Bordeaux Rouge

Red

(Bordeaux Rouge pronunciation: Bore-dough Roo-ige)

Bordeaux Rouge, or 'red Bordeaux', wines make up 89% of the wines produced in Bordeaux. Wines from this region are usually a blend of two or more of the traditional Bordeaux grape varieties which French law has restricted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and occasionally Carménère. A classic Bordeaux Rouge is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes with the majority being Cabernet Sauvignon. A notable exception to what are primarily blended wines, a number of Bordeaux wines from St. Emilion and Pomerol contain 100% Merlot.

The choice to blend or not depends on conditions such as the terroir, soil and weather during the growing season. The resulting character, style and quality of the wine(s) from each harvest will dictate whether and how they are to be blended. These decisions are typically made by the winemaker just prior to bottling. The concept of terroir is also the rational behind naming Old World wines after the region, such as Bordeaux, rather than the varietals included in the blend. These details are invaluable to winemakers and are ultimately reflected in the finished wine. Red Bordeaux wines are arguably the most famous and desirable wines in the world. Many winemakers around the world including in California try to emulate the wines of Bordeaux.

We have featured Bordeaux Rouge wines in our International Wine Club.