More specifically, the Right Bank is the area to the north of the Dordogne river and the Left Bank is the area directly south of the Garonne River, both of which feed into the Gironde estuary that meets the Atlantic Ocean.

What is the difference between left bank and Right Bank Bordeaux wines?

While red Bordeaux wines are blended together from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot grapes, the Left Bank vineyards are dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon, while the Right Bank ones focus more on Merlot.

Is Left Bank or Right Bank Bordeaux better?

The Cabernet-driven Left Bank wines tend to be higher in tannin — again, making them good candidates for aging, which helps to mellow out the tannins and integrate the flavors of the wine. Merlot-driven Right Bank wines are generally smoother, with softer fruit flavors and balancing, but not dominating, tannins.

What regions are left bank Bordeaux?

Left Bank Bordeaux regions include Médoc, Haute-Médoc, Saint-Estéphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan, Sauternes, and Barsac.

What is the difference between Médoc and Haut-Médoc?

One big difference between the Médoc and Haut-Médoc is that the Haut-Médoc covers a much larger area of Bordeaux and as such has a greater diversity of terroir.

Right Bank vs. Left Bank Bordeaux: What's the Difference?

Is St Emilion a Bordeaux wine?

First officially classified in 1954, St Emilion is one of Bordeaux's largest winemaking appellations, producing more wine than Listrac, Moulis, St Estèphe, Pauillac, St Julien and Margaux combined.

Is Haut-Médoc Right or Left Bank?

The Left Bank of Bordeaux is the home to all of the official 1855 Classified Bordeaux wines. The Medoc also includes the Haut Medoc, Moulis, Medoc and Listrac appellations.

What are the 5 grand cru Bordeaux?

There are five châteaux in Bordeaux that truly need no introduction. Known as the first growths, or the premier cru classés, they are Haut-Brion, Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild, Latour and Margaux.

What are the AOC levels of Bordeaux wines?

The maximal authorized yield for Bordeaux AOC is 55 hectoliter per hectare, and the alcohol level of the wine must be between 10 and 13 volume percent.

Is St Emilion a Merlot?

The wines of Saint-Émilion are typically blended from different grape varieties, the three main ones being Merlot (60% of the blend), Cabernet Franc (nearly 30%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (around 10%).

What is right bank Bordeaux?

The Right Bank is the area to the north of the Dordogne river, and the Left Bank is the area directly south of the Garonne river. The area in between is known as Entre-deux-Mers. However, it is not just geography that distinguishes Bordeaux's two famous vineyard regions.

What does AOC mean on wine?

It gets a little tricky when discussing DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) and AOC (appellation d'origine contrôlée). In the case of Italy's DOC, or controlled designation of origin, wine labeled as such must be produced within a defined region using specific processes to reach a certain threshold of quality.

What does Grand Cru mean in Bordeaux?

In simple terms, a “Grand Cru” Bordeaux is a château that has been listed on one of several official classification systems. Bordeaux itself is divided into numerous geographical subzones, and most top subzones have a Grand Cru ranking of some kind. No classification covers the entire Bordeaux region.

Is grand cru or premier cru better?

Yet, its classification system is relatively simple. Grand Cru is the top dog, while the tier just below it is named Premier Cru. A cru in Burgundy designates a high-quality vineyard. Often, they're split into parcels owned by different wineries or estates.

What does grand cru mean in St Emilion?

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Wine

Saint-Émilion Grand Cru wines are produced under slightly tighter production restrictions than regular Saint-Émilion wines. As with other grand cru appellations, the intention behind this is to improve the quality, and to distinguish the area's finer wines from the more everyday wines.

What is the best Bordeaux First Growth?

Get To Know The 5 Famous First Growths of Bordeaux

• Chateau Lafite Rothschild. Lafite is blessed with a fantastic terroir in the northern part of Pauillac. ...
• Mouton Rothschild. ...
• Chateau Latour. ...
• Chateau Margaux. ...
• Chateau Haut-Brion. ...
• Chateau Lascombes. ...
• Chateau Talbot. ...
• Chateau Petrus.

Is Chateau Latour left or Right Bank?

Top Left Bank Chateaux

Bordeaux wine critics and enthusiasts sometimes favor Left Bank wines over their Right Bank counterparts. These include vintages from top chateaux like Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Latour, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Mouton-Rothschild and Chateau Haut-Brion.

Is Chateau Haut Brion on the Left Bank?

The Left Bank is home to the first growth wines from the official 1855 Bordeaux Classification; Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Latour, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Haut Brion and Chateau Mouton Rothschild.

What grape is Saint-Émilion?

The dominant grapes that make Saint-Émilion wine are Merlot and Cabernet Franc. However, some producers also use Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot. Merlot: Merlot is a very popular grape in Saint-Émilion, which gives the wine approachability.

Is Pauillac a Bordeaux?

Pauillac, a commune located between Saint-Estèphe and Saint-Julien on Bordeaux's Médoc peninsula, is home to some of the world's most famous and expensive red wines wines, made predominantly from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape variety.

What is Pomerol wine?

Pomerol (French pronunciation: ​[pɔmʁɔl]) is a French wine-growing commune and Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) within the Libournais ("Right Bank") in Bordeaux. The wine produced here is predominately from Merlot with Cabernet Franc playing a supporting role.

What means cuvée?

Definition of cuvée

1 : bulk wine especially : wine in casks or vats so blended as to ensure uniformity and marketability. 2 : a blend of still wines used in the production of champagne.

What is the difference between Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur?

Bordeaux Supérieur is an appellation tier applied to wines made within the generic Bordeaux AOP zone. They are produced from the classic Bordeaux grape varieties. The reds are, as their name implies, intended to be a slightly "superior" form of standard Bordeaux AOC wines.

What is First Growth Bordeaux wine?

First growth or Premier Cru is the highest classification of Bordeaux wines. There are five First Growth wines, which are exalted as a league above all others in Bordeaux - Chateau Latour, Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Haut Brion, and Château Mouton Rothschild.