Bordeaux is renowned for its rich, earthy red wines and elite first-growth chateaus such as Lafite, Latour, Haut-Brion, and Petrus. However, the region also produces a wide variety of delicious and affordable red, white, and sweet wines that are often overshadowed by the famous first-growths.
Approximately 90% of Bordeaux wines are red and made from a combination of grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. But the region also produces excellent crisp and light white wines made from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle grapes.
Wines from Bordeaux are also labeled by region, which generally means that the more specific the regional designation, the better the quality of the wine. For example, wines labeled simply as “Bordeaux” can be made anywhere in the region, while wines labeled “Bordeaux Superieur” must be higher in alcohol and are often of higher quality.
The Left Bank, or Western Region, produces firmly tannic, cedar-inflected reds, while the Right Bank’s clay soil and gravel mix region produces plusher, less tannic Merlot wines. Other Bordeaux regions include Graves (which produces tart dry whites, good value reds, and chateaus such as Haut-Brion), Entre-Deux-Mers (which produces the bulk of white wine), and Cotes de Bordeaux (which produces value-priced wines).
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