Bordeaux the largest vineyard in France.
This beautiful city is located in the southwest of France and is synonymous with fine wine
particularly for reds.
This reputation has been built over roughly 2,000 years since the Romans first started planting vines.
Over this time, this iconic region has established its terroir and viticulture as one of the most famed around the world
Terroir is a soil, the vine, the topography
the slope and
All this has formed over million years
This unique term of terroir is something we have been working for
many centuries
To arrive to this final magical word. What is your definition of terroir? How would you describe it in one sentence?
it's a combination of
natural factors and the human factors that we are so it's a combination of. So you are terroir? Yes, part of!
Located just one hour inland from the coast, Bordeaux sits on the east bank of the Garonne river
Which together with the Dordogne river,
create the Gironde estuary. It is these waterways that split Bordeaux into its two famous halves of left bank and
right bank
These water systems heavily
influence the terroir of the region from the climate to the soil and have become an integral part of Bordeaux's winemaking history
For example Bordeaux's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean is amplified by the Gironde estuary which channels the oceanic breeze inland
This results in a maritime climate of warm summers and cool winters without the potentially negative impact of drastic
temperature fluctuations experienced in other regions such as Burgundy and Champagne
Bordeaux has a warmer average temperature than most of the other wine regions in France
However, due to the potential for high rainfall particularly at harvest time, vintages can vary drastically
Bordeaux's production is made up of 90%
red wine, with six permitted grape varieties the first five of which are known as the noble grapes of France. However,
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc make up 99% of all red grapes planted.
Bordeaux's wines are almost always a blend of two or more of these grapes, which is known as a Bordeaux blend.
On Bordeaux's left bank, where soils are primarily gravel,
Cabernet Sauvignon is the predominant grape. On the right bank, where soils are richer in clay and limestone,
Merlot thrives.
Although not a large percentage of its production, Bordeaux also produces famed sweet white wines from the Appellations of Sauternes and Barsac
which are usually a blend of Semillon,
Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. These white grapes along with a tiny portion of Sauvignon
Gris, are also used to produce white wines particularly on Bordeaux's left bank
These wines have grown in popularity in recent years as their reputation has increased
You mentioned something very interesting about your white wines
And you are recognized for having some of the best white wines in Bordeaux
Do you want to tell me a little bit about white wines in this region? In the Pessac, we have excellent soil
Because of the proximity with the Garonne river and Haut-Lafitte means high heel,
You know so somewhere it stands for quality
that's very important for us because
It's not totally flat. There is a pronounced slope
So the terroir and and the slope is really what's giving us
The quality white wines. Exactly. Do you think you could compare Bordeaux white to Burgun White's? Is there a comparison to be made?
It takes it takes about a better Montrachet to quiet me.
But before my friends, we have many friends in Burgundy,
And before they would tell me well 'Florence give me red', and for the last 20 years 'oh give me more of your white'.
Although Bordeaux's vineyards span over a massive
100,000 hectares, the viticultural processors in the region maintain relative consistency
vine training in the region tends to follow the traditional Guyot system, with Double Guyot common on the left bank and
single more common on the right
Producers are gradually moving towards more sustainable
agricultural practices, such as organic and biodynamic approaches to viticulture.
However, climatic variation can make this a challenge. There is a big trend around organic wines
And I know that you guys are indeed organic and also
Biodynamic for some of some of the estate, how do you think that impacts final consumers decisions today?
How important is it to be organic? It's more and more important and it's a trend
which is
Bound to last but it's a long way we have been organic since the beginning but much too fast
because it was a beautiful terroir, but chemical you could work like on ice, you know, and
We are consistent. I
Never wear a fur coat in my life. I always bike in my vineyard
so we believe of course in bio and biodynamic, organic and
but that does not mean that we suppress as I say the satellites, the drones,
Optical machines. We invest in best technologies. Yeah, but we invest also in everything which is
helping us to be
totally organic
The natural conditions as well as the human influence over viticulture and wine making create the unique and diverse terroir of Bordeaux
however, as climate change becomes an even more prevalent issue the terroir may change as winemakers increasingly need to adapt and
Look to the future to tackle these challenges.