BordeauxCollect. Booklet Amends v2b-20220926082241

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WBoerldcoemauextoCooullrection guide

CONTENTS

Introduction to Bordeaux, its grapes and labelling

WRITTEN AND COMPILED BY THE BIBENDUM TRAINING TEAM

History and trade culture

It is no secret that we at Bibendum have long had a love affair with Bordeaux – the place, the people, the wines. Launched in 2020, our revolution- ary Bordeaux Collection is the home of Bordeaux for the hospitality industry in the UK, with the aim to reinvigorate drinking of premium Bordeaux wines. The Bordeaux Collection shakes up the way that Bordeaux wines are sold to the UK On Trade, allowing sommeliers and wine buyers to build a direct relationship with some of the most prestigious properties in Bordeaux, with significant support including a calendar of events, masterclasses and trips to the estates. Growing from an initial list of estates, including Mouton Rothschild, Pichon Baron, d’Issan and Cos d’Estournel, the collection now includes a comprehensive list of some of Bordeaux’s most famous and prestigious properties, with recent additions featuring Domaines Barons de Roth- schild (Lafite-Rothschild, Carruades de Lafite, Duhart- Milon & Evangile), Figeac, Montrose, Cantenac Brown, Beausejour Becot, Smith Haut Lafitte and Suduiraut.

Vintage guide

Bordeaux Appellations

GRAPE VARIETIES FOR WHITES

GRAPE VARIETIES FOR REDS

AN INTRODUCTION TO

SAUVIGNON BLANC Crisp and fresh. Lots of green fruit flavours: gooseberries, limes, green apples, grass and elderflower. A very distinctive variety that often

The region of Bordeaux is divided by the Gironde estuary to create the ‘Left Bank’ and the ‘Right Bank’. Bordeaux wines are traditionally blended. As a general rule of thumb, red wines from the left bank have a higher proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon and the wines from the right bank have more Merlot.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON Flavours of blackcurrant, dark fruit, spice and often oak. Wines tend to have a deep colour and lots of tannin. Grown in a particular way, Cabernet Sauvignon is capable of making wines that can age for a very long time. It is often blended with Merlot, as in Bordeaux. It makes great wines from around the world and can be found in Chile, California (especially Napa) and South Africa to name but a few. MERLOT Dark fruit and prune aromas. It can be rich and structured or light and juicy . This is a very popular choice, largely because it is often very easy drinking, fruity and smooth. When blended together the fruit of the Merlot can complement the full structure of Cabernet. Merlot is grown widely around the world in many New World countries, but its home is Bordeaux. CABERNET FRANC Medium to full-bodied with dark fruit similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, though sometimes with leafy, green notes. This grape generally plays second fiddle to Cabernet Sauvignon as they are often blended together, along with Merlot, to produce the red wines of Bordeaux. When grown in the right place it can produce good wine by itself. There are good examples from the Loire and the New World, like Chile.

has a powerful, grassy aroma. Used to make Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé in the Loire Valley region in France.

SEMILLON Tropical fruit, floral, citrus fruit and honey. Sometimes there will be a waxy scent as well. Acidity tends to be high. You will often find this blended with Chardonnay, especially in wines from Australia. In Bordeaux it is blended with Sauvignon Blanc. Semillon can make very rich and full-bodied white wines, and is also used to make sweet wines.

Bordeaux is the largest vineyard of fine wines in the world. It is a vast region with a great range of wines among the lesser-known appellations as well as among the crus classés. The diversity in character and style is due to the varied soils and climate and to the care and ability of the people who make the wine.

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1982 onwards A legendary vintage coinciding with global

LABELLING TERMS

affluence, the emergence of en primeur, the beginning of a period of great prosperity.

How to read and understand Bordeaux wine labels: CHÂTEAU / DOMAINE:

GRAND VIN (pron. Gron Vahn)

CRU BOURGEOIS This classification is for estates from the Médoc only. For the Chateaux that didn’t qualify for ‘Grand Cru Classé’ status, winemakers can apply to the ‘Cru Bourgeois’ classification. Each year, they submit their wine to a jury, and should they be awarded they can use the term on their label. This is a guarantee of quality and value for the consumer.

