Bordeaux Fine Wine: Region and AOC Overview

Bordeaux fine wine is evolving. For a long time, many of the wines from this region in France were very expensive. They needed to age for five, ten or more years to reach their peak.

bordeaux fine wine

About ten to fifteen years ago, wine drinkers preferences changed. They demanded wines that were affordably priced but also ready to drink at a young age. Bordeaux wines no longer matched what people wanted to drink.

Bordeaux wine quickly lost market share. Many producers in this wine region in France suffered. They knew it was time to change -- and fast.

Transformation is not easy for a French wine region with so many traditions. However, Bordeaux knew they were in trouble if they stayed on their current path.

Today, Bordeaux is producing more affordable wines than ever before. Many of these are also at their peak within a few years of bottling. This makes their wines much more approachable and desirable for wine lovers.

If you have not tried a Bordeaux wine lately, I recommend you give them another look. Below you will find great information on the Bordeaux wine region, its flavorful red wines and tips to find just the right Bordeaux fine wine for you.

My first in person encounter with the Bordeaux wine region was one of curiosity. I knew they were making changes and I was excited to learn about the real Bordeax. I had an amazing experinece -- and cannot wait to return.

bordeaux fine wine petrus

The region is breathtakingly beautiful with vineyards in every direction. This picture is from my most recent visit. Petrus is one of the most expensive wineries in the region, so we just stopped by for a quick photo shoot outside.

Every where you look, you see beautiful chateaux and small, quaint towns. Mixed in you also find a number of small producers. Some that produce their fine wines out of a small building attached to their garage.

Overall, the visit helped solidify the evolution of this region. It also helped me identify even more of their amazing red wines.

French Bordeaux Wine: Region Overview

The word Bordeaux is the combination of two French words meaning border and water. Water from three different rivers and the Atlantic Ocean border this famous wine region. This is how Bordeaux got its name.

The bodies of water are a key element for this French wine region. They help it maintain a temperate climate throughout the year. This is just one of the many reasons why Bordeaux has some of the best French wines.

Bordeaux sits on the western side of France. Bordeaux wineries or as they are known in France, chateaux, primarily focus on red wine. There are more than 9,000 wine makers or chateau owners in Bordeaux.

Red Wines in Bordeaux Fine Wine Blends

Bordeaux fine wines are a red wine lovers dream. With the changes in place, these wines are smooth, drinkable and easy to fall in love with.

Did You Know...

The majority of the wine produced in Bordeaux -- more than 90% -- is dry red wine!

Bordeaux is the birth place for both Cabernet Sauvignon wine and Merlot wine. These two popular varieties branched out through the years and are now two of the most popular red wine types in the world. They are also the basis for the famous red wine Bordeaux blend.

Merlot is the clear winner today in the Bordeaux region. About 60% of the red wine grown in Bordeaux is Merlot. Cabernet Sauvignon is in second place with about 25% of the red wine plantings in this French wine region. Next in line is Cabernet Franc wine with about 12% of the overall red wine plantings in the region.

Other red wines that grow in the region are Malbec wine and Petit Verdot. A handful of producers use a small amount of these to round out their popular red Bordeaux wines.

Either Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon is the lead type of red wine in the Bordeaux blend. The producers on the left bank of the rivers usually use Cabernet Sauvignon as the main grape in their red wine blend. Those on the right bank usually lead with Merlot and tend to add more Cabernet Franc to their blends.

Bordeaux Wine Regions and AOCs

France has a complex classification system with a set of strict guidelines to manage the quality of their wines. If you are unfamiliar with the four quality classifications and the definition of an AOC, you can learn more on the French wine labels page.

Almost all Bordeaux fine wine aligns with the highest quality designation or AOC. There are 60 AOCs in this region. There are also three different types or levels of AOCs in Bordeaux.

Regional AOCs: Wines from regional AOCs source their grapes from anywhere in the Bordeaux region. There are five regional level AOCs. These wines have the fewest regulations and are considered the lowest quality wines in Bordeaux. They are the easiest to find and usually the best priced wines from the region.

Sub Regional AOCs: These AOCs source their grapes from a much smaller area than the regional AOCs. These AOCs have more strict regulations which produce higher quality wines. The cost for these wines is a little more than the regional AOCs. Examples include Medoc, Haut-Medoc and Graves.

Communal AOCs: These wines are the highest quality wines in the region. Grapes are sourced for a smaller area than either of the two types listed above. Regulations here are more strict and the prices for these wines are higher. Examples include Margaux, St. Julien and Pauillac.

You will find four different types of wine produced in Bordeaux. Each AOC produces a specific type of wine and a handful produce more than one type. Of the 60 AOCs, here is the breakdown for production in the region:

Dry, red wine: 31 AOCs
Rose wine: 3 AOCs
Dry white wine: 14 AOCs
Sweet white wine: 15 AOCs

Below you can find more information on each AOC that focuses on dry red wine. Details include information on the varieties they produce, so you can select the right one for you.

