Is Bordeaux wine overrated?
Bordeaux is one of the most famous wine regions in the world. It has the best expression of two most-known grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot AND has world-class wineries whose production ends on the most prestigious tables.
However, in our everyday life, people tend to leave Bordeaux wines for other wine regions… Is Bordeaux wine overrated?
Yes : Too much wood…is too much
For several years, in the 80s, Bordeaux winemakers discovered the impact of wood on the wine. Wine had been vinified for a long time in barrels and such, but it was in the late 1990s that winemakers fully understood the impact old or new oak had on the wine.
Following this discovery, they would use wood a lot to make their wines. This means, Bordeaux wines had strong wood-related flavours such as vanilla or smoke. It lost its fruity and other flavours.
And if you remember, as you may have read in other articles, Bordeaux’s strong suit is its terroir. The balance of the soil, climate and grape variety made Bordeaux’s reputation. It is still known today as the best terroir for Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, its star grape varieties.
So, wine enthusiasts didn’t get what they were looking for when drinking Bordeaux wine making it thus seem overrated.
Moreover, Bordeaux influenced a lot the New World by the choice in its grape varieties, like California for instance. The latter produces very fruity wines, the opposite of what Bordeaux used to propose. The influence of Bordeaux on the New World might actually have been its downfall.
Yes : a lot of pesticides
Another reason why Bordeaux is overrated is its use of pesticides.
Gironde was known for its pesticide abuse. And this particularly stands out in a world where the trend is to be even more environmental friendly.
Yes : Prices are through the roof
Bordeaux is also known for its cosmic prices. The prestige and exclusivity, its perfect terroir and the grape selection in the very first steps of vinification has made its reputation and explains why some vintages and wineries have prices through the roof.
However, this has also been a disservice to Bordeaux making it “irrelevant”. Most people, who actually drink the wine and don’t speculate on it, crossed Bordeaux out of their shopping list, thinking all Bordeaux wines were out of reach.
There were fewer sales and restaurants started leaving Bordeaux out of their wine lists
But Bordeaux is making its comeback
So Bordeaux seems overrated yes and Bordeaux wine has been overrated for a few years. However, if we look at the numbers, Bordeaux is still the leader in still wines export.
Moreover, a lot of wineries have modified their techniques of vinification, leaving the wood out, in order for the terroir to fully express itself.
On the environmental side, 65% are now certified organic or in the process versus 35% in 2014. These are actually great numbers. It’s more difficult to farm organically in Bordeaux than in Provence or Alsace, where the climate is more easy to work with. Bordeaux is subject to the vintage effect.
Conclusion : Is Bordeaux wine overrated?
All in all, Bordeaux lost its way for a few years. The oak used during vinification erased the typicity of the terroir and customers were no longer finding what they were looking for in Bordeaux wines. Moreover, the cosmic prices of some wineries scared the everyday guy. And in the current environmental-trend, pesticides used in Bordeaux turned away most of the customers too.
However, Bordeaux is currently making its comeback, by learning from its mistakes and adapting to the demand of its customers.
What do you think? Do you still enjoy Bordeaux wines?
4 Comments
Jeff
I think there is a lot of oversimplification happening here that extends primarily to the 63 houses classified in 1855. Bordeaux is much more than the five growths and St Emilion, and the best answer to quality in the post war years was the so-called ‘garagiste’ movement that created wineries like Le Pin, that is absolutely outrageously priced, but only got that was through its emphasis on quality over quantity.
Moreover, the switch to organics has been blitzing through the Bordeaux scene, with houses small and large (Pontet-Canet was a great early proponent), to the point that Cheval Blanc has written and published their manifesto on Agroecology only this past year, with nearly fifteen years of empirical data.
Bordeaux is still the archetype for the world’s greatest Cab and Merlot, and that reputation remains unshaken. Is Bordeaux overrated? Perhaps in the most celebrated houses; then again, put a glass of 2010 Mouton in front of any wine drinker and see if they can resist…
Mademoiselle
Thank you Jeff for stopping by and taking the time to write your thoughts on this complex matter.
I have simplified a lot to get the discussions running. In France, I’ve noticed among wine enthusiasts that more and more were turning away from Bordeaux, and that got me thinking to the WHY.
You’re absolutely right : Bordeaux is so much more than than the classifications we know of today.
And, like I wrote at the end, they are becoming organic.
I don’t think they are overrated. Bordeaux will always remain on a pedestal and the match between soil and grape variety is found no where else in the world. Bordeaux’s terroir enables the Merlot and Cab Sauv to thrive fully. That, they will always have.
I have noticed recently people coming BACK to Bordeaux. So that means they left at some point. But like you say, Bordeaux has changed and people are recognising that.
And last, like you said, Bordeaux’s aging potential is fabulous (a bit like Bandol’s) and old Bordeaux are superb (at least the ones I have tasted and I am not lucky enough to have tested classified Châteaux).
What was your best experience with Bordeaux ?
Thank you again for sharing your thoughts, I appreciated it.
James
If you go by prices of the top wines then of course they are over rated. No wine is worth 1000’s of dollars a bottle in my opinion. Furthermore, I would postulate that if you had a totally blind wine tasting where no one knows what is being served, not one person in a thousand would be able to pick out the first growths from a group of 100 dollar wines from around the world. When wine critics go to the top château they know exactly what they are drinking and they also know if they don’t give it a over the top glowing review they will never be invited back. I host at least a dozen wine parties a year that are attended by lots of wine geeks. The wines are bagged and no one knows the varieties, the regions or the years and the only think that is consistent is that the most expensive is NEVER everyone’s favorite.
Mademoiselle
Thank you James for your comment and I completely agree with you. Historical tastings have indeed taught us otherwise. And we do that sometimes between friends and the result is always surprising.
What kind of parties do you throw : wines from all over the world?