Great wines by the glass: you should know these exciting Bordeaux regions

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The 1,435-hectare Pessac-Léognan winegrowing region is located south of the city of Bordeaux and was officially put into operation in 1987. Respected chateaux such as Haut Brion or La Mission Haut Brion have been setting the tone in terms of quality and price for decades and have already bottled many of the wines of the century. The region, which also has largely gravelly soils, also has the highest quality dry Bordeaux white wines made from Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon grape varieties.

In addition to the two best châteaus, there are other Pessac-Léognan wineries whose names you should know: Les Carmes Haut-Brion, Domaine de Chevalier, Haut-Bailly, Smith Haut Lafitte, Pape Clément, Haut-Bergey or, for example, Château La, which remains on the ground Louvière’s price. The maximum allowable harvest is 54 hectoliters per hectare, and red wines can often be stored for decades. Some Pessac-Léognan red wines develop a smoky aroma reminiscent of hot bricks as they age.

Slightly less showy than Pessac-Léognan and with a planted area more than twice as large, this Bordeaux region also offers red and white wines. The maximum allowable yield is slightly higher than in Pessac-Léognan, while quality and prices are lower. White wines called Graves Supérieures AOC are also sweet. Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes used for this purpose are harvested relatively late and are affected by noble rot in some years. Red wines from Châteaus Brondelle, Haura and Clos Floridene are of particular interest.

Dessert wine lovers will get their money’s worth in these two areas. Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes grown here are regularly affected by noble rot. The fungus attacks the fruit skin, causing moisture to escape from the fruit and evaporate in hot weather. This concentrates the sugar and ingredients, so such fruits are ideal for making dessert wine. Vintners in both regions are allowed to process only 25 hectoliters per hectare, but in reality yields are often significantly lower.

The dessert wines of Barsac and Sauternes carry distinctive aromas and flavors of ripe citrus, stone and tropical fruits, honey and light vanilla notes resulting from contact with new oak. However, demand for sweet wines from these two regions has decreased greatly in recent years. In response to this, more and more dry wine is now being produced. Château d’Yquem is Bordeaux’s most famous and expensive dessert wine, but other wineries such as Château Climens, Rieussec, Suduiraut, Lafaurie-Peyraguey and Sigalas Rabaud also produce great results.

Source : Blick