Bordeaux Fine Wine & The Regional AOCs

There are five regional AOCs in Bordeaux. Almost 50% of the Bordeaux fine wine is from regional AOCs.

AOC Name	Type of Wine	Additional AOC Details for Reds
Bordeaux	Red, Dry Whites, Sweet Whites	Primary Grapes for Reds: Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot Secondary Grapes for Reds: Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc
Bordeaux Clairet	Rose	This wine sits between a standard red wine and a rose. Primary grapes for this wine is Merlot. Other reds used to make this wine include Cabernet Sauvignon and some Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc.
Bordeaux Rose	Rose	This is a lighter wine made from red grapes. All five of the standard Bordeaux reds are used to make these blends.
Bordeaux Superieur	Red, Sweet White	The same reds are used to make Bordeaux Superieur. Select vineyards are used for the production of this wine. This increases the quality of the wine over the standard Bordeaux AOC wine.
Crement de Bordeaux	Rose, Dry White	All five red Bordeaux are used in this wine. The rose is a light, bubbly wine.

If you have not tried a Bordeaux fine wine in the past, I recommend starting with one at the regional level. This is usually the type of Bordeaux fine wine I pick up, since it is usually the best value. They also make great every day wines and pair well with most meals.

Northwestern AOCs in the Medoc Wine Region

The Medoc wine area in Bordeaux is located on the left bank of the Gironde River. It is one of the most popular and well-known areas in the Bordeaux wine region.

Soils on this side of the Giorande River are perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon. If you are looking for a great Cabernet Sauvignon Bordeaux fine wine, this is the region to investigate. More than 60% of the red wine blends from Medoc use Cabernet Sauvignon as the base wine.

Eight AOCs make up this area. The table below gives you some additional details on the Bordeaux fine wine AOCs in this region.

AOC Name	Type of Wine	Additional AOC Details
Medoc	Dry red	Primary reds: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot Secondary: Petit Verdot and Malbec This is a sub-regional AOC.
Haut-Medoc	Dry red	Primary: Cabernet Sauvignon Secondary: Merlot, Petite Verdot and Malbec This is also a sub-regional AOC.
St. Estephe	Dry red	Primary: Cabernet Sauvignon Secondary: Merlot and Cabernet Franc
Pauillac	Dry red	Primary: Cabernet Sauvignon Secondary: Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec
St. Julien	Dry red	Primary: Cabernet Sauvignon Secondary: Merlot and Cabernet Franc
Margaux	Dry red	Primary: Cabernet Sauvignon Secondary: Merlot -- small amounts of Petit Verdot and Malbec are also used
Listrac-Medoc	Dry red	Primary: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot Secondary: Cabernet Franc
Moulis en Medoc	Dry red	Primary: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

St. Estephe, Pauillac, St. Julien and Margaux are the four most important communal AOCs. The other two communal AOCs, Listrac-Medoc and Moulis en Medoc, are not as highly regarded. Learn more about the fine Margaux wine and Pauillac wine and why these AOCs are so important in the Medoc area.

The Medoc area also has a number of additional classification systems that help define the quality of wine in this region. Learn more about the three main Medoc wine classifications systems.

Southwestern AOCs in the Graves Wine Region

Graves is another important Bordeaux fine wine area. The first vineyards planted in Bordeaux were in this area. There are six AOCs in this area.

Graves and its AOCs are located just to the south of the city of Bordeaux. These wines are more great examples of Bordeaux fine wine available from producers on the left bank of the river.

Again, the focus in this area is red wine although only two of the six AOCs produce reds. Two-thirds of the wine production in this area is red wine.

Here are more details on the two red AOCs in this region:

AOC Name	Type of Wine	Additional AOC Details on Red Wines
Graves	Red, dry white	Graves is a sub-regional AOC. Merlot is the basis for these wines and blended with some Cabernet Sauvignon.
Pessac-Leognan	Red, dry white	This is a communal AOC that used to be part of the larger Graves AOC. The blends in this region are either based from Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.

I will not talk much about the whites in this region, but some of the most sought after sweet white wines are from AOCs in this region. Sauternes is world famous for its sweet white wines.

There is a lot to say about this area, so you can learn more about Graves wine and its importance to the Bordeaux fine wine industry.

Southeastern AOCs in the Entre-Deux-Mers Wine Region

The Entre-Deux-Mers area is a grouping of AOCs located between the bodies of water in Bordeaux. This is in the southeastern part of the Bordeaux fine wine region.

