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

Pauillac AOC 4ème Cru Classé 2019 Château Duhart-Milon

Pauillac AOC 5ème Cru Classé 2021 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste

Saint-Émilion AOC 1er Grand Cru Classé B 2021 Château Larcis Ducasse

Barsac AOC 1er Cru Classé 2016 Château Climens

Saint-Émilion AOC Grand Cru 2014 Château Trianon

Graves AOC Rouge Le Prélat de Pape Clément 2018 Château Pape Clément

Médoc AOC Cru Bourgeois 2020 Château Le Vieux Fort

Saint-Émilion AOC 1er Grand Cru Classé B 2021 Château Pavie Macquin

Pomerol AOC 2021 Clos l'Eglise

Saint-Émilion AOC Grand Cru Carillon d'Angelus 2020 Château Angelus

Pomerol AOC 2021 Chateau Le Gay

Margaux AOC Blason d'Issan 2021 Château d'Issan

Saint-Émilion AOC Légende R 2019 Domaines Barons de Rothschild

Puisseguin Saint-Émilion AOC Château des Laurets 2017 Baron Edmond de Rothschild

Pauillac AOC 1er Cru Classé 2021 Château Lafite-Rothschild

Margaux AOC 1er Cru Classé Grand Vin 2021 Château Margaux

Saint-Julien AOC 4ème Cru Classé 2021 Château Beychevelle

Saint-Émilion AOC 1er Grand Cru Classé B 2019 Château Canon