The Celebrated Wines of Bordeaux - A Short Description

By

Roanld G. Jan, M.D

1855 in preparation for a visit from England’s Queen Victoria the Emperor of France, Napoleon III (nephew of Napoleon I), directed a classification of the wines on the west side of the Gironde Estuary/Garonne River in Bordeaux based on the price of the wines at that time. 4 wines were selected as the top and weredesignated “First Growth” - Chateau Latour, Chateau Lafite, Chateau Margaux, and Chateau Haut Brion. (Map of France with Paris and Bordeaux - Photo credit Shutterstock)

  Chateau Latour 

 Chateau Lafite

Chateau Margaux

  Chateau Haut-Brion

Chateau Mouton-Rothschild was classified as the best of the Second Growth and responded,

“Premier ne puis, second ne daigne, Mouton suis”

(First, I cannot be, Second, I deign not to be, I am Mouton)

1973 the classification was upgraded, and Chateau Mouton-Rothschild was included in the top tier’s First Growth to which Mouton-Rothschild responded,

“Premier je suis, Second je fus, Mouton ne change”

(“First I am, Second I was, Mouton does not change”)

Chateau Mouton Rothschild 

Note the label is designed by famous painters (e.g., Picasso, Miro, Degas, etc.)

The wines in Bordeaux are almost always blends of grape varietals—Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and occasionally Malbec. Each grape varietal brings something special to the wine—like instruments to an orchestra.

            Cabernet Sauvignon brings high tannins with medium acidity and full body, rich black fruit (black cherry, blackberry) with herbaceous notes.

Merlot brings softer tannins, with medium acidity, medium to full body with black fruit (black cherry, blackberry)

            Cabernet Franc brings softer tannins, vibrant black fruit with floral notes.

            Petit Verdot brings higher tannins and a deeper color.

            Malbec brings deep color and full body.

The winemaker then blends the wines from each of the above cultivars to achieve the desired flavor profile.

Furthermore, the grape varietals grow best in different soils and often ripen at different times of the year.   For example, Cabernet Sauvignon grows best in gravely soil with excellent drainage and cannot do well in soil rich in clay that holds water well. But Merlot can do quite well in clay. Merlot ripens early and can be harvested earlier—sometimes before the fall rains that could damage the grapes.

The soils in Bordeaux differ on different sides of the estuary/river. On the west side (“Left Bank”) soils are more gravely and drain well. As such, the wines from the west side (“Left Blank”) are blends with a predominance of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes which require a sufficient drainage and hence, preferred gravel soil.

On the east side (“Right Bank”) the soils are more clay-like and hold onto water well which is good in dry years but not good for grapes that require good drainage. And so, the wines from the east side (“Right Bank”) are blends with a predominance of Merlot which can grow better in the water—retaining clay soils. You will also see more Cabernet Franc used as well especially in the limestone-rich soil of Saint Emilion.

The climate is warm maritime because of the warm currents from the Gulf Stream into the Bay of Biscay.

You may have noticed that all the First Growth Bordeaux wines are from the West side (“Left Bank”). The wines from the East side (“Right Bank”) are equally celebrated (and equally expensive). Most noted are the wines from Pomerol and Saint Emilion.

Chateau Petrus, Chateau Ausone, Chateau Cheval Blanc, Chateau Angelus, and Chateau Pavie

 Chateau Petrus

 Chateau Cheval Blanc 

Chateau Ausone

 Chateau Angelus  

Chateau Pavie

Certainly, some of the finest wines in the world can be found in Bordeaux. These famous wines have earned their reputation. And there are many excellent wines from Bordeaux at a fraction of the price and deserve exploration and sampling with different foods.

Bon appetite!!

About the author: Dr. Ronald G. Jan who specializes in Vascular Surgery is a Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of California at Davis School of Medicine. As a hobby, he holds WSET level 3 certification in wines and has been writing and publishing wine commentaries.