Bordeaux is a region in France known for its red and sweet white wines, responsible for producing more wine than any other region in the world. The region has four main growing regions, with most of the castles located in the Médoc region. The Médoc classification system dates back to 1855, with five châteaux considered first growth. Bordeaux’s wine sales have declined due to changing tastes, but some châteaux are adapting to the rise of wine critics seeking fruitier wines.
Bordeaux is a region of France known for its fantastic wines. The term Bordeaux is usually used to refer to all wines that come from this distinctive region. The red wines of Bordeaux are probably the best known, although there are a number of sweet white wines that are also quite popular.
Bordeaux is responsible for more wine than any other region in the world, with over 9,000 distinct châteaux producing hundreds of millions of bottles of wine each year. More than 25% of France’s designated wines come from the Bordeaux region. Until the 1970s, most of the wine produced in Bordeaux was white; today over 80% of the wines produced are red.
There are four main growing regions in Bordeaux: Médoc, Pomerol, Graves and St-Émillion. Most of Bordeaux’s castles are located in the Médoc region. The Médoc classification dates back to 1855, when Napoleon III asked a number of important figures in the wine industry to choose the best wines to represent France at the International Exposition. Five of these Bordeaux châteaux are considered first growth – or premiers crus – by the classification system. These are: Château Lafite-Rothschild, Château Latour, Château Margaux, Château Haut-Brion and Château Mouton-Rothschild, which should be familiar to anyone who loves a good Bordeaux.
The original classification has stood for over 150 years with no change, save one. In 1973, Château Mouton-Rothschild grew from a second-growth château to first-growth, after nearly fifty years of concerted efforts by Baron Philippe de Rothschild. Château Mouton-Rothschild is also famous for having each year’s labels designed by a different artist. This led to designs by such luminaries as Dali (1958), Moore (1964), Picasso (1973), Warhol (1975) and Setsuko (1991).
While many of Bordeaux’s wines are generally considered to be among the best in the world, wine sales have steadily declined in recent years. This is no doubt because, as the world’s taste in wine has changed to fruitier, easier wines, the Bordeaux style has remained relatively unchanged. Many of the best Bordeaux require aging for at least ten years before they are ready to enjoy, a quality most contemporary wine drinkers dislike. Despite its long history, however, it seems that the styles of some Bordeaux châteaux may change. Many critics have charged that, with the rise of wine critics like Robert Parker, who seek out “fruit bombs” that offer an instant taste of fruit, even at the expense of longevity, Bordeaux winemakers have begun to change tack. .
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