The appellation covering the whole of the Gironde
The Bordeaux appellation is the most general in the vineyard: it applies to the entire Gironde département, with most communes eligible (except for palus, marsh and forest areas). It is the base of the famous pyramid of Bordeaux appellations, above which rise the more specific regional appellations, then the communal ones.
It comes in several colours: red (by far the most produced), dry white, rosé and clairet — a dark rosé typical of Bordeaux, heir to the "claret" beloved of the English.
Grape varieties and styles
The reds mainly blend merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, with a little malbec and petit verdot; the whites combine sauvignon, sémillon and muscadelle. The immense diversity of Gironde terroirs — gravel, clay-limestone, boulbènes — is reflected in the variety of the wines.
These are, for the most part, wines of immediate pleasure: supple, fruity reds, crisp dry whites, thirst-quenching rosés and clairets, to be drunk young. The Bordeaux appellation embodies the generosity and accessibility of a legendary vineyard.