The word itself is practically synonymous with fantastic wine—unfortunately Bordeaux is often also equated with ascot-wrapped wealth and an appellation structure of mind-boggling complexity (an appellation is the legally defined, specific geographic location, with-in a wine region, where grapes are grown).
Although these perceptions are often true, a lot of Bordeaux wine is extremely affordable, interesting to drink and comes from easy-to-understand appellations. For less than 20€ a bottle – retail or direct from the winery – you can buy a plethora of great Bordeaux wines in France. They smilingly offer up pleasurable treasures for intriguing everyday drinking. In this two-part series, we’ll take you on a sample wine tour of Bordeaux on a budget, exploring the wealth of these wonderful wines which offer such great value. Current retail prices are listed in Euros and then, if available, U.S. dollars.
Bordeaux is the capital city of the Gironde département of the Aquitaine region in southwestern France. Bordeaux is not itself a region, as many think. You should plan your flights to Bordeaux into Bordeaux- Mérignac Airport. The wine region is divided between two banks formed by the Gironde River. Bordeaux produces both red (cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, malbec, merlot and petit verdot) and white (muscadelle, sauvignon blanc, sémillon and ugni blanc) wines and almost all are blends of two or more types of grapes. Many don’t know that in Bordeaux, as in most of France, wines are named by the place they come from, not their grapes.
Médoc
We begin our tour in the largest sub-region of Bordeaux, Médoc. Here, the value appellations to hit up are Listrac and Moulis. Producing mostly red wines that use a majority of cabernet sauvignon with cab franc, merlot and petit verdot blended in, these are fairly tannic wines. But when made well, they’re rich with aromas of ripe, dark fruit. Château Maucaillou’s 2009 Moulis is an excellent representation of the appellation at 16€ a bottle ($21.99). The Château also has a small bed-and-breakfast with five guest rooms as well as a wine and vines museum. After you visit Moulis, drive six minutes up the road to Listrac’s Château Fourcas-Hosten, whose 2008 Listrac-Médoc is an excellent value at about 12€ per bottle.
Entre-Deux-Mers
Literally meaning “between two seas”, Entre-Deux-Mers actually lies between the Garonne and the Dordogne tributaries. Entre-Deux-Mers is known for its dry white wine, composed of sauvignon blanc and sémillon – and occasionally muscadelle. The wines are lively with aromas of lemon zest and vanilla, backed by excellent acidity, which makes them great for fish and other light foods. Château Turcaud in the town of La Sauve-Majeure makes an excellent example. Their 2010 vintage is terrific and sells at the winery for just 6.30€ per bottle, including tax. After visiting Turcaud, consider going east five miles up the road to the village of Saint Léon and visit Château de Castelneau for its 2009 Entre-Deux-Mers, which is currently retailing for around 7€ a bottle ($9.99). They also have a small bed-and-breakfast, in case you decide to spend the evening sampling all of their wines.
Fronsac and Canon-Fronsac
The wineries of Fronsac and Canon-Fronsac (the latter lies within Fronsac but at a steeper and higher terrain, resulting in wines with a touch more boldness to them) produce red wine of tremendous, almost rustic strength. The main grape here is merlot, with cab franc and cabernet sauvignon blended in. For both Fronsac and Canon-Fronsac, visit Château Barrabaque, an easy, ten-minute drive from the center of the nearby city of Libourne. Its 2010 Cuvée Prestige currently retails for about 12€ a bottle. On the way back in to town, hit Château Dalem , which makes long-admired wine from Fronsac, coming in at 13€ a bottle ($20). Its winemaker, Brigitte Rullier-Loussert, is one of a growing number of female, French vignerons (winemakers) in France.
Stay tuned for next week, when we’ll visit the Côtes, Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux Supérieur.
Written by Michael Brazile
(Image: e_calamar)
