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Bordeaux wine: Quality that transcends frontiers

have you tasted a Bordeaux wine? Bordeaux wines are known worldwide thanks to their great quality, and France does not escape the recognition of its great wines.

Located in the southwest of France, Bordeaux is a place where wine production is rooted in its culture, so large vineyards are spread throughout its geography producing red and white wines of the highest quality and fame.

what is Bordeaux Wine?

Bordeaux wines are elegant wines, easy to drink and are synonymous with a good quality and price ratio. Its varieties and grape varieties make Bordeaux wine a unique temptation, which is why it enjoys worldwide prestige and recognition.

Origin and History of Bordeaux Wine

The history of Bordeaux wine spans almost two thousand years, dating back to the times of Ancient Rome, when the first vines were planted in Bordeaux, vines that apparently originated in La Rioja, Spain, at the hands of the Romans who sought to create wines for their soldiers.

However, it is in 71 when Pliny the Elder documents the first real evidence of vineyards in Bordeaux. The splendor of the Bordeaux wine industry suffered setbacks with the fall of the Roman Empire that included the invasion of the Goths, the Vandals and the Visigoths.

Origen e Historia del Vino de Burdeos
History of a wine that crosses borders

During the Middle Ages after the marriage of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine, the popularity of Bordeaux wine began to increase, and most of the Bordeaux claret was exported in exchange for other goods.

During 1875 and 1892 almost all the vineyards of Bordeaux were ruined by the phylloxera plague, but the wine industry in the region was rescued by grafting local vines and the recovered vines became the leading varieties in Bordeaux today.

In 1948, on the initiative of a group of personalities of Bordeaux viticulture, the Bordeaux Wine Academy was founded, which is responsible for guaranteeing and transmitting the history and culture of Bordeaux wine.

Characteristics of Bordeaux Wine

Bordeaux wine comes from vineyards that are unique in the world, which take advantage of their geographical location and exceptional climatic conditions to produce wines of great quality.

  • The red wines are made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carménére grape varieties.
  • White wines are made from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadelle, Ugni Blanc, Colombard and Sauvignon gris grape varieties
  • Most are blends of grape varieties, very few are varietals
  • Their red wines are powerful and intense
  • Their white wines are fruity and aromatic
  • They are round and structured wines

Color, taste and aroma of Bordeaux Wine

Bordeaux wines are characterized for being of very good quality and for being full of flavor and pleasant aromas.

Red wines

  • Sight: Intense red color
  • Nose: Aromatic richness with unctuous and round tannins in which notes of violet, raspberry, cherry and blackberry stand out
  • Palate: It is fruity, broad and elegant, with notes of coffee, licorice, cassis and blackcurrant

Whites

  • Appearance: Bright straw yellow color
  • Nose: Complex with a wide range of aromas, fruity, citrus and floral notes
  • Palate: It is balanced, fresh with a long and fruity finish

Alcohol Content of Bordeaux Wine

Bordeaux wines are fresh, their round tannins make them stand out and be today one of the most recognized wines in the world. Their alcohol content is between 12% and 16%.

Types of Bordeaux Wines

The Bordeaux wine region is divided into sub-regions, so its wines are categorized into six families, which are classified into reds, whites and rosés

Whites

Bordeaux whites are dry and are made throughout the region, with a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, with Graves being the best known and the only sub-region with a classification for dry white wines.

Sweet whites are made throughout the region and are made from Semillon, Savignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes affected by noble rot

Reds

Bordeaux Red and Bordeaux Superieur, the basic reds made throughout the region, tend to be fruity and are intended to be drunk young.

Côtes de Bordeaux reds are intermediate wines that tend to be moderately priced. Libourne reds, these wines have a great fruit concentration, softer tannins and are long lasting.

Graves and Médoc reds are concentrated, tannic, long-lived wines and most of them are made to be kept in bottle before drinking.

Rosés

Depending on their place of origin, these wines may have aromatic notes of strawberry and peach preserves as well as citric notes such as grapefruit, mint and even red peppers Bordeaux wines are also classified into five groups:

  • Grands Crus 1855

Within this classification are those that stand out for their notoriety and prestige of the bottle, Médoc red wines, Sauternes liqueur whites and a red cru from Graves are included.

  • Grands Crus of Graves

Here are 16 red and white wines grouped by community

  • Grands Crus of Saint-Émilion

82 crus of the AOC Saint-Emilion are classified

  • Crus Bourgeois

Wines with the quality and value of red wines produced within one of the following eight sub-zones of Médoc are classified: Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Listrac, Moulis, Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac and Saint-Estèphe.

  • Crus Artisans

Here are the wines produced in small properties of less than 5 hectares and that are within one of the eight appellations of Médoc: Médoc, Haut-Médoc, Listrac, Moulis, Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac et Saint-Estèphe.

Bordeaux Wine Pairing

Bordeaux wine is an elegant wine that enjoys a lot of quality and prestige, so it is a wine that pairs very well with dishes of any kind.

Wines that can accompany any dish

Reds

Bordeaux reds are versatile, their powerful and round flavor pairs perfectly with meats.

