Terroir is a word that is difficult to pronounce and perhaps more tricky to understand. Literally translated it means" soil" , but when you hear the people of Bordeaux and Perigord say the word you can tell that it means so much more.

For example, to a wine-maker, his terroir is a unique combination of soil chemistry , climate, sun and shade, altitude and slope, rainfall, drainage, proximity to the river, flora, fauna and divine providence that can create a wine with completely different character than that produced by his neighbour's terroir 100 yards away.

The terroir produces the renowned wines and foods of this region from black truffles to fresh foie gras to Chateau d'Yquem and it couldn't do without the majestic Dordogne river and its tributaries. The Dordogne and the Garonne river makes the fog and the fog makes the "botrytis", the noble rots that gives Sauternes their distinct honey sweetness.

Last week-end, we were in Bordeaux and Perigord. We began our adventure to the west where the terroir of the Bordeaux wine region continues to triumph despite centuries of challenges.

Today everyone knows the world famous chateaux of the Haut Medoc for example. But there's so much more to discover than Lafite, Latour and Margaux. Young wine makers are creating good-value wines using a combination of traditional and innovative techniques.

Saint-Emilion

The most enchanting town in the area is St Emilion , a village of cobblestone streets and centuries-old building on limestone hill overlooking the Dordogne. The highlight is the Monolithe church, a subterranean church dug out of caves from the 9th to 12th centuries.

Although the town is tiny there is a very good restaurant-1 Michelin star- the Hostellerie de Plaisance.

You have certainly heard of very prestigious chateaux such as Chateau Ausone or Chateau Beauséjour Becot which produce wonderful reds but we found a curiosity : a wine estate which produce CREMANT DE BORDEAUX , a sparkling wine with the. "method traditionnelle", the same method which is used to make champagne They age their wine in caves( underground quarries : Les CORDELIERS )

The rich generous earth of Bordeaux and Perigord gives a multitude of world favorite delights such as majestic clarets, ambrosia of botrytis, perfumed black truffles,flavorful walnuts and juicy plums

THE BORDEAUX REGION

A few figures

The Bordeaux region is the largest and the oldest fine wine producing area of the world. It covers 108 000 hectares ( 260,000 acres) and dates back nearly two thousand years.

Yearly production : nearly 600 million bottles

About 8,000 chateaux from the famous "great growths" to "petits chateaux" including branded

Colours : red, dry white, sweet white, rose and cremant wines The countryside is varied with many different types of soil, producing a wide range of wines.

The Bordeaux region only produce Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC) wines subject to very strict rules. Wines are identified by their region of production, providing consumers with a guarantee of quality. There are altogether 57 appellation in Bordeaux.

*Red wines : 3/4 of total production. These are made from a blend of Merlot, Cabernet sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes.

*Bordeaux Superieur and Bordeaux. Those are produced all over the Bordeaux area, they are the less expensive of the region.

*Saint-Emilion, Pomerol, Fronsac. the wonderful terroir in Saint Emilion is excellent for growing Merlot grapes which give wine body , richness and a subtile bouquet.
2 Premiers grands crus classes A : Chateau Ausone, Chateau Cheval Blanc
9 Premiers Grands Crus Classes B : Chateau Figeac, Chateau LA Gaffelière ...
63 Grands Crus Classes : Chateau L'Angelus, Chateau Bellevue, Chateau Franc-Mayne, Chateau La Dominique, Clos de l'Oratoire ... and the Crus
non classes : in Montagne Saint Emilion, Lussac Saint Emilion, Puisseguin Saint Emilion.

*Pomerol is one of the smallest Bordeaux vineyards but certainly not the least famous ( Chateau Petrus)

*Fronsac : an old vineyard : Fronsac or Canon Fronsac are soft and full bodied with a unique spicy flavour. Chateau Fronsac, Chateau La Riviere, Chateau Bel Air, Clos Bellevue

MEDOC

The famous chateaux in the MEDOC such as are surrounded with smaller estates which are well worth a visit. The Medoc is to the north of Bordeaux, between the Gironde and the Landes forest. Paradoxically, the soil is poor , a mixture of gravels, pebbles and sand. This is ideal for growing Cabernet Sauvignon, a Medoc grape variety with excellent tannin, giving it good ageing potential.

Young Medoc is delightful ruby red colour with a floral bouquet and fine fruity flavour. It also acquires tannin and aromas from the oak barrels in which it is aged.

Medoc wines can improve greatly in bottle, often needing time to bring out their full potential. They are refined, suave powerful and elegant.

