For your next wine blend, go for Bordeaux

In the notes below, we overview Left Bank vs Right Bank red Bordeaux blends; also white Bordeaux blends. Use these notes as a guide to making your own blends in the style of Bordeaux.

Vineyard in Bordeaux

Vineyard in Bordeaux

  • Bordeaux red blends most often consist of some mixture of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Malbec and Petit Verdot are also added at smaller ratios.

  • Bordeaux white blends typically consists of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. A little Muscadelle is sometimes added as well.

 

The Left Bank

france_bordeaux_sauternes_margaux_wines-832647.jpg!d.jpg

The appellations on the Left Bank are the most prestigious : Paulliac, St. Julien, St. Estephe, Margaux, Haut Medoc to name a few. You will find Chateaux Lafite, Mouton Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, and Haut-Brion on the Left Bank and their wines retail for thousands USD.

Grapes of the Left Bank

Cabernet Sauvignon is the main base for the blend here (usually over 60% of the blend), where it is complimented by Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and sometimes Petit Verdot.

 

The Right Bank

Map of the Left and Right Bank of Bordeaux

Map of the Left and Right Bank of Bordeaux

Less renowned but still famous appellations include Pomerol, Petrus, and St. Emilion.

Grapes of the Right Bank

Merlot is the main base on the Right Bank (usually over 60% of the blend), with Cabernet Franc and sometimes Cabernet Sauvignon consisting of the rest. In many cases built to be enjoyed sooner, these wines are often softer, fruitier, and more round than their Left Bank counterparts.

 

The White Bordeaux

wine-579382_1280.jpg

White Bordeaux (Bordeaux Blanc) can be dry or sweet. The best known dry whites come from Pessac Leognan, and the best known sweet whites come from Sauternes and Barsac.

Grapes of the Bordeaux Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon are the primary grapes used for either Bordeaux dry or sweet white wine. Typically 70% of dry white Bordeaux are composed of Sauvignon Blanc, and sweet white Bordeaux can consist of 70%-100% Semillon with a small amount of Sauvignon Blanc or still smaller amounts of Muscadelle.

 

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE BORDEAUX VARIETALS:

Previous
Previous

Gift Cards Now Available!

Next
Next

Enhance your Chromatography Paper for Easy to Read Results!