Bordeaux Wine Overview
Bordeaux- 90% of all wine produced in Bordeaux is red.
White Bordeaux, also known as Bordeaux Blanc is easily divided into two parts dry and sweet. The most famous dry white Bordeaux wines are produced in the Pessac Leognan appellation from cooler terroirs, as a result of the large amount of forest land, with soils that combine clay, gravel and limestone.
Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion Are the most important groups used for the regions dry white wine.
Character and style of white Bordeaux wine
The white wines are produced in a wide range of styles ranging from the light with citrus character to complex perfumes of flowers, citrus, lemon, grapefruit, spice, minerals and honey.
Food Pairing
White Bordeaux wine is perfect for a variety of dishes and cuisines. Due to its fresh, citrus profile along with the sweet fruits, spice and mineral characteristics, most seafood dishes make perfect parings. Chicken, veal pork, sushi, Crudo and spicy dishes are great matches for white Bordeaux wine.
Sweet White Bordeaux
Sweet white Bordeaux wine is famous for the incredibly luscious, and often decadent sweet wine that comes from the Sauternes and Barsac. In their youth the wines are similar to a ripe yellow fruit slathered in honey. With time in the bottle, the wines shed their initial tropical fruit flavours and begin to show flavours of caramel, butterscotch, honey, spice and nut characteristics. The grapes used are Semillion, Sauvignon Blanc and small amounts of Muscadelle.
Chateau d’Yquem is the most famous and most expensive of the sweet Bordeaux wine.
Food Parings
Sauternes can be enjoyed on their own, as an aperitif, or try matching it with foie gras, spicy Asian cuisine, lobster, and both crab and chickens are perfect partners too. As a desert wine the combination of cheese and sauternes are a match made in heaven.
Bordeaux Reds
Simply put, Bordeaux can be divided into two parts the left bank, which is famous for its wines dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, and the right bank which produces wines that have a large percentage of Merlot.
The primary characteristics found in the left bank wines comes from a combination of grape blends and soils which are mostly gravel.
The best ones combine elegance with tannic structure, with flavours of currents, spice, earth and tobacco when young. As the wines age they become softer and take on additional nuances of cigar box, cedar, leather, smoke, herbs, truffle and tobacco.
Bordeaux wine from the left bank are famous for their ability to age and evolve for years or even decades. The best Chateau in the top vintages are capable of making wines that can age for a century or longer in select years!!
Food pairing
Red Bordeaux wine is best served with all types of classic and hearty meat dishes including duck and game. It is also a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, salmon and mushrooms and pasta as well as cheese.
Top Chateaus include Haut-Brion, Chateau Lafite and Chateau Margaux.
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