Bordeaux is a magical name.  Of all the wine regions in the world, it is without a doubt the most famous.  It is a city, a region and a source of fine wines all at the same time and also an influential, incontestable brand.  A millionaire chateau owner in Margaux and a tiny debt-ridden winemaker from another part of the area can both boast, “The wine I produce is Bordeaux.”

Among the wine cognoscenti, Bordeaux has the reputation for producing the most age-worthy wines on the planet.  Wine cellars around the world are filled with different chateaus of the region and certain vintages have been known to age for decades, if not centuries.

Situated in the southwest corner of France on the banks of the Garonne River, the area takes its name from the largest city in the region.  It is a large district with around 250,000 acres under vine.  Compare this to BC with just less than 10,000 acres.  Although there are perhaps one hundred producers who have achieved worldwide fame, there are about 20,000 producers making wine in Bordeaux and approximately 850 million bottles are produced each year.

The Bordelais have been at it for over 2000 years, when the Romans brought viticulture and wine making to the ancient Gaullic tribes around 56 BC.  Called Burdigala after an ancient Celtic tribe, the Bituriges Vivisci, the Romans were quite happy to leave the Bituriges alone.  However, any wine that was drunk was shipped from Rome, which the Bituriges Vivisci paid dearly for.  So, the wealthy and notable of the Bituriges Vivisci decided to plant vineyards.  The prevailing theory is that the first vine cuttings that were brought to Bordeaux originated in the Cantabrian region of north-western Spain.

The history of Bordeaux is one that is woven through the tapestries of time.  There have been so many political influences in the region over the past millennia that space would require a small book to chronicle everything.  From the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine to Henry Plantagenet (Henry II) in 1152 up to the present day, the landscape of Bordeaux is ever-changing.  Possibly at a later date, a treatise on the history of Bordeaux might be in order.

As with most wine regions, the selection of grape varieties is crucial to its success.  However, unlike other wine regions that state the grape varieties on their labels, the Bordelais do not preferring instead for the consumer to understand which are the grapes used.  Here in North America, the types of grapes used would be called Meritage, a combination of Merit and Heritage, giving homage to the mix of grapes used in Bordeaux.  These can be an amalgamation of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

Deciding on where grapes grow best will determine what varieties are planted.  As with BC, only certain varieties will mature properly in specific areas.  There are basically two specific regions in Bordeaux, the Right Bank and Left Bank.  These areas are related to the geography of the region and are divided by the Garonne and Dordogne rivers; the “right bank” is situated on the right bank of Dordogne and the “left bank”, situated on the left bank of Garonne.

The left bank is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon and is where the top five wines of Bordeaux are produced; Château Lafite Rothschild in Pauillac, Château Margaux in the Margaux, Château Latour in Pauillac, Chateau Haut-Brion in Péssac-Legonan and Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac (promoted from second to first growth in 1973).  These wines were classified or given their status in 1855 by the Emperor Napoleon III for the Exposition Universelle de Paris or World’s Fair (much like our Expo ’86).

Back in 1855, a group of Bordeaux wine brokers created a five-class ranking of 60 châteaux  in the Médoc, north of Bordeaux (and one from Graves, Haut-Brion), that has determined how much those châteaux could charge for their wines, and, more important, how much the public was willing to pay.  This has not changed very much in over 150 years (talk about being mired in tradition.

The right bank is dominated by Merlot and was not classified in 1855 but in 1955.

In some ways, the wines of Bordeaux are a victim of its own success.  While most of the famous wines like Margaux, Latour, Haut-Brion, Lafite-Rothschild, and Mouton are selling for over $1,000 a bottle, most consumers are amazed when they find Bordeaux priced at $20 or $30 a bottle, which is drinkable.  Neophytes, be not concerned; there are lots of great tasting wines from Bordeaux at really good prices.  The most famous wines are invariably excellent, but prices reflect status and availability as much as quality.  These buyers are often wealthy collectors who either have no intention of drinking them for decades, speculators who plan to sell them later for a profit or just want them to impress their friends.  That is one advantage to buying top end Bordeaux.  They appreciate incredibly.

Weekend Wine Picks:

Here in BC, Bordeaux-style wines are abundant and are usually labelled as Meritage.

The 2010 Spierhead Pursuit ($25) is a fabulous wine displaying ripe aromas of cherry, black berry and raspberry with hints of roasted tomato, black olive, mocha, leather, and Asian spice.  Soft and round on the palate, the texture is fairly elegant with its smoke, tobacco leaf and cranberry flavours.  A fabulous price for a Meritage.

This wine has evolved so much over the past eight months that the 2009 Laughing Stock Portfolio ($47) has now become one of our favourite wines.  Goes to show you what a little time in the bottle will do for a wine.  We North Americans tend to drink our wines too young.  A Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,  Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, look for layers of rich black and red fruit aromas such as blackberries, cassis, raspberries and cherries with hints of licorice, fennel, menthol and vanilla-scented oak.  The palate is loaded with luscious black cherry jam flavours, licorice, creamy chocolate pudding, and sweet tobacco leaf.  Deliciously ripe and long with soft acidity, very firm tannins although not aggressive with a finish somewhat reminiscent of mocha-chocolate pudding.

An absolutely delicious drop of wine, the 2011 Hester Creek Cabernet Merlot ($18) is a yummy surprise.  Actually a blend of the two Cabernet grapes along with Merlot, if this wine was labelled as Meritage the price would be double.  This wine is full of fresh raspberries, black cherries, toast, chocolate, vanilla, tobacco leaf with dried herbs and baked earth.  Spicy black fruit on the palate with soft acidity and firm tannins, this is an easy drinking red but also has the stuffing to age for 6-12 months.