This translates as ‘great wine’ however the term is unregulated and doesn’t actually tell us anything about the quality of wine. It simply refers to

(pron. Shat-tow / Dom-ayne) These words translate as house or estate (some grander than others). In wine terms it refers to the fact that the producer (a family or company) has grown the grapes on their own land and not bought grapes from another grower.

WINE AND HISTORY - KEY DATES

1960s Re-emergence of important export markets. Reinvestment in vineyards and châteaux begins.

the best wine of that producer. Think of it as a flagship wine which distinguishes it from the other wines that they make. GRAND CRU CLASSÉ

1973 The market crash and Cruse scandal. Many négociants only saved from bankruptcy by foreign investment. The start of corporate purchasing of châteaux.

1959 Re-classification of the red and white wines of the Graves, first done in 1953.

1860 Anglo-French treaty reduces duty on French wine to two old pence a bottle. Great prosperity in the region. Mid 1950s Emergence of St-Emilion and Pomerol as important regions.

In 1855, for the ‘Exposition Universelle’ taking place in Paris, Emperor Napo- leon III requested a classification system for the best Bordeaux wines that would be on display for the exhibition. 61 Châteaux got selected (ranked in a league table from First to Fifth Growth), with all but one coming from the Médoc. This classification has remained (almost) unchanged to the day.

1955 Classification of St-Emilion.

1940 to 1944 German occupation of Bordeaux.

1918 to 1930 Post-war recession, closure of Russian market, prohibition

1855 Classification of the Médoc, Sauternes and Barsac.

in USA. Many châteaux sold.

MÉDOC

RIGHT BANK

1936 Establishment of Appellation Contrôlée for Bordeaux.

SAINT-ESTÈPHE PAUILLAC SAINT-JULIEN

MAIN AOCS

Mid 1870s Arrival of phylloxera.

Left bank Haut-Médoc Pauillac

Early 18 th century rise of the Bordeaux merchant class, supplying the rising middle classes of Britain and elsewhere in Europe. Many originate from Britain (including Ireland), Germany and the Low Countries.

MARGAUX

Margaux St-Julien St-Estèphe Pessac-Léognan Sauternes

HAUT-MÉDOC

1703 Methuen Treaty with Portugal. Duty on French wines not to be less than 50% more than levied on Portuguese wines. Smuggling rife.

1650 Dutch engineers begin draining the marshy Médoc and vineyards are planted in that region. Lafite, Latour, Margaux probably planted about 1690.

POMEROL SAINT-EMILION

BORDEAUX

PESSAC-LÉOGNAN

1152 Henry Plantagenet (later Henry II of England) marries Eleanor of Aquitaine and acquires Gascony and most of western France. Trade with England establishes Bordeaux's pre-eminence.

Right Bank St-Emilion Pomerol

1453 End of Hundred Years War. Gascony reverts to French rule. Trade with England continues, but links with the Low Countries forged.

GRAVES

LEFT BANK

SAUTERNES

AD 350 Latin poet Ausonius provides first recorded mention of wine production in Bordeaux. Château Ausone (St-Emilion) was named after him in his honour.

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WHAT DOES A VINTAGE LOOK LIKE?

TRADE CULTURE AND A FEW FIGURES

The region lies on the 45 th parallel, in south- west France, close to the Atlantic Ocean, warmed by the Gulf Stream, and enjoys a moderate, maritime climate . This usually protects the vineyards from freezing winters although spring frosts remain an anxiety. A normal spring will be warm and damp, but the region’s proximity to the Atlantic means that weather can be unpredictable, especially during the crucial flowering period in June. Summers are hot, often with thunderstorms in August, but the pine forests of the Landais to the west of the region help to moderate temperatures and protect the vineyards from the strong, prevailing winds off the Bay of Biscay. Harvest is from early September to the middle of October, depending on the grape variety and the conditions of the year and, as autumn approaches, rain during that period is a constant threat.

