Chateau Rieussec Sauternes 2011

Wines from Bordeaux

Bordeaux is in the south west of France and is one of the most famous wine regions in the world. It is the largest wine producing region in France, the vast majority being red wines. While it does make large quantities of everyday table wine, outside of Europe, it is mostly noted for producing some of the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world.

The Garonne and Dordogne rivers run through the region and together naturally irrigate the land while the soils are rich in calcium owing to their limestone content. These two rivers connect and run through to the Atlantic Ocean splitting Bordeaux into 3 distinct parts. We have the left bank, the right bank, and the area between the two rivers called Entre-Deux-Mers.

While in Australia we often see straight Shiraz, Cabernet or Merlots, Bordeaux does not generally produce red wine without blending. The “Bordeaux Blend” is one of the most classic and popular styles of red wine that has spread throughout France as well as throughout the New World.

On the left bank, typical top-quality blends are 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Merlot. On the right bank top quality blends are typically made of 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon.

In general you can expect red wines from Bordeaux to taste more earthy in flavour compared to those from the New World wine regions that tend to be more fruit flavour driven.