Bordeaux

There may be more to it than meets the eye. When it comes to wine, consumers are confronted with a dizzying array of choices from a vast number of producers, large and small, from all over the world. France alone has more than 85,000 wine growers, either independent vignerons each producing under their own label, or producers that sell their grapes to regional cooperatives such as the 33 that exist in Bordeaux. Moreover, unlike other products, wine brands do not typically advertise to their consumers. This means that, in the absence of specific knowledge, many of us tend to rely solely on the price when it comes to choosing wines. We are also heavily dependent upon the label on the bottle to convey information that we need when we make our choice. This means that a wine’s label is incredibly important to us, as well as to the producers. While wine labels necessarily convey key information such as the brand or producer, the country and region where it was produced, the vintage (year it was produced), a quality indication such as Grand Cru, and, sometimes, the variety, or varieties, of grapes used, it is also necessary for the label to convey something even more fundamental, and that is the wine’s character, or personality. In fact, wine producers may have been the very first “brands” in the world. Wine amphorae dating as far back 1500BCE which have been discovered at the bottom of the Aegean Sea were found to carry identification marks which would have distinguished their contents from other products, as well perhaps as other producers. Today, wine labels need to do much more than communicate specific information. They need to set up the framework for a relationship between the consumer and the producer that will encourage the consumer to select them above all of the dozens (even hundreds) of other bottles that might be available to them at a particular moment in time. That’s quite a task for a medium that is typically just 9cm by 10cm. But what wine producers have learned — alongside car, computer and jeans brands — is that people often buy products that reflect their concepts of themselves. “Consumers shop for meaning, not for stuff”, in other words. This presents a huge opportunity for wine producers to paint their brands large on this tiny tableau, and anyone sober enough to pay attention over the last twenty years will have noticed the revolution in wine label design that has come about as markets have expanded and spread across the world. Helping consumers to understand the flavour of what is contained in the bottle is one way of setting up a relationship that will trigger a purchase. The label can do this in a number of ways, including the colours, graphic elements and even the texture of the label itself. Light, airy shapes, forms and colours might indicate a light, airy white wine, for example. This information is often conveyed without the consumer even being aware that this is happening, or that the questions he is asking (“what am I going to drink with my chicken dinner this evening?”) are being answered. In relation to texture, a heavy label paper would immediately indicate that a wine of quality is to be found within the glass walls of the bottle. But the producer might want to tell a different story, particularly if they come from legacy wine producing regions such as Bordeaux. These producers, assuming that the consumer is somewhat familiar with the character of their wines, might wish to emphasise their comforting relationships with tradition, culture and the land. There is so much potential for so much storytelling even on the tiny piece of paper that the typical wine label is made of. So the next time you’re browsing an array of wines, take a moment to check out the designs, the colours, textures and forms, and think about what they’re saying, and why one may be appealing to you more than others. It might help you to choose more consciously the next time.

