Bordeaux AOC
Encyclopedia
In the Bordeaux wine
region there are seven regional Appellations d'origine contrôlée (AOCs) that may be used throughout the Gironde department. These are Bordeaux Rouge AOC, Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge, Bordeaux Clairet, Bordeaux Rosé, Bordeaux Blanc, a dry white, Bordeaux Supérieur Blanc, a sweet white, and Cremant de Bordeaux, a sparkling méthode champenoise wine. The regional appellations together form the largest world-class wine vineyard, making up more than half of the production of the prestigious Bordeaux wine region. and representing more than 55% of all Bordeaux wines consumed in the world.
These appellation wines represent a wide choice of styles and excellent value for money, as most retail for under $30 a bottlearticle by Bill St. John in Chicago Tribune on Oct 12, 2011
Notable exceptions to the general rule of Bordeaux AOC as simpler wines are some dry white wines produced in Médoc
and Sauternes, where the production of red and sweet wines dominate. In difference from most of Graves
, these areas are not allowed to use any other designation than Bordeaux Blanc AOC for dry white wines. Thus, some very ambitious and expensive dry white wines, such as Château Margaux
's Pavillon Blanc and Château d'Yquem
's "Y" have to be classified as "simple" Bordeaux Blancs.
All rosé and clairet wines are produced under regional appellations.
Average yearly production is 3,300,000 hectoliters, corresponding to approximately 431 million 75 cl bottles, with 2,300,100 hectoliters of red wine and 304,000 hectoliters of white wine.
The maximal authorized yield for Bordeaux AOC is 55 hectoliter per hectare, and the alcohol level of the wine must be between 10 and 13 volume percent. Dry white Bordeaux may not have more than 4 grams per liter of residual sugar.
and Cabernet Sauvignon
. As most regional Bordeaux AOC wines are produced on the Right Bank, Cabernet Franc
is often found in the blend. Winemakers are using more and more Malbec
Glamorous Malbec From Chateau Tire Pe, article by Fredric Koeppel, but Petit Verdot
is not often seen.
For white wines, Sauvignon Blanc
and Sémillon
each represent 42% of the vineyard surface and Muscadelle
9%.
". All other appellations in the Bordeaux region, including the most prestigious ones, are entitled to produce under this AOC. Bordeaux clairet is a wine which can either be described as a dark rosé wine or a light-coloured red wine. As there is also a more commonly used Bordeaux rosé designation, Bordeaux clairet is not simply any rosé from Bordeaux.
Bordeaux clairet wines are similar in colour to the wines which were shipped from Bordeaux
to England during the Middle Ages
, known as French Claret. These wines established the fame of Bordeaux as a wine-making region, and led to the (primarily British) practice of referring to Bordeaux as "claret
". They are refreshing wines, appreciated because they can be easily enjoyed with picnics or exotic food.
s of vineyard surface. Maximum authorized yield is 55 hectolitres per hectare.
Bordeaux wine
A Bordeaux wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France. Average vintages produce over 700 million bottles of Bordeaux wine, ranging from large quantities of everyday table wine, to some of the most expensive and prestigious wines in the world...
region there are seven regional Appellations d'origine contrôlée (AOCs) that may be used throughout the Gironde department. These are Bordeaux Rouge AOC, Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge, Bordeaux Clairet, Bordeaux Rosé, Bordeaux Blanc, a dry white, Bordeaux Supérieur Blanc, a sweet white, and Cremant de Bordeaux, a sparkling méthode champenoise wine. The regional appellations together form the largest world-class wine vineyard, making up more than half of the production of the prestigious Bordeaux wine region. and representing more than 55% of all Bordeaux wines consumed in the world.
These appellation wines represent a wide choice of styles and excellent value for money, as most retail for under $30 a bottlearticle by Bill St. John in Chicago Tribune on Oct 12, 2011
Wine style
The entry-level Bordeaux AOC reds are fruity and easy-to-drink, and meant for early consumption rather than cellaring. More ambitious reds are usually sold as Bordeaux Supérieur AOC.Notable exceptions to the general rule of Bordeaux AOC as simpler wines are some dry white wines produced in Médoc
Médoc
The Médoc is a region of France, well known as a wine growing region, located in the département of Gironde, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, north of Bordeaux. Its name comes from Medullicus, or "country of the Medulli", the local Celtic tribe...
and Sauternes, where the production of red and sweet wines dominate. In difference from most of Graves
Graves
Graves is an important subregion of the Bordeaux wine region. Graves is situated on the left bank of the Garonne river, in the upstream part of the region, southeast of the city Bordeaux and stretch over...
, these areas are not allowed to use any other designation than Bordeaux Blanc AOC for dry white wines. Thus, some very ambitious and expensive dry white wines, such as Château Margaux
Château Margaux
Château Margaux, archaically La Mothe de Margaux, is a wine estate of Bordeaux wine, and was one of four wines to achieve Premier cru status in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855. The estate's best wines are very expensive...
's Pavillon Blanc and Château d'Yquem
Château d'Yquem
Château d'Yquem is a Premier Cru Supérieur wine from the Sauternes, Gironde region in the southern part of the Bordeaux vineyards known as Graves. In the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, Château d'Yquem was the only Sauternes given this rating, indicating its perceived superiority...
's "Y" have to be classified as "simple" Bordeaux Blancs.
All rosé and clairet wines are produced under regional appellations.
