Origins of Bordeaux - The First Fine Wine Region
Bordeaux is without question one of the modern wine world’s foundation stones and remains a powerhouse to this very day. The Bordeaux story begins shortly after Julius Caesar led the Romans to conquer Gaul, pacifying the wild land that is modern France over 2,000 years ago. The earliest reports of agricultural endeavours along the Gironde are documented by Pliny the Elder in 71 AD where it was noted that the maritime climate and alluvial soils were ideally placed for wine viticulture.
The fall of the Roman empire ended the imperial protection of Bordeaux and the region was ravaged by Vandals, Goths and Visigoths which essentially halted wine production. The marriage of Henry Plantagenet (Henry II) to Eleanor of Aquitaine brought Bordeaux under English rule which abolished export duties on Bordeaux into England which resulted in Bordeaux Claret becoming a favourite of the English.
1337 to 1453 was a tumultuous period as it coincided with the Hundred Years War and sweep of the Black Death through England, spelling disaster for Bordeaux. This dark period ended in the mid-17th century when the region enlisted Dutch engineers to drain the Medoc marshes along the Gironde, which created vast plots of fertile land ideally situated on gravelly soils for Cabernet Sauvignon cultivation. This decision might very well be the most important in Bordeaux’s history and is credited with ushering in Bordeaux’s second golden era - now producing quantities able to meet the demand of Europe wide distribution.
1855 is the most famous year in Bordeaux history, as this catapulted Bordeaux to global superstardom thanks to Napoleon III’s commission of the ‘Great Classification of Bordeaux’ where Medoc and Sauternes producers were systematically ranked based on lineage, quality and position in the market. This classification was undertaken for the Paris Exposition Universelle and is still regarded as the foremost classification system for any wine producing region globally.
This moment in Bordeaux history provides a perfect opportunity to assess the estates that defined the reputation upon which the modern fine wine trade is built. The 10 most prominent Chateaux of the age largely remain powerhouses to this day.
The Four First Growths
Chateau Lafite (now Lafite-Rothschild) became the archetype for a premier estate in Bordeaux. The prestige of production was built upon centuries of demand in the British and Dutch markets, revered as a luxury claret. Prime place on the gravel soils of the Pauillac Plateau and continued striving for vineyard development provided a backbone of price and presence in European trade records which formed the basis of the Classification.
Chateau Latour, also in Pauillac, cemented a place on the pedestal as the concentrated and intense Pauillac counterpart to Lafite throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. This was a quality and stylistic benchmark that set it apart.
Chateau Margaux rounded out the Medoc trio through aristocratic patronage, iconic building design and decidedly elegant style, not just raw power. This identity created a social cachet amongst royalty & the ruling class that set it apart in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
Chateau Haut-Brion, the only Graves producer to receive any level of classification, was impossible to overlook as it had well established fame across the continent before any of the other major estates. The iconic polished & smokey character to the wine and long-standing trade recognition provided a gravitas to the Classification that was impossible to ignore.
Chateau d’Yquem
In a class of its own, the premier Sauternes wine was the dominant force of sweet wine production in the 18th century and remains the dominant force in sweet wine production to this day. Chateau d’Yquem had a singular reputation unmatched globally and was rewarded with a sole classification unto itself.
The Right Bank
Whilst the Great Classification highlighted Left-Bank wine production, 3 estates on the Right-Bank were prized to the same level as the top Medoc contemporaries.
Chateau Ausone and Chateau Cheval Blanc in Saint-Emilion were true counterweights to the Medoc dominance, the former prized for concentration and power while the latter offered finesse and aromatic intensity.
Chateau Petrus was considered a boutique producer even in the pre-Classification era, but its extraordinary concentration and micro-climate terroir was highly prized among the elite connoisseurs of Bordeaux - much as it is today.
The Lesser Growths
Chateau Cos d’Estournel was the pre-eminent producer of Saint-Estèphe not through a regal history, but through entrepreneurial innovation and investment. This approach made it one of the first Bordeaux wines to be shipped internationally and provided a dynamic avenue for growth of the region's estates whilst also dictating metrics for the Classification.
Chateau Leoville of Saint-Julien no longer exists as the same sprawling powerhouse it was in the 18th and 19th centuries, later divided into the separate estates of Leoville-Barton, Leoville-Las Cases and Leoville-Poyferre. The heritage of the Leoville name, which defined the Saint-Julien appellation, also helped provide a framework for the Classification.
Episode 2: Bordeaux in the Modern Age will continue the story of Bordeaux as it navigated the hurdles of the 20th century to maintain its place upon the summit of fine wine production.