Red Bordeaux wines

 

Soil and vineyards

Vineyards ideally suited to producing fine red wines are located on a great variety of soils and sub-soils. Gravelly soil is the speciality of the Garonne river's left bank. The right bank vineyards are composed of soil that is more a mixture of clay and limestone, or clay and sand. The triple alliance of soil, sub-soil and climate explains the amaizing diversity and individual character of Bordeaux vineyards.

Grape varieties

The well-balanced nature of clarets ( another name for red Bordeaux ) comes from the subtle blend of several grape varieties. Merlot is an early-ripening variety that contributes a spicy, fruity aroma as well as roundness and softness.Cabernet Sauvignon, which ripens later, is deeply coloured and aromatic. Its tannin gives wines a remarkable ageing potential. Cabernet Franc confers a very elegant bouquet . Petit Verdot and Malbec are also used, but to a lesser degree.

Vinification

The aim of good winemaking in Bordeaux is to extract pigments and tannin contained in grape skins and produce wines that combine finess and ageing potential.

From harvest to must.

Whether hand-picked or machine-harvested, the grapes are brought in when perfectly ripe. A careful selection is then made so that only the best find their way into the wine cellar. The bunches of grapes are often destemmed, then delicately crushed to extract the juice. The remaining solid matter is kept back for pressing. Each grape variety is vinified separately.

Alcoholic fermentation

After being put into a vat, the grape sugar gradually transforms into alcohol due to the effect of yeast. Alcoholic fermentation generally lasts from 5 to 10 days, and demands perfect temperature control.

Maceration

After fermentation, the wine is left on the skins in order to extract colour and tannin. This can last anywhere from just a few days to 3 weeks.

Malolactic fermentation

Malolactic fermentation lasts from 10 to 12 days and makes the wine rounder and less acidic.

Running off

Once both fermentation processes are finished, the clear "free run " juice is run off and the remaining matter is put through a wine press to produce the "press wine". The two are later blended together.

Blending

This process is overseen by the château owner when the various vats of a single estate are to be combined, or by a négociant when selecting vats to blend from within the same appellation. Blending calls for making the most of each grape variety and the special caracteristics of the vintage to produce a finished product that will have the best possible personnality, balance and overall harmony.

Ageing and bottling.

The wine is next aged either in vats or oak barrels ( according to the vintage or the specific style that is being sought ) and receives a great deal of special cares : racking, clarification and occasionnaly filtering. Once this ageing has brought out the wine's aroma, it is bottled, and will thereafter age slowly for many years.

Taste description of red Bordeaux

Each appellation comes from a well-defined geographical area with its own specific rules regarding viticulture, production methods and ageing. However, there are a certain number of points which all Bordeaux red wines share :
• an irrefutable nobleness : a dark colour, both brilliant and deep, an aromatic nose and long, well-balanced palate.
• an extrordinary potential for improving with age. Wine lovers take great pleasure in keeping rack of subtle changes in colour. As the years go by, Bordeaux reds evolve into different shades of brick red. Furthermore, initial fruity, floral aromas develop into a subtle bouquet of wood, spice and smell associated with a particulat vineyard. On the palate, tannin becomes more soft and round.

Advice on how to serve and appreciate

Red Bordeaux is best stored on its side in a cool, dark place well away from strong odours and vibrations. In order to taste the wine under ideal conditions, it is best to bring is slowly up to room temperature ( 16-18°C / 61-65°F ) and decant it if there is any sediment. It is advised to use a traditional Bordeaux-shaped wine glass, which enhances the wine's bouquet and flavour.

The generally accepted order of service starts with the younger and lighter wines and works towards the more powerful and older wines. Hoewever the marriage of food and wine should be dictated by your own personal taste and imagination. Bordeaux provides an infinity of tastes and aromas. Claret is an ideal partner for red meats, poultry, game and cheese. It is aslo an excellent match for first courses such as delicatessen meats, giant prawns, certain grilled fish dishes or fish in sauce, and even desserts like fresh strawberries, cherries ans raspberries.

Red Bordeaux in a few figures

Vineyard area : 82,495 hectares ( 203,845 acres).
Grape varieties : 54% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Cabernet Franc.
Annual average production : 575,000,000 bottles of which 32% are exported.
The six major export markets are : Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Holland and the United States.