Origin
The vineyards of the Gironde lie along the Garonne, the Dordogne and the estuary of the Gironde, and the wines of Bordeaux belong to the oldest export trade in French viticulture, carried from the port of Bordeaux to northern Europe. The region is organised into appellations by district: the Médoc and Haut-Médoc, Graves and Pessac-Léognan, Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, Sauternes and Barsac, and the wide ground of Entre-Deux-Mers. Growers, négociants and châteaux share the tradition, and the blending of several grape varieties within a single wine is its defining habit.
Description
Bordeaux makes red, dry white, sweet white, rosé and sparkling wine under the appellations Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur and the district and commune names above. The reds are blends built chiefly on Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera) and Merlot, with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec in support; Cabernet dominates on the gravel of the left bank, Merlot on the clay and limestone of the right bank. The dry whites rest on Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, and the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac are made from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle affected by noble rot, Botrytis cinerea. The reds are matured in oak barrels before bottling, and the best are kept for many years.
The Thread
Flavour Context
The red wines of the Médoc and Graves are drunk with roast lamb, entrecôte à la bordelaise, duck and hard cheeses, because their tannin binds with the protein and fat of the meat and cleans the palate. Merlot-based wines of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, rounder and softer, suit poultry, veal and mushroom dishes. Dry white Bordeaux accompanies oysters, fish and shellfish, as its acidity answers their salinity. Sauternes is served with foie gras and with Roquefort, where its sweetness opposes salt and fat, and equally with fruit tarts at the end of the meal.