BORDEAUX PRESENTS: THE NEW REDS Contemporary Wines and Unexpected Cuvées Think you know Bordeaux wines? Bordeaux’s new reds are challenging long-held perceptions of the region. Fresh and fruit-forward in style, the next generation of Bordeaux reds explores historic varieties, unexpected blends and a contemporary approach that includes vegan and sulphitefree offerings.
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THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BORDEAUX’S NEW REDS
• They are more supple, fruity, and expressive with less oak aging and influence. • They are ready-to-drink young but still possess great aging potential. • They reflect Bordeaux’s terroir with minimal interventions in the vineyards and the cellar. • They have renewed interest in historic and indigenous grape varieties — Petit Verdot, Carménère, Malbec — to produce unexpected blends or even single grape variety cuvées. • They utilize alternative aging vessels, such as stainless steel, amphora, terracotta, “foudres” and concrete to promote lively expression with natural micro-oxigenation. • They cater to modern drinkers with new labelling practices and sulphite-free and vegan offerings.
THE NEW WORLD OF BORDEAUX REDS 89% of the Bordeaux vineyard is planted with red grape varieties. Merlot occupies 66% of the surface area, Cabernet Sauvignon 22%, Cabernet Franc 9% and other red grape varieties (Malbec or Côt, Petit Verdot and Carménère) 3%. Petit Verdot, Carménère and Malbec are driving a dynamic growth trend. Over the past 20 years, these so-called secondary varieties have doubled in surface area (from 3,684 to 7,887 acres). The transformation from vineyard to winery is the result of the growing willingness of Bordeaux producers to guarantee sustainable production in the face of climate change.
THE RED GRAPE VARIETIES OF BORDEAUX MERLOT Merlot is an early-ripening grape variety and is the first red grape to be harvested. It has aromas of fresh red fruits (cherry, plum, raspberry, strawberry), and a bouquet marked by notes of undergrowth and truffle as it ages. Merlot tannins soften quickly and allow for earlier drinking (2 or 3 years old) but can still age well. When blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot brings roundness and suppleness.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON Cabernet Sauvignon ripens rather late (8 to 10 days after the Merlot) and delivers aromas of black currant, chocolate and sweet spices. Highly pigmented and tannic, wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon have excellent aging potential.
CABERNET FRANC Cabernet Franc matures about 8 days after Merlot, but earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. This grape variety lends structure to the wine and a measured level of tannins that allows it to age fairly quickly. Aromas of red fruits (strawberry, raspberry), black currant, herbs and a great freshness characterize Cabernet Franc.
PETIT VERDOT Petit Verdot is a challenging grape variety to manage through the ripening process, and is known to deploy long and fragile shoots that are very labor-intensive. Petit Verdot produces tannic and highquality wines with aromas of liquorice, violet, spice and leather.
CARMÉNÈRE Very sensitive to sagging on the vine, Carménère prefers warm soils. A precocious, vigorous but not very fertile grape variety, Carménère produces highly pigmented and tannic wines, characterized by low acidity, a slight bitterness and aromas of chocolate, blackberry and cherry.
MALBEC
555
235,000
MILLION BOTTLES
ACRES OF REDS GRAPE VARIETIES
51%
AOC BORDEAUX ET BORDEAUX SUPÉRIEUR
21%
AOC MÉDOC ET GRAVES
14%
AOC CÔTES DE BORDEAUX
13%
AOC ST-EMILION – POMEROL - FRONSAC
(2019 data)
Malbec is an early-ripening grape variety known for high tannins that lend a deep color and aging capacity to the end wine. Malbec has woody, smoky, spicy and violet aromas. If harvested too early or at extreme yields, Malbec can generate herbaceous and vegetal aromas.
INNOVATIVE PRACTICES FROM THE VINEYARD TO THE CELLAR Less is more for many producers, who practice a minimal intervention approach designed to maximize the expression of place.
SOURCES OF RENEWAL Bordeaux winemakers are rediscovering once-forgotten grape varieties. Petit Verdot, Carménère and Malbec are all making a comeback in new plantings. The addition of more varieties allows winemakers to develop highly personalized blends: even a small addition can have a significant impact on the profile of the wine. These grape varieties are often more difficult to master from an agronomic point of view (long, fragile branches and difficult pruning) or more complicated in production terms, but producers accept these challenges in favor of the positive benefits. For example, Petit Verdot is well-suited to climate change and now regularly reaches optimum ripeness levels.
IN THE VINEYARD • The grapes are harvested early and at the peak of ripeness to retain young berry, fruit aromas. • From harvest to the end of vinification, the wines are treated in individual batches. Plot management allows more precision and expression of a terroir. • Producers are planting vines on cooler plots that have less exposure to the sun in order to preserve the qualities of each terroir.
WINEMAKING • Shorter and gentler maceration cycles reduce tannic extraction while retaining subtlety. • Pumping over is less systematic and performed sparingly with minimal intervention.
AGEING • More limited time in oak barrels and a variety of aging vessels reduce woody aromas in favor of more immediate approachability. • Large, 500-liter barrels (compared to the traditional 225-liter size) preserve freshness • Neutral vessels such as stainless steel tanks and concrete require less energy to heat and cool • Terracotta or sandstone amphorae promote micro-oxygenation and minimize woody aromas • Ovoid vats (also known as concrete eggs) for maturation on fine lees
WINES FOR OUR TIMES: FROM VEGANAND SULPHITE-FREE TO ALTERNATIVE PACKAGING VEGAN & SULPHITE FREE In response to consumer demand, a growing number of Bordeaux properties offer vegan and sulphite-free options. What’s in the bottle is also reflected in creative, new packaging, yet another sign of the changing times.
COLORFUL LABELS AND BRAND NAMES A departure from traditional Château taxonomy, new packaging expresses the creativity of the new Bordeaux reds with some opting for a non-Bordelais shape.
www.bordeaux.com Cecile Ha, cecile.ha@vins-bordeaux.fr International Press Relations Officer, Conseil lnterprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux C.I.V.B.
www.gregoryvine.com Helen Gregory, helen@gregoryvine.com Emma Mrkonic, emma@gregoryvine.com