A NÉGOCIANT is a merchant house, selling wines made at estates or commercial brands. The latter is sourced from producers or co- operatives, usually as wine, and matured by the négociant before blending, bottling and sale. One that undertakes that process is known as a “négociant-éléveur”. Although there are almost 400 registered négociants, nearly 90% of the profession’s business is accounted for by about 25 firms. The sector is responsible

All Bordeaux vineyards lie within the département of the Gironde. This vast region of 120,000 ha of vineyards (four times the size of Burgundy) has 57 different appellation contrôlées . It is the largest producer of AOC wine in France, representing 1.5% of the world’s total vineyard area. Red wine, with minimal amount of rosé, accounts for 88% of production. Bordeaux has 10,000 wine producers, 53 co-operatives, 130 brokers and 400 négociants . It is estimated that one person in six of the Gironde’s working population is involved in the trade. Not all wine producers own châteaux, of which there are approximately 5,000 across all the regions of Bordeaux. Through its reliance on courtiers and négociants (known generically as “la place”), its way of working is unique in the wine business.

PRODUCERS account for an average of 850 million bottles each year. Of these, 60% make wines on their own properties (75% of all wine produced). The balance is processed and marketed by the region’s co-operatives. CO-OPERATIVES work in an essentially technical capacity for their members, offering vinification, blending and packaging facilities. The role of the BROKER (“courtier”) is to work as an intermediary between the producers and the négociants, matching supply and demand, advising and conciliating between the two parties. Brokers work as guarantors to the supply contracts and monitor the quality of the wine through its period of maturation, ensuring that the finished product corresponds to the buying samples.

for selling 75% of all Bordeaux’s production to more than 160 different countries.

They are paid by commission (“courtage”), normally set at 2% and paid by the buyer.

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MÉDOC / GRAVES

ST EMILION / POMEROL

year 2020

SAUTERNES

2019

2018

2017

2016

BORDEAUX APPELLATIONS : TO EACH THEIR OWN Depending on which side of the river you are,

VINTAGE CHART 2022

2015

2014

2013

2012

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

very poor poor unexciting sound average good, with variability mostly good good all round very good outstanding

2011

2010

there will be different grapes, soils and rules. Here is a small guide of the main appellations of the region.

2009

2008

2007

Wine to lay down

2006

May be drunk now, the best will keep

2005

Drink now

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

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MÉDOC The Médoc is arguably the most famous red wine district in the world, home to many of the greatest and most renowned names of Bordeaux. Stretching north-west from the city of Bordeaux with the Gironde estuary to the east, the vineyards extend up to eight miles from the river and run for about 50 miles northwards. As a rule of thumb, the greatest wines are made at those properties closest to the water. The most northerly, low-lying vine- yards are classified as Bas-Médoc , whilst those on higher ground, closer to the city of Bordeaux, are entitled to the Haut-Médoc appellation. Within that appellation, there are further communal or village appellations, namely Listrac and Moulis , and the four great names of St-Estèphe , Pauillac , St Julien and Margaux . HAUT-MÉDOC Despite being as visually unprepossessing as the rest of the Médoc, this large red-wine appellation is home to some of the world’s greatest wines with 4,500ha of vineyards. All the great communes of the Left Bank fall within its boundaries: Margaux, St-Julien, Pauillac and St- Estèphe, as well as the up-and-coming Moulis and Listrac. These are labelled under their own, more illustrious and expensive appellation names. Châteaux labelled simply as Haut- Médoc rarely reach such heights, but nevertheless offer consistently good quality and offer some of the best value in Bordeaux. Haut-Médoc wines tend to be firm and fine with generous fruit and a nice minerality – what many would consider ‘textbook Claret’. They come from loftier vineyards and offer higher quality and more complexity than those labelled simply as ‘Médoc’. Keep 3 to 12 years.

ST-ESTÈPHE St-Estèphe is the northernmost of the most important communes of the Médoc and borders Pauillac on its southernmost border. To the north lies the Bas-Médoc. St-Estèphe is defined by the depth of its gravel, which varies in depths and occasionally clay predominates. This keeps the soil cooler and wetter than its counterparts so that the wines can appear fresh in lighter vintages, but superbly successful in hot, dry years. The best châteaux in the south of the commune have the deepest soil and the thickest gravel (Cos d’Estournel). The wines can appear austere in youth, but the best typically display good depth of colour, pronounced acidity and tannins when young and are exceptionally long-lived. At their best, they are the equal of almost any Bordeaux. Keep 5 to 12 years.