Graves area starts to the south of Bordeaux on the left bank of the Garonne. Best years : 1970,75,76,78,82,83,85,86,88,89,90
61 Crus classes
5 Premiers crus - ,Chateau Lafite Rotschild ( PAuillac),Chateau Latour ( Pauillac),Chateau Margaux( Margaux),Chateau Mouton Rotschild (Pauillac),Chateau Haut-Brion (Graves)
14 Second crus - Chateau Leoville Las Cases (Saint Julien), Chateau Pichon-Longueville ( Pauillac), Chateau Cos d'Estournel (Saint Estèphe) etc...
14 Troisième crus - Chateau Lagrange ( Saint-Julien), Chateau Palmer ( Margaux), Chateau LA LAgune (Haut Medoc) etc ...
10 Quatrième crus - Chateau Talbot ( Saint Julien), Chateau Beychevelle ( Saint-Julien) etc...
18 cinquième crus - Chateau Pontet-Canet ( Pauillac),Chateau Lynch-Bages ( Pauillac) etc...

The white dry wines.

These are made from Semillon, Sauvignon blanc and Muscadelle grapes. The dry white wines are fruity and aromatic. They are best enjoyed within 2 - 3 years after the vintage. Great growth wines can age longer. Although dry white wine Bordeaux is produced throughout the area, 3 appellations are particularly well-known.

The Graves , named after the gravelly soil , located south of Bordeaux.
21 Crus Classes ( 13 reds, 8 whites ) : Chateau Carbonnieux, Domaine de Chevalier, Chateau Haut Brion, Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte

L'Entre-Deux Mers : a wedge of land between two tidal rivers . It is a mosaic of terroirs withlively fruity, well balanced wines reflecting the images of the coutryside. (Chateau Laffitte, Chateau Canet ...) Note that red wines produced in this area cannot be named Entre Deux Mers , only the whites, the reds which cannot have the communal Appellation are named Bordeaux or Bordeaux superieur

The Cotes de Blaye : further north on the right bank of the Gironde : the wines have intensed bouquet full or fresh citurs fruits and broom flowers.

The sweet white wines. They are made from the same grape varieties but with overipe grapes with concentrated sugar and aromas and can age for several years. A unique microclimate, a microscopic fongus causing "noble rot" entirely hand picked up grapes and low yields combine to make this nectar in a class of its own. These sweet white wines tinged with gold have a bouquet of tropical fruits, apricots, honey, lime-blossom and acaciawith hints of almonds and spices.

Sauternes : Chateau Eyquem, Chateau Guiraud, Chateau Haut Peyraguey
Barsac : Chateau Climens
Cerons : chateau de Cerons
Cadillac :

STORAGE

After purchasing and if the wine is not meant to be consumed immediately, it is best to stored at a cool temperature (52-64°F) lying down on its side.

SERVING TEMPERATURE

Red wines are generally best at 61-68° F) and white, roses and Cremant wines between 43 and 50 °C). Wines occasionnally have some sediment at the bottom of the bottle, it is perfectly normal.

Red wines are most often consumed with meat and white wines with fish. Golden wines ( white sweet wines)with foie gras or bleu cheese or desserts.

If you do not finish the bottle, you can recork it, but it's advised to finish the rest quickly ( within 48 hours).

In our wine-tasting club , we taste a lot of wines , especially Bordeaux wines, if you are looking for informations about wine estates that are particularly interesting, you can send us a mail. We also set up customized wine -tours in Bordeaux for individuals and groups , if you are interested, please send us a mail,we'll send you all informations you may request

THE WINEGROWERS

Winegrowers tend the vines that produce wine grapes. They have a precise work schedule throughout the year, controlling and protecting the natural growth cycle of the vines. They must be pruned to; obtain the low yields, to produce concentration in the wine. Other tasks include removing unwanted shoots, thinning out leaves, trimming vines and spraying to control diseases. The most difficult task is choosing the date to start picking. All these operations combin with climatic conditions to shape the future wine and determine the characterisitc of the vintage. In the Bordeaux area most winemakers also ferment their grapes. There are currently 13,000 winegrowers, 5,000 of whom belong to 60 co-operative cellars.

THE WINE SHIPPERS

Wine shippers are involved in several operations :

- traditional commercial activities, selecting wines and guaranteeing their quality.
- ageing wines to sell under their own labels. This includes choosing and blending the wine as well as developping brand recognition.
Over 300 wine shippers are available in france and around the world (more than 70 % of all Bordeaux wine sold.)

INFORMATIONS

For further informations , please contact us :

fugues en france
e-mail:fugues@club-internet.fr

[ Return to the Wine Articles Page ]