Production and Area
The vineyard area devoted to the production of Bordeaux AOC wines is approximately 61700 hectares (152,463.9 acre), of which 50000 hectares (123,552.6 acre) are used for red wine and 6740 hectares (16,654.9 acre) for white wine.Average yearly production is 3,300,000 hectoliters, corresponding to approximately 431 million 75 cl bottles, with 2,300,100 hectoliters of red wine and 304,000 hectoliters of white wine.
The maximal authorized yield for Bordeaux AOC is 55 hectoliter per hectare, and the alcohol level of the wine must be between 10 and 13 volume percent. Dry white Bordeaux may not have more than 4 grams per liter of residual sugar.
Grape Varietals
For red wines, the most planted grape varietals are MerlotMerlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
and Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
. As most regional Bordeaux AOC wines are produced on the Right Bank, Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
is often found in the blend. Winemakers are using more and more Malbec
Malbec
Malbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. The French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West...
Glamorous Malbec From Chateau Tire Pe, article by Fredric Koeppel, but Petit Verdot
Petit verdot
Petit Verdot is a variety of red wine grape, principally used in classic Bordeaux blends. It ripens much later than the other varieties in Bordeaux, often too late, so it fell out of favour in its home region. When it does ripen, it is added in small amounts to add tannin, colour and flavour to the...
is not often seen.
For white wines, Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
and Sémillon
Sémillon
Sémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, most notably in France and Australia.-History:The origin of the Sémillon grape is hard to determine. It is known that it first arrived in Australia in the early 19th century and by the 1820s the grape covered over 90 percent...
each represent 42% of the vineyard surface and Muscadelle
Muscadelle
Muscadelle is a white wine grape variety. It has a simple aroma of grape juice and raisins like grapes of the Muscat family of grapes, but it is unrelated....
9%.
Bordeaux Supérieur Rouge AOC
The Bordeaux Supérieur appellation covers the same geographic area as Bordeaux AOC. However, the wine in this appellation is often produced by single parcels of older vines. Moreover, Bordeaux Supérieur wines must be aged for at least twelve month before they can be sold.Bordeaux Clairet AOC
Bordeaux clairet is a generic AOC for the Bordeaux defined as "clairetClairet
Clairet is a wine that is dark pink in style, and may be described as a full bodied and deep coloured type of rosé. It is considered a specialty of the Bordeaux region and is thought to have originated in Quinsac in Premieres Côtes de Bordeaux...
". All other appellations in the Bordeaux region, including the most prestigious ones, are entitled to produce under this AOC. Bordeaux clairet is a wine which can either be described as a dark rosé wine or a light-coloured red wine. As there is also a more commonly used Bordeaux rosé designation, Bordeaux clairet is not simply any rosé from Bordeaux.
Bordeaux clairet wines are similar in colour to the wines which were shipped from Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
to England during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, known as French Claret. These wines established the fame of Bordeaux as a wine-making region, and led to the (primarily British) practice of referring to Bordeaux as "claret
Claret
Claret is a name primarily used in British English for red wine from the Bordeaux region of France.-Usage:Claret derives from the French clairet, a now uncommon dark rosé and the most common wine exported from Bordeaux until the 18th century...
". They are refreshing wines, appreciated because they can be easily enjoyed with picnics or exotic food.
Production and surface
Yearly production is 52,000 hectoliters from 925 hectareHectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s of vineyard surface. Maximum authorized yield is 55 hectolitres per hectare.
Grape varieties
The authorized grape varieties are the same as red Bordeaux AOC although Merlot is the most common of this AOC.Summary of characteristics
Production requirements and statistics for the various regional AOCs are as follows:| AOC | Bordeaux (red) | Bordeaux Clairet | Bordeaux Rosé | Bordeaux Supérieur (red) | Bordeaux (white) | Bordeaux Sec | Bordeaux Supérieur (white) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AOC requirements | |||||||
| Allowed grape varieties | Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet franc, Carmenère, Merlot rouge, Malbec, Petit Verdot | Principal grape varieties (min 70%): Sémillon, Sauvignon (blanc and gris), Muscadelle Accessory grape varieties (max 30%): Merlot blanc, Colombard, Mauzac, Ondenc, Ugni blanc |
Principal grape varieties (min 70%): Sémillon, Sauvignon (blanc and gris), Muscadelle Accessory grape varieties (max 30%): Merlot blanc (max 15%), Colombard, Mauzac, Ondenc, Ugni blanc |
||||
| Specific colour requirement (if applicable) | lightly coloured red | rosé | |||||
| Grape ripeness (in terms of minimum sugar content) | 178 g/l | 187 g/l | 178 g/l | 170 g/l | 212 g/l | ||
| Alcohol content after fermentation | min 10% | min 11% | min 10.5% | min 10.5% (potential) min 10% (actual) |
min 10% max 13% |
min 12.5% (potential) max 15% (potential) min 11.5% (actual) |
|
| Residual sugar (if applicable) | min 4 g/l | max 4 g/l | |||||
| Base yield | 55 hl/ha | 50 hl/ha | 65 hl/ha | 50 hl/ha | |||
| Minimum planting density | 2,000 vines per ha | ||||||
| Maximum number of buds kept after pruning | 60,000 per ha | ||||||
| Maturation requirement (if applicable), earliest sale date | 1 July the year after harvest | 1 July the year after harvest | |||||
| Production statistics | |||||||
| Vineyard surface | 44,000 ha | 925 ha | 3,300 ha | 10,000 ha | 6,740 ha | ||
| Average annual production | 2,500,000 hl | 52,000 hl | 180,000 hl | 530,000 hl | 420,000 hl | ||