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Bordeaux: the lay of the land
Words: Charlie Geoghegan
Published: 25th April 2024
FIVE-MINUTE READ
Do you know your St Emilion from your St Estèphe? If not, don’t worry. Here, we take a look at Bordeaux’s key winemaking sub-regions.
The Left Bank and the Right Bank
With over 110,000 hectares of vines, Bordeaux is the largest fine-wine region in France, and one of the biggest anywhere in the world.
The region is home to dozens of distinct appellations, though it can be broadly broken down into two important parts: the Left Bank and the Right Bank. (A third part, Entre-Deux-Mers, makes a sizeable proportion of the wines bearing the humble “Bordeaux” appellation.)
The vineyards of the Left Bank can be further divided into the Médoc, located to the north of the city of Bordeaux; and Graves, to the south.
The Médoc peninsula
This area extends north from the city of Bordeaux along the Left Bank of the Garonne River and then the Gironde Estuary. Go far enough and you’ll end up at the Atlantic Ocean. There are four especially famous appellations here: Margaux, St Julien, Pauillac and St Estèphe.
Less well known are Moulis-en-Médoc and Listrac-Médoc. Outside of these six delimited areas, there are two others: the Haut-Médoc appellation, which runs about as far north as St Estèphe; and the Médoc appellation, a large area located between St Estèphe and the ocean.
The best châteaux in the Médoc were ranked in the 1855 classification of Bordeaux wines. Collectively known as Classified Growths, these exalted estates sit on one of five tiers, ranging from First Growths to Fifth Growths.
St Estèphe
The northernmost of the famous Left Bank communes, St Estèphe sits immediately north of Pauillac. Gravel sits over clay here, making the soils cooler and less well-drained. St Estèphe’s wines have taken on a welcome lighter touch in recent years – though not at the expense of their concentration and longevity. Leading châteaux include Montrose and Calon Ségur.
Pauillac
Pauillac is home to three of the five First Growths – Latour, Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild – as well as many other Classified Growths. Sandwiched between St Estèphe and St Julien, Pauillac produces quintessential Claret with notes of cassis, cedar and cigar box. The commune has deep gravel soils with iron and marl deposits, with a softly rolling landscape cut by a series of small streams that run into the Gironde.
St Julien
Although there are no First Growths here, St Julien is often seen as the most consistent of the four prestigious Médoc communes. Top châteaux like Léoville Barton and Beychevelle turn out impressive wines year after year. At their very best, the wines combine Margaux’s elegance and refinement with Pauillac’s power and substance.
Margaux
Margaux produces some of Bordeaux’s most refined and alluring wines, offering opulent, heady perfume. The largest of the famous communes, it also has the highest number of Classified Growth properties – including the First Growth Château Margaux.
Graves
The winemaking area south of the city of Bordeaux is known as Graves. This area produces red wine as well as dry and sweet white wine at a range of quality levels. It begins in Pessac-Léognan, some of whose vineyards fall within the city limits. It then extends south through a large appellation – itself called Graves – as far as Bordeaux’s famous sweet-wine communes like Sauternes and Barsac.
Pessac-Léognan
Now almost entirely entwined with Bordeaux’s suburbs, Pessac-Léognan has gravelly, well-drained soils like the Médoc. The climate is milder, however, enabling the appellation to produce excellent dry whites as well as reds. Its proximity to the city means that it was one of the first areas to be planted, and as such it is home to some prestigious and old estates, including First Growth Château Haut-Brion. Some of the region’s most exciting estates include Château Haut-Bailly and Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion.
Sauternes and Barsac
In the far south of the Left Bank, Sauternes and Barsac produce some of the world’s greatest sweet wines – which can age for decades and are high in acidity, making them a wonderful accompaniment to food. The world’s most famous sweet-wine estate, Château d’Yquem, is here, alongside a host of other interesting properties.
The Libournais
Named for the market town of Libourne, this is the heart of quality winemaking on Bordeaux’s Right Bank. The appellations of St Emilion and Pomerol are the most revered, home to some of the most famous names in all of wine. Lesser-known communes here can offer great value for money, notably Lalande-de-Pomerol, Francs-Côtes de Bordeaux and Castillon-Côtes de Bordeaux.
St Emilion
Based around the picturesque town of the same name, this is one of Bordeaux’s largest appellations – producing more wine than Listrac, Moulis, St Estèphe, Pauillac, St Julien and Margaux combined. Many of the region’s finest vineyards can be found atop the steep limestone slopes of the village itself, like Château Canon and Château Beau-Séjour Bécot. Other top châteaux, like Figeac and Cheval Blanc, sit on gravel soils, closer to the Pomerol border. On the whole, St Emilion produces Merlot- and Cabernet Franc-based reds with plush, generous fruit flavours.
Pomerol
With 150 or so producers and roughly 800 hectares of vineyards, the smallest of Bordeaux’s major appellations is home to myriad bijou domaines. Many make only tiny quantities each year of their opulent Merlot-based wines. The best vineyards, like the famous Petrus, are planted on a seam of rich clay soils extending across the raised plateau of Pomerol from the boundary of St Emilion.
