bordeaux

The Médoc Area of Saint-Émilion

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The first area I explored on my recent trip to France’s Bordeaux region was Médoc, which is situated on the Right Bank. The name Médoc is synonymous with exceptional wines. Considered as one of the world’s leading red wine producers, Médoc has been a winemaking region since the 18th century, with more than 16,000 hectares of vineyards across eight sub-appellations.

In Médoc, which is part of the Saint-Émilion appellation that has over 800 Chateaux, I visited the family-owned winery, Château Fleur Cardinale. The terroir consists of a mix of clay and limestone. Typical of Right Bank wineries, their wines consist of a blend of around 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. The blended portions vary slightly from year to year depending on the yield of each grape varietal.

La Maison Cardinale was established in 2001, when Dominique and Florence Decoster acquired Château Fleur Cardinale. In 2017, their son Ludovic and his wife Caroline took the reins of the family estate. In 2024, they created La Maison Cardinale, an entity that brings together Château Fleur Cardinale, a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé, and Château Croix Cardinale, a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru.

They have two estates, Château Fleur Cardinale and Château Croix Cardinale. Château Fleur Cardinale covers 27.6 hectares on the northern slope, producing a Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classé. The northern slope is also ideal to produce Fleur Cardinale white, in the Bordeaux appellation. Château Croix Cardinale covers 4 hectares on the southern slope, producing a Saint-Emilion Grand Cru.

While there I had the opportunity to sample 2023 “Cardinal Flower Intuition Saint-Emilion Grand Cru” and the 2019 “Grand Cru Classé, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru”. The Intuition had an intense aromatic profile of ripe black fruits. There were subtle tannins and a supple, fresh texture. The Grand Cru Classé had a sensation of fresh and intense fruit, both on the nose and in the mouth. In my opinion it was much smoother and better balanced than the Cardinal Flower Intuition.

The grapes for both wines are picked by hand. There are about 15,000 bottles of Cardinal Flower Intuition produced each year and 105,000 bottles of the Grand Cru Classé. About 80% of the wine is sold to wine agents for export with the balance being sold from the winery. Unfortunately, Château Fleur Cardinale wines do not appear to be available in Ontario liquor stores.

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My Adventure to Bordeaux

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I recently returned from a trip to the Bordeaux region of France where I took advantage of the opportunity to experience some of the finest wines in the world.

The effects of climate change are impacting the grape harvests there the same as they are in many other parts of the world. The region is facing increasing temperatures and drought conditions each year. Not helping matters is the governing regulation that prohibits vineyards to irrigate vines that are more than 3 years old.

To help try and offset the effects of climate change, I saw horses being used in place of tractors to till the weeds that were growing between the rows of grape vines, lessening the need for herbicides and reducing the generation of carbon monoxide.

The Bordeaux region is separated into 2 distinct areas: the Left Bank and the Right Bank. To help identify which is which, the city of Bordeaux is situated on the Left Bank.

Bordeaux’s wine areas are often categorized into five main zones, primarily based on their location in relation to the Gironde, Garonne, and Dordogne rivers. These zones are: The Médoc, Graves and Sauternais, The Libournais, Blaye and Bourg and Entre-Deux-Mers.  During our trip I visited wineries on both the Left Bank and Right Bank.

The Left Bank, often referred to as the Médoc and Graves, produces red wines, while the Right Bank, including Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, also focuses on red wines. Entre-Deux-Mers produces both red and white wines, and the Graves and Sauternais are known for their sweet white wines.

There are five Bordeaux wine classifications. These classifications serve as an expression of quality and prestige worldwide. The principle of the crus classés (“classified growths”) illustrates the synthesis of a terroir’s typical characteristics and dedicated human intervention over many generations to ensure quality. However, a wine or appellation can still be outstanding even if it is not a part of these classifications. The classifications are listed in order of seniority:

  • The 1855 classification
  • The Graves classification
  • The Saint-Émilion classification
  • The Crus Bourgeois du Médoc classification
  • The Crus Artisans classification

For a winery in Bordeaux to be referred to as a Château, the property must include a large house, vineyards and a place to make wine.

The age of the vines impacts the quality of the Bordeaux wine. The older the vine, the more expensive the wine. The roots on old vines extend much deeper and extend further int the soil. This adds minerality to the fruit, which in turn adds complexity to the flavour of the wine.

One thing I found interesting on this trip was how the various winery staff pronounced Cabernet Franc. I was always under the impression that Cabernet Franc was pronounced as the French do, with the ‘c’ in Franc being silent – ka·br·nay frong, but I now found out that it is acceptable to pronounce it in English as ka·br·nay frank.

Over the next few weeks I will describe my adventures through the region, as well as the wineries I had the opportunity to experience.

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Right and Left Bank Bordeaux Wines

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Bordeaux; most people have heard of this French wine region, which is one of the most famous Old World wine regions, but many people don’t understand it. To begin with, Bordeaux is divided into two sections, referred to as the Left Bank and the Right Bank. The banks refer to the left (west)and right (east) bank of the Gironde Estuary and Garonne River.

The Left and Right banks have significantly different terroirs. A terroir is the natural environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as the soil, topography, and climate.  

The soil is rockier on the Left Bank. It is packed with gravel and deep deposits of limestone which serves to provide more character and potential quality in the wine. This is why Left Bank wines are considered prime candidates for aging, while Right Bank wines are generally thought to be smoother and more drinkable at the time they are released for sale.

This is not to suggest that Right Bank wines are simple and boring. With limestone closer to the surface and less gravel for the vine roots to contend with, the wines of the Right Bank don’t lack character; it’s just that they possess a different kind of character.

When it comes to the grape varietals grown, because of the differences in the terroir between the Left and Right Bank, each supports its own type of grape. As a result, this is often the best way to distinguish between a Left and Right Bank Bordeaux, as the label will not often tell you. Left Bank wines are mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with a smaller portion of Merlot. The Right Bank wines are dominated by Merlot balanced by a smaller proportion of Cabernet.

The Cabernet dominated Left Bank wines tend to be higher in tannin, thus the reason why they age well. Aging the wine helps to mellow out the tannins and integrate the flavors of the wine. Merlot-based Right Bank wines are generally smoother, with softer fruit flavours as tannins are not as dominating.

The last comparison is between the wineries or chateaux themselves. These are the castle-like structures that appear on many of the Bordeaux wine labels.  Generally, the Left Bank chateaux have larger vineyards than those of the Right Bank. Left Bank vineyards are on average 5o to 80 hectares in size versus those of the Right Bank, which only have a maximum of about 30 hectares. However, this is only a fun-fact as vineyard size really has no impact on the quality or character of the wine. Arguably the most renown chateaux include Chateau Margaux, Lafite, and Mouton Rothschild on the Left Bank and Petrus and Cheval Blanc from the Right Bank.

So, which wines are better?  Neither. If you are looking for a wine to enjoy with dinner tonight, a Right Bank wine is probably the better choice, whereas if you are looking for a wine to age and appreciate in the future, you will find that a Left Bank wine will improve with age and provide a delightfully satisfying experience when it is uncorked in a few years’ time.

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