Graves Tasting, 2004
Graves lies south of the city of Bordeaux, and so south of the Médoc. The Graves vineyards lie along the left bank of the Garonne, as it flows to its rendezvous with the Dordogne, at which point it becomes the Gironde. This is one of the longest established vignobles of Bordeaux; there was viticulture here as far back as the Middle Ages, centuries before many of the leading properties of the Médoc were established. The region’s leading château, Château Haut-Brion, dates back to the mid-16th century.
There is gravel in Graves – hence the name – but the soils also include patches of clay, sand and chalk, often containing many embedded sea shells; a testament to the proximity of the Garonne, the course of which has varied over the millennia. The depth of gravel varies, and is as deep as three metres in places, forming well defined outcrops. This well drained and impoverished soil is credited with much of the character and quality of the wines of this region.
In 1987 the expanse of vineyards that make up Graves were, after many years of pressure from the leading producers, further categorised, with the northernmost section receiving a new appellation,Bordeaux Wine Guide: Pessac-Léognan Pessac-Léognan. Here can be found all the châteaux of major interest, including Château Haut-Brion, Château Haut-Bailly and others (see my page on the Graves classification for further details on the châteaux of Graves). As an aside, it is also worth noting that although Graves is known for dry whites as well as reds, it also encompasses the smaller appellations of Barsac and Sauternes which lie on the banks of the Garonne, not far from Langon.
Of all the left bank communes, it is probably Graves with which I am least familiar. And this is peculiar, because I frequently find great pleasure when I do chance across one. I should endeavour to drink more of these wines – the following small tasting goes a tiny way towards putting this right. The tasting below presents just eight wines from the region, from five of the top properties, assessed in a blind fashion. (26/10/04)