  • Red meats: A perfect ally to enjoy red meat dishes in any presentation
  • Duck: A good accompaniment, especially with roast ducks
  • Chicken: Especially with dishes made with roast chickens
  • Pork: A perfect combination that envelops the palate
  • Pasta: Especially with pasta with spicy sauces
  • Cheese: Especially with cheeses such as gruyere, gouda, camembert and morbier as it enhances their flavor

Whites

Both the dry and the sweet ones pair perfectly with fish.

  • Fish: Especially with grilled fish as it enhances the flavors
  • Seafood: Delicious combination full of balanced flavors
  • Sushi: An ally when tasting any dish with sushi
  • Pasta: Very good combination that balances the ingredients
  • Salads: Especially with mixed salads
  • Desserts: Sweet Bordeaux wines blend perfectly creating a lot of flavor
  • Cheeses: With goat cheese and cream cheese it combines wonderfully

Rosés

They are fresh, full of citric and fruity aromas that make them special

  • Desserts: A delicious combination that enhances the flavors
  • Chocolate: A good combination
  • Fish: Excellent combination that will enhance the flavors
  • Salads: Refreshing combination

how is Bordeaux wine made?

Red wines are made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carménére grape varieties, while white wines are made from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadelle, Ugni Blanc, Colombard and Sauvignon gris.

Generally, cold pre-fermentation maceration is performed and fermentation is carried out in temperature-controlled tanks. It is aged in French oak barrels for months that may vary according to the wine being aged.

Characteristics of Bordeaux wine grapes

Bordeaux wines are made from vines that are planted in various vineyards throughout the Bordeaux area and which produce wines of great quality and prestige.

Grapes that give wines of great quality

Cabernet Sauvignon grape

It is a traditional Bordeaux grape variety, considered a premium variety of the highest quality.

  • Small cone-shaped bunches
  • Small berries
  • Slightly colored pulp when ripe
  • Hard and juicy with intense herbaceous flavor
  • Very vigorous
  • Sensitive to eutypiosis

Cabernet Franc grape

Cabernet Franc is one of the most widely planted red grapes in the world.

  • Medium sized clusters with short stalks
  • Small berries with thick skin
  • Soft, unpigmented flesh
  • Fairly vigorous
  • Very susceptible to excoriosis and wood fungus complex

Merlot grape

It is recognized as the most widely planted grape variety in the world

  • Medium to small clusters
  • Small berries of uniform size
  • Variety not very sensitive to wood diseases
  • Good adaptation to different types of soils
  • Requires cool and not very hot climates as it soon loses its acidity and tannin balance in these climates
Strains that give flavorful white wines

Sauvignon Blanc grape

It is a grape variety of French origin with very good production potential and quality.

  • Small, very compact clusters
  • Small berries with green skin
  • Highly vigorous vines
  • Requires loose soils, not very fertile and not prone to waterlogging
  • Sauvignon blanc is susceptible to grape moth, leafhoppers and mites

Semillon grape

A variety of French origin also known as Crucillant and Sercial.

  • Large bunches of high compactness
  • Large, fairly uniform berries
  • Pulp is unpigmented, soft and very juicy
  • Good vigor and high productivity strains
  • It is a variety very well adapted to all types of soils, differing in the aromas, which are milder in sicyllic soils and more intense in calcareous soils.

Muscadelle Grape

A variety known as the third white grape of Bordeaux.

  • Difficult to cultivate
  • Susceptible to diseases
  • It is an aromatic grape
  • Prolific variety

Bordeaux Wine Temperature

Bordeaux red wines are recommended to be served at a temperature between 14°C and 17°C, which will allow to better taste their aromas and flavors.

Bordeaux white and rosé wines are recommended to be served at a temperature between 7°C and 11°C, as they are fresh wines full of flavors.

Bordeaux wine price and best brands

Bordeaux wines are wines known for their quality and prestige, their aromas, flavors and freshness make them wines of worldwide recognition, their price can range from 6 euros to 6000 euros.

B&G Passeport Graves Blanc

Bright straw yellow wine with pleasant and intense aromas of flowers and fruits such as peach with mineral notes, it is ample and harmonious, and endowed with good freshness and intense aromas 6,95 €.

It is a very sustained garnet colored red, bright with pink notes, complex aroma, persistent with notes of pime, vanilla and plum, in the mouth it is balanced with very pleasant notes of raspberry jam and licorice 13,15 €.

This is a white wine with aromas of candied oranges with hints of exotic notes, mint and a touch of ginger, in the mouth it leaves a taste of honey and spices that make it delicious 70,40 €.

A golden wine loaded with exceptional richness and sweetness, with a seductive aromatic power and a delicate acidity that make it a delight 884 €.

A wonderful red with deep color and fresh aromas that make it stand out, its dried fruit and floral flavors make it a delight to the palate €1,900.

This wine was rated 100/100 by the critic Robert Parker

Petrus 2008

A red wine with aromas of dark berries and licorice, it is sweet, deep and exuberant, making it a wine of great quality 6,000 €.

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