Bordeaux
Bordeaux is the benchmark for blended red wine. The Gironde estuary splits it into a Left Bank dominated by gravel soils and Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Right Bank where clay favors Merlot. Châteaux blend grapes for balance: Cabernet for spine, Merlot for flesh, Cabernet Franc for perfume. The 1855 classification still shapes pricing. Modern Bordeaux ranges from a $10 supermarket bottle to a $5,000 First Growth.
Signature grapes
Defining styles
Famous appellations
- Médoc
- Saint-Émilion
- Pomerol
- Pessac-Léognan
History
Roman vineyards predate the Common Era; the modern wine trade was forged in the 12th century when Aquitaine joined the English crown. The 1855 classification, written for the Paris Exposition, ranked 61 châteaux into five Growths. The négociant system — wine merchants who buy en primeur — survived two world wars and underpins the global market.