The vineyards of this single region of France far exceed the acreage under vines of countries such as New Zealand and Germany, and are not far behind that of countries such as South Africa and Australia Whatever about drinking it, just thinking about wine can give you a headache if you don’t approach it with moderation. The history of wine goes back 8,000 years. There are more than 10,000 wine grape varietals in the world and even using the same grapes will produce different tastes in different parts of the world, depending on the soil, climate and methods used. And even then, how the wine tastes to you in the glass may depend as much on the lighting of the room you’re in as the actual taste of what’s in the glass. It’s a vast world of terroirs, traditions, technologies, climates, customs, varietals, variables, weird words and, frankly, weirder points of view. To sauvignon blanc fans, the scent of cat pee is to be welcomed, for example. This makes wine selection for a lot of people something of a shot in the dark based on vague ideas around preferences and unreliable indicators such as price. No wonder if it all feels very arcane, impenetrable and, frankly, intimidating. But as with so many things, building up bite-sized understandings around wine is one of those things that always yields wider insights than at first thought. Which brings us to Bordeaux, perhaps one of the least bite-sized wine-producing regions of them all. With 110,000 hectares under vines — around one and a half times the size of Pailin Province — the vineyards of this single region of France far exceed the acreage under vines of countries such as New Zealand and Germany, and are not far behind that of countries such as South Africa and Australia. On the other hand, they’ve only been producing wine for 2,000 years and the overwhelming majority of the near one-billion bottles of wine that Bordeaux produces each year are derived from just three grapes. So it already looks a little more manageable. In a global scheme of things at least. So here’s a whistestop tour of the regions you’ll find represented on Topaz’s menu. For the most part, Bordeaux wines are red. Indeed, many are surprised by a mention of white Bordeaux, which is not surprising as whites account for just 8% (around five million cases) of the annual production. We can save those for another day. For the reds with which most people are familiar, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon reign supreme, with Cabernet Franc trailing, importantly, behind. Between them, they account for 88% of all grapes cultivated in Bordeaux. Another three varieties, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenere, account for just over 1% more of terrain. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are responsible for the gutsy fruitiness for which Bordeaux wines are famous, and also for their enduring appeal as wines for laying down for the future. These two grapes have been reliable bedfellows in Bordeaux, and beyond, for centuries with Cabernet Sauvignon’s tannins providing the deep flavour, austere structure and durability, which are in turn mellowed by Merlot’s lush fruitiness. The third wheel, Cabernet Franc, is lighter bodied with a distinct herby fragrance. But given Bordeaux’s size, and the consequent diversity in weather, soils and traditions, how these grapes express themselves depends a lot on where they’ve been cultivated. Bordeaux itself is divided by the Gironde Estuary, which splits as it approaches the city. This estuary is why you may have heard of Left and Right Bank wines from the region. On the Left Bank, Médoc is Bordeaux’s, and possibly the world’s, most famous wine district. Once nothing but unremarkable salt-marshes and pine forests, the marshes have long since been drained and the forests retained to help protect vines from the harsh Atlantic winds. Underneath, gravelly soil provides much needed drainage and heat retention for one the wettest and mildest parts of Bordeaux. Médoc is further divided between Bas-Médoc and Haut-Médoc (Low and High-Médoc). Bas-Médoc wines are generally noted for being easy-drinking, with less acidity and notes of berries, liquorice and roasted coffee. These can be drunk on their own, but are elevated when paired with rich red meats such as beef, lamb and duck, firm-flavoured cheeses such as Brie, Gouda and Comté, and robust desserts like tiramisu. If you’re looking for a quality wine, then you’ll want a Haut-Médoc, at the southern end of the Médoc flank. This is where you’ll find the ultra-prestige appellations, Margaux, Moulis, Listrac, St-Julien, Pauillac and St. Estèphe. This is where you’ll find wines that are deeper, more complex, acidic, with more structure and texture thanks to the tannins, and with notes of liquorice, blackberry and spices. This might be a bit strong to swill on its own, but goes beautifully with rich meats and cheeses, or perhaps something as simply but umami-rich as a mushroom omelette. Further south of the Médoc is Graves, which benefits from the same gravelly terrain as Haut-Médoc. However, they use more Merlot and Cabernet Franc in their blends to create wines that are more aromatic, but with good structure, and notes of chocolate, spices, vanilla and roasted coffee. Graves is also home to Pessac-Léognan, one of the youngest, but best known appellations. Over on the right side of the estuary you find Libournais, home to some of the most sought-after names in Bordeaux, in particular Saint-Émilion, Pomerol and Fronsac. Here, Merlot’s and Cabernet Franc’s dominance gives robustly plummy wines with a gentler character than their Left-Bank cousins. Saint-Émilion is especially renowned for its deep, rich and “fleshy” wines, but the highly diverse soils and blends used mean that choosing a Saint-Émilion is not strictly a task for the light-hearted, or light-pocketed. Finally, we have Bordeaux Supérieur which is part of the Bordeaux AOC appellation. Bordeaux Supérieur are noted for their robustness and complexity, with generously fruity, floral and spicy overtones. This is one of the most wide-ranging appellations, covering a huge area of Bordeaux … Read more