France | Bordeaux

The French wine region of Bordeaux is blessed with an almost-perfect viticultural situation on the west coast of France, and is probably the most well-known wine region in France and famous the world over for its enviable château-based classification system.

Most vineyards in Bordeaux are not known by names attached to specific plots of land, as is the case in Burgundy, but rather to estates under single ownership generally attached to a substantial house or ‘Château’. Thus, in terms of determining a good quality Bordeaux wine, it is the reputation of the Château name (or brand) within the district or commune, rather than the geographic designation of a specific vineyard or plot.

The principle areas of Bordeaux are defined by the Dordogne and Garonne rivers, which combine to form the Gironde Estuary and help divide the Bordeaux vineyards into three broad areas.

West and South of the Gironde/Garonne lay the districts of the Médoc, Haut-Medoc, Graves and Sauternes; often referred to as ‘The Left Bank’. Within these districts lie the famous communes of: Saint-Estéphe; Pauillac; Saint-Julien; Margaux; Pessac-Léognan; Barsac; Sauternes.

Most of the area between the Dordogne and Garonne is covered by the Entre-Duex-Mers district (literally ‘between two seas’) and the Côtes de Bordeaux.

Finally, the principle districts to the North and East of the Gironde and Dordogne are Saint-Emilion and Pomerol often referred to as ‘The Right Bank’. The famous communes that lie within this district are: Saint-Emilion satellites; Saint-Emilion; Saint-Emilion Grand Cru; Pomerol; Fronsac/Canon-Fronsac.

We do hope you enjoy browsing through our Bordeaux portfolio which we are confident provides a refreshing selection of both good value and great quality wines from the key communes of this fascinating region of France.