Bordeaux: Articles on France's Bordeaux Wine Region

Of all Bordeaux first growths, perhaps none is as well known, both inside and outside of the wine world, as Chateau Lafite Rothschild.  Its name transcends wine, standing as a symbol of luxury.  How did it get this lofty reputation?  And, more importantly is, it deserved?  The answer to the second question is a definite yes.  This article will explore the first question in more detail.

The History:
Records of this estate stretch as far back as 1234 when Gombaud de Lafite, abbot of the Vertheuil Monastery north of Pauillac, owned the property.  The name Lafite comes from "la hite", a Gascon expression meaning "small hill."  Records from the 14th century indicate that it was not a vineyard, but what the French call a seigneurie.   This is an estate run by a lord and others who are effectively sharecroppers.  The manor house was constructed in the 1500s and still standing today.

Read part one of the First Growths Series.

The Ségur family bought the property in the 1600s.  Jacques de Ségur planted the vineyard in 1680 although grapes were no doubt grown before that.  By the early 1700s, thanks to Nicolas-Alexandre, Marquis de Ségur, Chateau Lafite wines were very popular with those wealthy enough to afford them, first in English Society (where it was a favorite of Prime Minster Robert Walpole) and later in French society. 

IntoWine.com asked a panel of wine experts for their recommendation for the best Bordeaux Red (for the money):

There are a lot of great wines being made in Bordeaux.  Some can cost over $1,000 for a bottle.  That bottle, in addition to the cost, should be cellared for ten to thirty years to justify the cost of the wine.  There are, however, hundreds, if not thousands of other Bordeaux wines available at every price point and in a multitude of styles.  It is pretty easy to name the famous wines, be it the classified growths or some of the right bank stars.  I am going to go another direction, however, and name a wine that has been on a roll in the last ten years producing very good wine at reasonable pricing.  That wine is Chateau de Fonbel.  This is a mostly Merlot blend from St. Emillion.  The owners are the same owners as Chateau Ausone whose wines can cost $1,000 a bottle.  Fonbel’s wines cost between $20 and $40 depending on vintage.  They are soft and supple and drink well on release, but improve in the cellar for ten years.  In better vintages such as 2005, this wine should last fifteen years or more. - Loren Sonkin is an IntoWine.com Featured Contributor and the Founder/Winemaker at Sonkin Cellars

My recent article, Bordeaux Wine Region in France: World's Most Famous Fine Wine Region, offered a general overview on the wines of Bordeaux.  One group of wines in this region that doesn’t get as much coverage is the dry white wines.  There are quite a bit of dry white Bordeaux wines made.  Unfortunately, most of it is of less than stellar quality.  There are some, however, that are the best wines in the world, capable of ageing for decades.

Located in the middle of the Haut-Médoc district of the Left Bank in Bordeaux, Saint-Julien is the smallest of the fantastic four appellations which include Saint-Estèphe and Paulliac to the north as well as Margaux to the south.  So what sets Saint-Julien apart from the rest of the Haut-Médoc ACs?