ST-JULIEN St-Julien is the smallest of the “Big Four” Médoc communes. Although, without any First Growths, St-Julien is recognised to be the most consistent of the main communes, with several châteaux turning out impressive wines year after year. The wines can be assessed as much by texture as flavour, and there is a sleek, wholesome character to the best. Elegance, harmony and perfect balance and weight, with hints of cassis and cedar, are what epitomise classic St-Julien wines. At their very best they combine Margaux’s elegance and refinement with Pauillac’s power and substance. Keep 7 to 20 years.

MARGAUX If Pauillac is the bastion of

‘traditional’ red Bordeaux, Margaux represents its other facet in producing wines that are some of the region’s most sensual and alluring. It is the largest commune of the Médoc and encompasses the communes of Cantenac, Soussans, Arsac and Labaude, in addition to the village of Margaux itself. Margaux is the closest of the important communes to the city of Bordeaux. The soils in Margaux are the lightest and most gravelly of the Médoc, with some also containing a high percentage of sand. Vineyards located in Cantenac and Margaux make up the core of the appellation with the best vineyard sites being located on well-drained slopes, whose lighter soils give Margaux its elegant touch and silky perfumes.

LISTRAC Listrac is the furthest from the

BORDEAUX

Margaux wines are typically of extreme finesse, intense flavour

Gironde of all the named communes and comprises some of the highest land in the Médoc. The soil is mainly clay and limestone on a gentle rise, and this contributes to the style – which is rather austere and dense compared to its more famous neighbours. Listrac wines typically have a higher proportion of Merlot than other Médoc wines. They are medium to full-bodied and have been described as having the fruit and finesse of St- Julien combined with the firmness and structure of St-Estèphe. They

but should never be heavy. Perfumed, medium-bodied and refined, they need time in bottle to express their best. Keep 7 to 20 years.

BORDEAUX

PAUILLAC Pauillac is the aristocrat of the Médoc boasting Grand Cru Classés representing 84% of Pauillac’s production.

MOULIS Moulis is the smallest of the six Médoc communes but boasts a wide variety of soils and terroirs. One of the two communal appellations located on the Atlantic side of the Médoc, its hilly country is studded with a diversity of gravels, limestone and clay. These are sturdy wines, but the best are capable of considerable longevity and are often seductively perfumed, with more power than Margaux wines – albeit less finesse and elegance. Keep 3 to 12 years.

Bordering St-Estèphe to the north and St-Julien to the south, Pauillac has fine, deep gravel soils with important iron and marl deposits, and a subtle, softly rolling landscape, cut by a series of small streams running into the Gironde. The vineyards are located on two gravel- rich plateaux, one to the northwest of the town of Pauillac and the other to the south, with the vines reaching a greater depth than anywhere else in the Médoc. With three first growths this is the classic example of Médoc at its best: deep, intense, full, distinctive and fine yet powerful and punchy. Keep 7 to 20 years.

are often deeply-coloured and noticeably tannic when young, and need a few years of bottle- ageing to show at their best. Keep 3 to 12 years.

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POMEROL Pomerol is the smallest of Bordeaux’s major appellations, with about 150 producers and approximately 740ha of vineyards. It is home to many small domaines, many of which The 2012 revision resulted in 18 Premiers Grands Crus Classés (4 ‘A’ and 14 ‘B’) and 64 Grands Crus Classés – 82 in total. Review is due in 2022, however, Châteaux Angelus, Cheval Blanc and Ausone have announced their withdrawal from the classification, leaving Château Pavie as the only Premier Grand Cru Classé A Keep 3 to 12 years.

THE GRAVES & PESSAC-LEOGNAN Graves is the region which

SAUTERNES & BARSAC Sauternes is where arguably the world’s finest sweet white wines are produced. The Sauternes appellation actually consists of five communes: Barsac, Preignac, Bommes, Fargues and Sauternes itself. Barsac is also an appellation in its own right. Located at the southern tip of the Graves, the land is hillier and enjoys a mesoclimate of evening autumn mists that linger until well into the following day, unless burnt off by warm sunshine. The mists are caused by the cool, spring-fed waters of the Ciron River meeting the warmer tidal Garonne, and the result is an ideal environment for the growth of botrytis cinerea. It feeds on the water in the ripe grapes, dehydrating them and leaving sweet, shrivelled fruit. Barsac is one of the communes of the Sauternes appellation. With marginally flatter land and soils of red sand and light gravels, the commune adjoins the northern boundary of the commune of Sauternes, separated by the Ciron River. There are just over 800ha under vine, producing nearly two million bottles in an average year. The châteaux can choose to sell their wine under either the Sauternes or the Barsac appellation, but stylistically the wines are arguably a little lighter in style than those of Sauternes. Keep 3 to 40 years.

