Vineyards in Bordelais
Bordeaux contains so many great appellation names: Margaux, Pomerol, Saint-Émilion, Pauillac, Côtes-de-Bourg, Pessac-Leognan, Sauternes ... amongst many others. With no less than 63 different appellations, from table wines, through the AOCs, Crus Bourgeois, up to the Grands Crus, the vineyards of this prime area are spread around the city of Bordeaux and are globally recognised and highly sought, especially by investors.
80% of production is red in which Merlot (for fruitiness), Cabernet Sauvignon (for power) and Cabernet Franc (for fragrance) each contributes towards a whole – the great majority of wine here is a blend of these grape varieties. Malbec and Petit Verdot can also be added to a lesser extent and the ancient grape Carmenère is being replanted increasingly. All these grape varieties are grown, harvested and made separately, and then blended together in the spring following the harvest. Generally they are cultivated according to the disparate types of soil thereby offering the Bordeaux region a great diversity of taste.
Fine Bordeaux (or claret as we Brits call the red wine) takes time to marry together but when mature, it can produce flavours with contrasting descriptions such as subtle, soft, rich, light, full – but always with the constant of a slight dryness on the aftertaste.
The 20% of white wines, dry, medium or sweet, are made primarily using Sémillon and Sauvignon. A few vineyards around the Bordeaux appellation also produce rosé and sparkling wines.
We are pleased to have a relatively small but wide selection.