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Bordeaux · Appellation régionale · Red (a little white)

Bordeaux supérieur — terroir, soils & grape varieties

The same area as the Bordeaux appellation, but a notch higher in requirements. Older vines, lower yields, higher alcohol content and mandatory ageing: Bordeaux Supérieur denotes more concentrated reds with greater cellaring potential, without changing terroir but with a change in ambition.

A more demanding Bordeaux

Bordeaux Supérieur shares exactly the same area as the Bordeaux appellation — the whole of the Gironde — but imposes stricter quality criteria. The wines often come from older vines, and above all they follow a more demanding set of specifications.

What sets it apart from Bordeaux

Three requirements make the difference: lower yields (a guarantee of concentration), a higher minimum alcohol content (hence riper grapes), and above all mandatory ageing before release — often in vat or barrel until the spring following the harvest. The appellation mainly concerns red wine, with a small production of sweet whites.

The result: fuller, more structured reds with greater longevity than a simple Bordeaux, while remaining excellent value for money.

The grape varieties of Bordeaux supérieur

Merlot →red — majority grape variety, flesh and roundness
Cabernet-sauvignon & cabernet franc →red — structure and cellaring potential
Malbec & petit verdot →complementary grape varieties

Bordeaux supérieur wines on 1001caves

Detailed pages: the cuvée, the estate, the drinking window and the bottles for sale between collectors.

Château La Blanquerie 2019Bordeaux Supérieur→Château La Sauvegarde 2020Bordeaux Supérieur→Domaine de la Grave - Tradition 2018Bordeaux Supérieur→La Gaffelière - Chapelle d'Aliénor 2020Bordeaux Supérieur→
Buy a Bordeaux supérieur →
Sources: Wikipédia — Bordeaux supérieur