ST-EMILION St-Emilion is one of Bordeaux’s largest producing appellations, producing more wine than Listrac, Moulis, St-Estèphe, Pauillac, St Julien and Margaux put together. St-Emilion has been producing wine for longer than the Médoc but its lack of accessibility to Bordeaux’s port and market-restricted exports to mainland Europe meant the region initially did not enjoy the commercial success that funded the great châteaux of the Left Bank. St-Emilion itself is the prettiest of Bordeaux’s wine towns, perched on top of the steep limestone slopes upon which many of the region’s finest vineyards are situated. However, more than half of the appellation’s vineyards lie on the plain between the town and the Dordogne River on sandy, alluvial soils with a sprinkling of gravel. Further diversity is added by a small, complex gravel bed to the north- east of the region on the border with Pomerol. Atypically for St-Emilion, this allows Cabernet Franc and, to a lesser extent, Cabernet Sauvignon to prosper and defines the personality of the great wines such as Château Cheval Blanc. In the early 1990s there was an explosion of experimentation and evolution, leading to the rise of the ‘garagistes’, producers of deeply- concentrated wines made in very small quantities and offered at high prices. The appellation is also surrounded by four satellite appellations, Montagne, Lussac, Puisseguin and St. Georges, which enjoy a family similarity but not the complexity of the best wines. St-Emilion was first officially classified in 1954, and it is regularly amended. The most recent revision of the classification was in 2012.

first established Bordeaux’s wine reputation. Its wines were exported to England as early as the 12th century and Samuel Pepys drank ‘Ho Bryan’ in London on 10th April, 1663. The names Graves is derived from ‘gravel’ and the best soils are gravel-rich, mixed with sand and occasionally clay. Graves is larger in areas than the Médoc but produces only half the amount of wine. The best wines of Graves were initially classified in 1953 with this classification being confirmed in 1959. Until 1987, this entire region, which runs immediately south of the city of Bordeaux until it reaches Sauternes, was known as the Graves but from the 1986 vintage a new communal district was created within Graves, based on the districts of Pessac and Léognan, the first of which lies within the suburbs of the city. Essentially this came about through pressure from Pessac-Léognan vignerons, who wished to disassociate themselves from growers with predominately sandy soils further south in Graves. Pessac-Léognan has the best soils of the region, very similar to those of the Médoc, although the depth of gravel is more variable, and contains all the Classed Growths of the region. Some of its great names, including Château Haut-Brion, even sit serenely and resolutely in Bordeaux’s southern urban sprawl. The climate is milder than to the north of the city, and the harvest can occur up to two weeks earlier. This gives the best wines a rich and almost savoury character, with notes of tobacco, spice and leather. Further south, the soil is sandier with more clay, and the wines are lighter, fruitier and suitable for earlier drinking. Keep 4 to 15 years.

BORDEAUX

produce little more than 1,000 cases per annum.

Both the topography and architecture of the region is unremarkable, but the style of the wines is most individual. The finest vineyards are planted on a seam of rich clay that extends across the gently-elevated plateau of Pomerol, which runs from the north-eastern boundary of St- Emilion. On the sides of the plateau, the soil becomes sandier and the wines lighter. For a long time Pomerol was regarded as the poor relation of St-Emilion, but the efforts of Jean-Pierre Moueix in the mid-20th century brought the wine to the attention of more export markets, where its fleshy, intense and muscular style found a willing audience, in turn leading to a surge in prices led by the demand for such limited quantities. There is one satellite region to the immediate north, Lalande-de-Pomerol whose wines are stylistically very similar, if sometimes lacking the finesse of its neighbour. There has never been a classification

BORDEAUX

of Pomerol wines. Keep 5 to 15 years.

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