Basic Bordeaux
Having cantered through all the major regions and appellations of Bordeaux, looking at the top left-bank communes where many cru classé châteaux hang out, the more Medieval vineyards of Graves and its many enclaves, and then across to the ancient right-bank terroirs largely Roman in origin, from Castillon right down to Blaye, you might think we have covered most of what Bordeaux has to offer. In one way we have, but taking a different viewpoint we might consider ourselves to have only just scratched the surface.
In taking this vicarious journey through the famous appellations listed in the box, right, we have trodden in the footsteps of countless vignerons, merchants, bankers, négociants, wine writers and wine critics. These are regions which have been picked over for centuries, in some cases millennia, by those who make wine, those who deal in it, and those who write about it. It is easy to conclude, therefore, that those regions with the greatest potential have long been recognised and elevated to a suitable position. And everywhere else is, presumably, of lesser interest.
Well, there is some truth to this. There is certainly a coarse hierarchy here; as a rule of thumb, I would say drinkers are much more likely to get excited about Pauillac and Pomerol than they are Moulis or Montagne-St-Emilion. And likewise these latter appellations are perhaps more interesting than very generic ones, such as the Entre-Deux-Mers, Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux or even just good old basic Bordeaux. But we should not confuse a lack of grandeur in these lesser appellations with a deficiency of wines of interest.
