Why is Bordeaux wine the best?

You know how some names stick with you? Well Bordeaux does that.

Bordeaux has been for a very long time and is still a reference in term of wines. A lot of wine enthusiasts may disagree, having discovered Burgundy or other wine regions, but we can’t deny that most wines are compared to Bordeaux.

Pick any topic of conversation (on wine), the name Bordeaux will eventually come out.

So why is Bordeaux so popular? and let’s be bold : Why is Bordeaux wine the best?

Why is Bordeaux wine the best? First, its history!

Like many success stories, let’s go back at how it all started.

In the Middle Ages, Bordeaux was quite out shadowed by la Rochelle. Bordeaux wines were ignored besides the ones from la Rochelle. For instance, in the edit of 1199, Bordeaux didn’t even appear in the list of the wine regions in France.

However, wars against Guyenne started. And Bordeaux used these wars to shine for England. La Rochelle, having betrayed the latter, fell into disgrace and England started getting busy exporting Bordeaux wines (used to be know as Claret. By the way, the Brits still call Bordeaux Claret. If you want to know why, go read the full article on my website).

Bordeaux was already a city of trade and its harbor was well-known. But from now on, Bordeaux was an important city in wine trading…with its wines. Its influence grew so, Bordeaux managed to impose the “Bordeaux privilège”, meaning only wines from Bordeaux could be purchased.

So what makes Bordeaux so popular or even what makes Bordeaux the best? Its history! Bordeaux has been producing fine wine for centuries and has always been considered a city of experience. Not only was it able to adapt depending on the wishes of its clients (take the Dutch for instance –get the full story here-), it influenced the New World a lot.

My WSET 2 teachers always said : “If you want to learn about wines, start with Bordeaux!”

Its terroir is the perfect pairing with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon

A second reason Bordeaux wines can be considered the best is its climate. Indeed, Bordeaux is often considered the perfect wine country.

However, if we look into it, it’s not as perfect as can be.

Indeed, Bordeaux is located in a temperate oceanic climate and enjoying the Gulf Stream effect, a warming ocean current that extends the vegetative cycle of the vine. However, the ocean brings its share of rain, and therefore significant humidity.

The Landes forest and the coastal dunes make it possible to avoid the worst by protecting the vineyards from storms.

Thus, Bordeaux is subject to the vintage effect, and the wines produced be a blend of several grape varieties. Indeed, it would be too risky to count on only one…

But its soil however matches perfectly with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

By the way, Bordeaux is home to Cabernet Sauvignon. The crossing between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, which gave birth to Cabernet Sauvignon, was made in Bordeaux.

The Right Bank has a lot of clay, and blue clay especially in the Pomerol area, which is a rare kind of soil. Clay soils have a high water retention capacity (which is useful in times of drought). However, these are heavy and cold soils. Thus, early ripening grape varieties are more suitable, which makes it perfect for Merlot. These soils give fleshy and powerful wines.

The Left Bank has essentially graveled soils. They are a mixture of pebbles, sands and clays. The pebbles are brought by the Garonne and the Dordogne. These soils absorb and transmit heat, which is ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon, a late-ripening grape variety. The wines are elegant with fine tannins, firm in their youth.

Climate change is actually good for Cabernet Sauvignon. These past few years, we were able to see this grape variety fully ripen without going overboard.

If you want to know more about the impact of soil on wines, I’ve written a whole article on the subject.

ANECDOTE : If you are curious about tasting Bordeaux wines, made like they used to or with the maximum “terroir effect”, I would recommend you visiting Liber Pater. The winemaker Loic Pasquet makes wines from indigenous grapes varieties grown on ungrafted vines

The winemaking is precise and selective from the start

Another key in Bordeaux’s reputation is the impact of man on wine. This impact intervenes in the wine making process.

Bordeaux appellation has a very strict specification. These specifications concern the selection of the grapes and the maximum yield for example.

By limiting the yield, the flavors are more concentrated in the berries, which will make more concentrated wines, which is preferable.

In July, a lot of green harvesting is done in Bordeaux for example. Wine growers will remove extra bunches of grapes on the vine. This will help balance the leaf area and concentrate the flavors.

Balancing the leaf area means the grapes will reach better ripeness. Indeed, the leaves are responsible for the photosynthesis, that produces the sugar in order for the grapes to ripen. So if the leaf area is not well-balanced with the number of berries, some will never reach full ripeness.

Another rule in Bordeaux is hand-harvesting. This enables the winemakers to choose their berries and select the best ones. If you have the best grapes, chances are you’ll produce the best wine you can. By not using ALL the grapes they can produce, Bordeaux focuses only on the healthy grapes.

The absence of irrigation helps enhance the terroir effect, which makes Bordeaux so particular.

If you want to grasp the full impact of man on wine, I can only recommend you to visit wineries in Bordeaux. I created a special tour for you with my recommendations.

>> Check it out when preparing your trip! <<

Its aging potential makes Bordeaux popular

Last but not least, Bordeaux is the best thanks to its aging potential

Thanks to the tannins in Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux’s red wines can be kept for a very long time.

This makes it also a worthwhile investment and explains a lot about the prices you can encounter for several Bordeaux wines

Bordeaux is the best because there is wine for everyone

Bordeaux wines can be very expensive and the best “Châteaux” are known to have prices through the roof. But common people, such as you and me, can also have the privilege of drinking Bordeaux wines because there are all prices.

In France, Burgundy wines are the most expensive ones actually.

Last, Bordeaux not only produces red wines, but also dry and sweet white wines and rosés. They also make sparkling wines, so everyone can find what fits them best.

All in all, Bordeaux is the best for a bunch of reasons. First, its history made this region popular and gain experience like no other wine region. Worldwide-known grape varieties can fully thrive on the Bordeaux terroir which makes it the reference, to the New World especially. Its aging potential makes it a perfect investement. And last but not least, Bordeaux has the whole panel when it comes to prices and style of wines. Bordeaux is not only red wines, but produces also dry, sweet, sparkling, white wines and rosés.

So yes, Bordeaux is the best region and is definitely worth a visit if you want to understand wine better.