Brigitte Bordeaux
In the southwest of France is the most renowned winegrowing region in the world. Split by rivers, protected from sea winds by forest, combining various ideal soils with temperate weather, Bordeaux is regarded as winemaking Mecca.
This is the birthplace of the Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot combo, copied the world over. Château Margaux, Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Pétrus – many of the all-time great sips live here. So iconic, but like Brigitte, so French.
That’s no reason to be intimidated – let’s make Marcel guide us through in our bikinis.
Goes great with: a baguette, a bicycle, time to sit and savor.
The legend of Bordeaux begins with a Chamber of Commerce. The best wines were requested in 1855 for the Exposition Universelle de Paris, which required a classification: the Premiers Crus (First Growth) standing was given to…the chateaus which charged the most for their wines.
It’s true. Money changes everything.
There are five crus classés altogether, and I love these elegant, complex wines, but ranking is not everything. Bordeaux is the land of investment wines, of wine futures – I fear the wines begin to smell too much of money.
I speak mostly of reds – besides Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, there are Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot grapes. In the west, the “left bank” wines from Médoc and Graves (famous for its gravel). To the east, the “right bank” producers of Pomerol and St-Èmilion.
Not everyone is rich in Bordeaux, and you don’t have to be, either. There are everyday Bordeaux wines which have their own depth, and garagistes tweaking microcuvées in sheds to challenge the classic crus. Each chateau grows its own blend of grapes, and there are plenty to choose from in the $20 range.
Romans were the first to make wine in Bordeaux. It’s a large, magical place, but try to forget its famous name. When you taste the wine, picture lying down next to a river, removing your armor, and taste for herbs, warm plums and hints of blackcurrant…and see how long the sensation lasts.