The Graves owe their name to their soil (Graves = gravel in French). In fact, this soil also contains clay and sand deposited eons ago by the Garonne river. The region also has a sunny microclimate ideal for ripening grapes (only premium varieties are used). The soil consists primarily of gravel on a clay-limestone subsoil. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are used for the red wines, Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc for the dry whites.
Graves wines are highly-reputed and quite diverse. The reds are powerful, elegant, and well-structured, while the dry whites are elegant and distinguished.
The red wines of the Graves are robust and relatively to very full-bodied. They have a subtle bouquet of red fruit, cinnamon, and blackcurrant, and are ideal with pork, duck, and cheeses such as Beaufort or Roquefort..
Dry white Graves wines are dry and elegant. They feature a bouquet with overtones of flowers, passion fruit and apricot. While they are sublime with lobster dishes, these wines are also very enjoyable with cheeses such as Cantal, Crottin de Chavignol, Roquefort and Valencay.
Red Pessac-Léognan red wines have a powerful bouquet and are soft and delicious on the palate. Featuring aromas of red fruit and cocoa, they are marvellous with roast leg of lamb, poultry, or cheeses such as Beaufort.
Dry white Pessac Léognan wines display medium body, good balance, and fine ageing potential. After 5 years of ageing, they release rich aromas of orange peel and passion fruit and are a perfect accompaniment to fish or cheeses such as Cantal, Crottin de Chavignol, Roquefort andValencay.
Sauternes is an enclave in the Graves region. This appellation, bordering on the Garonne and Ciron rivers, benefits from morning mists conducive to the development of the famous mould, Botrytis cinerea (also called "noble rot") that forms on the grape skins, giving them a brownish colour and making them shrivel. When the grapes are not just ripe, but also fully botrytised, they are picked one by one. The vineyard is gone over several times, sometimes until as late as the month of December. This is where the great sweet wines of Bordeaux are made, from very low yields (25 hectolitres/hectare): each vine produces just two glasses of wine!
Because of the great diversity of soils, every estate has its own special technique for producing wines of character. Sauternes wines are golden, refined, full-bodied, and heady, with an unforgettable bouquet. They have honey, dried pineapple, and hazelnut aromas. While foie gras is the classic accompaniment to Sauternes, it is also delicious with lobster, trout, asparagus and cheeses such as Bleu d'Auvergne, Fourme d'Ambert, le Livarot and Roquefort.
The south-eastern part of the Bordeaux region consists of a triangular plateau with a limestone and molasse subsoil and a variety of soils. Featuring beautiful countryside, gentle slopes, and valleys, this region also makes fine wine from premium grape varieties: soft, aromatic red wine made predominately with Merlot (and, to a lesser extent the more tannic Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon), as well as attractive, fruity white wines made with Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes. The quality of depends on the specific soil and the winegrower's know-how.
The Entre-Deux-Mers region produces a dry white wine featuring fresh grapefruit, lychee and peach aromas. While especially recommended with oysters, Entre-Deux-Mers is also a treat with other kinds of seafood as well as asparagus, avocado, frogs legs, sole meunière and Roquefort cheese.
The red wines of the Premières Côtes de Bordeaux are deeply-coloured and powerful. Their bouquet is reminiscent of spice as well as red and black fruit. They are a fine match with red meats.
The best dry white wines are sold under the Bordeaux appellation, and the best sweet white wines under the Cadillac appellation.
These wines come from various parts of the Gironde department. The quality depends to a large extent on the skill of the winemaker. Bordeaux Supérieur wines come from the same vineyard region
The red wines are well-balanced. Although enjoyable young, they have greater ageing potential than Bordeaux AOC. These wines feature aromas of red fruit, vanilla, and toast. They are perfect with red meat or Emmenthal cheese.
The dry white wines are crisp and fruity. They are delightful with dishes like mussels or onion tart.
The Blaye and Bourg regions overlook the Gironde, with cliffs dominating the estuary on the western side and gravel soil in the eastern part. Production is primarily of full-bodied red wines from the Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec grapes. These are elegant, fruity, and structured to last a long time. The rarer dry white wines are also very good and are sometimes full-bodied as well.
Red wines from the Côtes de Bourg are full-bodied and fairly tannic with a powerful red fruit aroma. They make a good match for grilled red meat, veal, turkey, sausage, pâté and an outstanding one for chesses such as Comté, Laguiole, Morbier and Reblochon.
All wines from the Médoc appellation are red. They are also full-bodied, fruity, and frequently delicate. Although not necessarily deep in colour, these wines are fine and elegant. Often quite tannic when young, they become round and well-balanced with age, displaying aromas of well-integrated oak, red fruit, spice, and vanilla. Médoc wines are perfect with red meat, roast beef, ham, and rabbit, as well as many cheeses (Beaufort, Emmental, Ossau-Iraty, Roquefort, Saint-Nectaire, etc.).
Saint-Estèphe is a wine that reflects a unique Soil. These red wines are deeply-coloured, full-bodied, robust, and tannic, with a very attractive flavour. Saint-Estèphe wines take longer to age than most other Médocs, but feature amazing blackcurrant, red fruit and toasty aromas when they reach their peak. They are a perfect accompaniment to red meat, game, and cheeses such as Saint-Nectaire, Edam et Gouda.
Pauillac is arguably the appellation producing the finest wines in Bordeaux. These generally have plenty of body, tannin and acidity when they are young. With a few years of bottle age, they develop an opulent bouquet of blackcurrant and cedar. Pauillac is brilliant with red meat, game, mushrooms, and cheeses such as Saint-Nectaire, Edam et Gouda.
With vineyards mostly located on either a plateau or a slope, the Libourne area has five types de soil, the best of which are limestone, clay-limestone or gravel. Merlot is king here, producing generous, rich, soft, wines with elegant, smooth, soft tannin. The two most prestigious appellations in the Libourne area are Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, both of which are among the finest in all Bordeaux.
Saint-Emilion wines are considered the most robust in Bordeaux. They are deeply-coloured and generous, and reach maturity sooner than wines from certain other regions. From 3 to over 25 years of age, they offer a captivating bouquet of truffles, toast and stewed red fruit. These wines are gorgeous with mushrooms, game birds, salmon, sauerkraut, pork chops and leg of lamb. They also go well with cheeses such as Cantal, Comté, Ossau-Iraty, Reblochonand Tomme de Savoie.
Totalling 800 hectares, Pomerol is one of the smallest Bordeaux appellations. The full-bodied red wines have a velvety quality not found in any other wine. A good Pomerol reaches its peak after 15 years in bottle, at which point it displays opulent aromas of ripe red fruit, liquorice and dried fruit that go beautifully with game, partridge, veal, roast turkey, pears in wine or cheese (Cantal, Comté, Maroilles, Ossau-Iraty, Saint-Nectaire and Langres).
The red wines of Fronsac are powerful, full-bodied and rich, with a strong personality. They have a characterful bouquet of oak, red fruit, and vanilla that pairs well with grilled red meat, game birds, rabbit, white meat, pears in wine, and cheese (Cantal, Comté, Maroilles, Reblochon, Saint-Nectaire and Langres).
Aquitaine Croisieres - Lieu-dit la Pacheyre
33190 BASSANNE (Bordeaux - Sud-Ouest - France)