Although most of the wine grown in area is red, the majority of the Bordeaux fine wine from this region is white. You will find that the red wine in this region is not as high of quality as the other Bordeaux regions. Most of the reds grown in this region are used for two of the regional AOCs, Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur.

In addition to the regional AOCs, there are three other AOCs that produce dry, red wines.

AOC Name	Type of Wine	Additional AOC Details for Reds
Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux	Dry red	Reds are mainly Merlot mixed with some Cabernet Sauvignon. Both Cabernet Franc and Malbec are used to round out the blend.
Graves de Vayres	Dry red, sweet & dry white	Merlot is the main red in this AOC. Producers blend it with some Cabernet Sauvignon.
Sainte-Foy Bordeaux	Dry red, sweet & dry white	Reds are mainly Merlot with Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc is also used in the blends here.

Eastern AOCs in the Libournais Wine Region

Some of the AOCs that sit on the right bank are in the Libournais area. These AOCs are in and around the city of Libourne, which is where this area gets its name.

The soil is slightly different on this side of the river. Here it favors Merlot and Cabernet Franc. These are the main two red wine types used for the Bordeaux fine wine blends in this region.

There are twelve AOCs in this area. Eleven of the twelve produce only dry red wines. One AOC, Francs - Cotes de Bordeaux, also produces sweet and dry white wines.

AOC Name	Type of Wines	Additional Details on Red Wines in AOCs
Canon Fronsac	Dry red	Primary: Merlot Secondary: Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
Pomerol	Dry red	Some of the most expensive right bank wines are from this communal AOC. These wines are primarily Merlot and blended with Cabernet Franc. These are high on my list of favorites, except I do not get the chance to drink them much since they are so pricey!
Lalande de Pomerol	Dry red	Merlot is primary and is blended with Cabernet Franc.
St-George-St. Emilion
Lussac-St. Emilion
Puisseguin-St. Emilion
The Fronsac
Montagne-St. Emilion	Dry red	Primary: Merlot Secondary: Cabernet Franc and small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon
Castillon - Cotes de Bordeaux	Dry red
Francs - Cotes de Bordeaux	Dry red, sweet & dry white	Primary: Merlot Secondary: Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon
St. Emilion	Dry red	Merlot dominates in this AOC. Wines here are also blended with Cabernet Franc. These are by far some of my favorite reds from Bordeaux.
St. Emilion Grand Cru	Dry red	Mainly Merlot, but blended with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The last two AOCs on the list, St. Emilion and St. Emilion Grand Cru, use the same land area. However, producers using the St. Emilion Grand Cru AOC have higher quality standards that produce higher quality Bordeaux fine wine. Learn more about St Emilion wine and the AOCs that make up this fine red wine region.

Pomerol sits to the west of St Emilion and is another highly important AOC. Find more Pomerol wine information and learn about its world class Merlot wine.

Northeast AOCs Near Bourg and Blaye

Wines in the northeastern part of Bordeaux are located near the small towns of Blaye and Bourg. This is one of my favorite areas of Bordeaux. I highly recommend a trip over to this part of the region if you get a chance.

The last time we stayed in Bordeaux, we stayed in the small town of Blaye. It is a little sleepier than the city of Bordeaux, but it is the cutest little town. It is located right on the river and is an easy ferry ride over to the Medoc. It is also a quick drive over to Saint Emilion and other popular AOCs.

In addition to that, this region has some great high value wines. Many people are not as familiar with these wines, but I think they are very comparable to other great wines on the right bank of the river. If I had my choice, I would drink one of these wines over many others in the region.

There are five AOCs in this area. Four of them produce great dry, red wines. Most of them use Merlot as their base and blend it with Cabernet Franc. The table below has additional details on the red wine AOCs in this area.

AOC Name	Types of Wines	Additional Details on Reds in AOC
Blaye	Dry red	Merlot is the primary red and is blended mainly with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. A handful of producers also use Petit Verdot.
Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux	Dry red and white	Merlot is the dominant red and is blended mainly with Cabernet Sauvignon. Cabernet Franc and Malbec are also used in some blends.
Bourg	Dry red and white	The reds here are almost 100% Merlot.
Cotes de Bourg	Dry red and white	The reds in this AOC are the same as Bourg with most wines using just Merlot.

Find the Right Bordeaux Fine Wine for You

The great news is that Bordeaux wines are now easy to find. You can find them at wine retailers throughout the United States. You can also find them at a number of retailers online.

If you are looking for Cabernet Sauvignon, look for wines from the Medoc, Margaux, or Pauillac AOCs.

If you are looking for a great Merlot, I highly recommend Saint Emilion.

Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superier are also great options, since they are easier to find. Even though the variety is not usually on the label, you can sometimes find the blend online.

If you love Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon wine, then I highly recommend trying a great Bordeaux fine wine. Find some great deals on Bordeaux wine online today!

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