connaissances   

Bordeaux

The labels language:
Négociant (wine merchant/vintner): buys the wine in barrels to the winemaker, after vinification. He generally ages (he is called négociant-éleveur: vintner-maturer), bottles and dispatches the wine.
Cru: at Bordeaux, it means the area of production
Grand Cru: it is the particularly excellent wines of Bordeaux terroirs. They are registered in 4 regions: Médoc, Graves, Saint-Emilion, Sauternes-Barsac
Classification: the present rankings have been done in a same sub-region or in a same appellation.

1855's CLASSIFICATION
Made on Napoléon III's request, by the vintners of Bordeaux for the 1855's World Fair of Paris.

Red : 61 top-of-the-range red wines (60 Médoc and 1 Graves) have been ranked into 5 groups corresponding to Crus.

Premiers Crus (5 châteaux)
- Château Lafite-Rothschild
- Château Latour
- Château Margaux
- Château Haut-Brion
- Château Mouton-Rothschild (dès 1973)

Seconds Crus (14 châteaux)
Troisièmes Crus (14 châteaux)
Quatrièmes Crus (10 châteaux)
Cinquièmes Crus (18 châteaux)

Whites : 26 Crus from Sauternes and Barsac according to:
Premier Cru Supérieur (1 Château : Château d’Yquem)
Premiers Crus (11 châteaux)
Seconds Crus (14 châteaux)


 

CLASSIFICATION DE ST-EMILION : up dated every 10 years. First ranking on 1954
Premiers grands Crus classés (11 châteaux)
Grands Crus classés (63 châteaux)

CLASSIFICATION MEDOC CRUS BOURGEOIS : represents 40% of Médoc production. There are 203 Crus Bourgeois in 8 Médoc appellations
BORDEAUX GRAPE VARIETIES
Red : 
Cabernet Sauvignon (25% of red wines) 
Cabernet Franc (16% of red wines) 
Malbec, Merlot (54% of red wines)
Petit Verdot (5% of red wines) 		 White :
Sauvignon (21% of white wines)
Sémillon (58% of white wines)
Muscadelle (11% of white wines)


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