- Antre de Mer - vineyards are located between the rivers Dordogne and Garonne. They make white wine "Bordeaux".
- Cote de Bordeaux. Vineyards are located on the banks of the Garonne, Dordogne and Gironde.
- Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superior (Bordeaux Superior, Bordeaux). These vineyards are located throughout the region.
History
French wine "Bordeaux" has a rather interesting history. The history of winemaking here has about 2 millennia. The bituriga tribe, who lived in Aquitaine, in the southwestern part of Gaul, cultivated a moisture-resistant grape variety called Biturica. He is considered the ancestor of the famous Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon. The main city of the biturig was Burdigala - today's Bordeaux. Subsequently, the conquest of the bitugs by the Romans brought new knowledge in winemaking, and Gallic wine very soon began to compete with the best products of Italian vineyards.
In 1152, the Duchess of Aquitaine and Henry II Plantagenet married, and this territory became the English province for the next three hundred years, which predetermined her fate as the main supplier of wines for all of England. Due to the Hundred Years War, flourishing trade relations were interrupted, and in 1453, after the battle of Castillon, Aquitaine returned to France.
The 19th century is famous for the active economic development of Bordeaux. The wines of the region began to be evaluated according to new quality standards. They were in great demand, which brought tangible material advantages to their manufacturers. The famous classification of wines was adopted in 1855 in Bordeaux. Wines today are judged by it.
In Bordeaux, wines began to be classified on the basis of many years of evaluation, and only stable quality guaranteed the drink its place in the general hierarchy. So, the only criterion for the economy to be included in this list was the high quality of its products, as well as its constant ability to produce a high-quality product, confirmed by many years of experience.
Bordeaux wines: classification
The first official classification was published in April 1855 by decree of Napoleon III. This was done to present the wines at the World Exhibition in Paris. In Bordeaux, the Chamber of Commerce has commissioned the Classification of the Commercial Intermediaries Syndicate, which was affiliated with the Bordeaux Exchange. Then the task was to create a classification of wines, which would be based on many years of experience. It reflected the quality of the terroir, as well as well-deserved fame. The classification includes 60 types of red wines.
She gained enormous distribution. Moreover, the hierarchy established by her, including five classes of Grand Cru, was recognized far beyond the boundaries of exclusively professional circles. Over more than 150 years of its existence, this classification has undergone only one change: Chateau Mouton Rothschild was among the best Grand Cru in 1973.
Dry red wine, Bordeaux, included in the first classification, came only from the left coast of the Garonne, as it was then that dominated the market. In addition, on the right coast of Dordogne, in Libourne, the regional Chamber of Commerce was absent - it was created only in 1910.
First and second wines
The first include prestigious drinks made from the oldest vines. They have great aging potential and a powerful tannin structure. Second wines are also produced in Bordeaux - they are made from grapes from young vineyards, and at the same time have a lighter and fruity character. They can be consumed at a young age.
Grape varieties
Bordeaux wines are born from the assembly of several types of grapes. White varieties: 11% of the total vineyard area. Red varieties: 89% of the total vineyard area.
Merlot
It occupies the largest area, which is 62% of the entire territory that the red vineyards of the region occupy. This early-ripening variety loves moist soils with lots of clay and feels good in Pomrol and Saint-Emilion. The wine brings fullness, sophistication and color. The wines from this variety are mild, reach a fuller flavor faster than wines from the Cabernet variety, and also acquire woody and wild tastes.
Cabernet Sauvignon
It is a later variety that is best suited to warm and dry soils common in Grave and Medoc containing sand. The wines born from it are marked by aromas of pepper and red fruits, are softened after long storage and have a tart powerful taste.
Cabernet Franc
Mainly cultivated in Saint-Emilion. Residents of the region call him Boucher. It produces wines with the subtlest blackberry aroma, more dense, strong.
Other red grape varieties: Cote (or Malbec), Carmener and Petit Verdot.
Semillon
It is mainly found in regions that produce white sweet wines: Barsac, Sauternes, Saint Croix du Mont, where there are conditions for the life of noble mold (or the fungus botritis cinera). These sweet wines have a golden hue, sweet, juicy and refined taste.
Sauvignon Blanc
This variety has tremendous aromatic potential. Dry white wines from it are tasteful and fresh, marked by the stunning aroma of blackcurrant buds and boxwood.
Muscadelle
This grape variety selects clay soils in which it is resistant to rot. White wines made from this variety are characterized by floral aroma, roundness of taste and low acidity.
Other common white grape varieties are Uni Blanc, Merlot Blanc, and Colombard.
Vintages in bordeaux
The favorable geographical position of the region determines the high variability of the climate in different periods, if we compare it with other wine-growing regions of the planet. This is the best incentive for producers to carefully take into account the influence of factors that can affect the quality of the resulting crop, as well as conduct work accordingly in the winery and vineyards in order to minimize the possible consequences of a difficult year.
The winemaker needs to control the situation, making the right decision at the right time. Each vintage is by definition unique. Therefore, every year wines have the potential for aging and various characteristics.
Wine "Bordeaux": reviews
Of course, you can not find negative reviews of wine from the Bordeaux region. Unless they may relate to the high cost of the product. But this, as we found out, has its own reasons. Fans of quality wines celebrate the refined, tart tastes of local drinks, their rich aromas and chic bouquets. Someone has already fallen in love with the festival of young wine, which takes place everywhere, and also enjoys the amazing tastes of a fresh, only fermented drink made from quality varieties of the best grapes.