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 2ème Vin Carruades de Lafite 2019 Château Lafite-Rothschild

Pessac-Léognan AOC Rouge 2018 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion

Saint-Émilion AOC 1er Grand Cru Classé A 2020 Château Cheval Blanc

Côtes de Bordeaux AOC Rouge Barthélemy 2020 Château Le Puy

Saint-Julien AOC 2ème Cru Classé 2020 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Pomerol AOC 2021 Vieux Château Certan

Pauillac AOC 2ème Cru Classé 2020 Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Saint-Émilion AOC 1er Grand Cru Classé B 2016 Château Figeac

Pessac-Léognan AOC Rouge Grand Cru Classé 2021 Château Haut-Bailly

Pomerol AOC 2021 Château L'Eglise Clinet

Saint-Émilion AOC 1er Grand Cru Classé B Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse 2020 Château Beauséjour

Saint-Émilion AOC 1er Grand Cru Classé B 2021 Château La Mondotte

Pomerol AOC 2015 Château La Conseillante

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

Pessac-Léognan AOC Grand Cru Classé 2020 Château Smith Haut Lafitte

Saint-Julien AOC Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases 2020 Château Leoville Las Cases

Saint-Émilion AOC Grand Cru Classé 2021 Château Monbousquet

Saint-Julien AOC 4ème Cru Classé 2021 Château Saint-Pierre