Bordeaux

The 60 appellations of Bordeaux can generally be divided into six main families, four of which related to red wines: the wines of the left bank of the Gironde, those of the right bank of the Dordogne, the Côtes de Bordeaux and the wines of the Bordeaux AOC appellation .

On the left bank we find the Médoc , which includes the most well-known and highly suitable sub-areas of Pauillac, Margaux, Saint-Estèphe, Saint-Julien and the lesser known ones of Moulis and Listrac; and the Graves , which includes the Pessac-Léognan sub-area. In this area Cabernet Sauvignon- based wines are produced, often in a blend with Merlot . These are concentrated wines , tannic and suitable for long aging . It is here that the Grand Cru Classé of the classification of 1855 and that of Graves are found.

On the other side, around the city of Libourne, there are ten other denominations, the most important of which are Saint-Émilion and Pomerol , where very concentrated wines with velvety tannins are made, based on Merlot . Saint-Émilion has its own distinct classification.

In the Bordeaux AOC appellation , which includes the entire wine-growing region, fruity and good-drinking wines flow, suitable more for daily consumption than for long aging, while Bordeaux Supérieur , produced in the same area, but with more restrictive requirements , including a minimum aging of 12 months, they are richer and more complex wines than the basic Bordeaux.

The denomination Côtes de Bordeaux is different , created in 2009 by the fusion of four subzones previously known as Premières Côtes de Blaye, Côtes de Castillon, Côtes de Francs and Premières Côtes de Bordeaux. Here Merlot-based wines are mainly produced, which form a middle ground between the wines of the left bank and those of the right bank, in terms of quality and style.

The Classification of 1855

The Bordeaux wine classification of 1855 is the most famous and influential ranking in the world of wine . This system was wanted by the Emperor Napoleon III on the occasion of the Universal Exposition of Paris, in order to make the best Bordeaux wines more recognizable even outside the borders of France. The main Bordeaux wine merchants were invited to create a list of the best estates in the region grouped into five levels according to the market price of the wines: the list in question included 58 properties, led by Chateau Lafite, the most expensive wine of the era. All the red wines on the list came from the Médoc region, with the exception of Graves' Château Haut-Brion. This list has remained almost unchanged, with one big exception: in 1973 the Château Mouton Rothschild obtained in fact to move from the second to the first cru.

The four original Premier Cru were therefore: Château Lafite, Château Haut-Brion, Château Margaux and Château Latour .

Bordeaux

The Classification of 1855

Saint-Émilion Grand Cru AOC 2014 Château Vieux Clos

Margaux AOC Pavillon Rouge 2021 Château Margaux

Sauternes AOC 2008 Château de Fargues

Pessac-Léognan AOC Rouge 2ème Vin La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion 2019 Château La Mission Haut-Brion

Côtes de Bordeaux AOC Rouge 2016 Château Ad Francos

Listrac-Médoc AOC Château Clarke 2012 Baron Edmond de Rothschild

Médoc AOC Cru Bourgeois 2020 Château Le Vieux Fort

Pessac-Léognan AOC 2018 Château La Louvière

Saint-Julien AOC 2017 Château de Lalande-Borie

Haut-Médoc 5ème Cru Classé AOC 2019 Château Cantemerle

Saint-Julien AOC 2021 Château Gloria

Saint-Estèphe AOC Cru Bourgeois 2021 Château Meyney

Saint-Estèphe AOC 2ème Grand Cru Classé 2017 Château Montrose

Margaux AOC Alter Ego 2020 Château Palmer

Haut-Médoc AOC Cru Bourgeois Supérieur 2021 Château Sociando-Mallet

Côtes de Bordeaux AOC Rouge Emilien 2021 Château Le Puy

Pauillac AOC 5ème Cru Classé 2020 Château Lynch-Moussas

Vermouth Rosé Lillet