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You’re invited! Join us in honoring the region of Bordeaux with a special collection of wines in our Premium Selection. The Premium Bordeaux Event will be Wednesday, October 20. These curated wines are perfect for both an exploratory sipper and experienced collector.

Read on to learn about the history of Bordeaux wines and what makes them so special, in addition to getting a sneak peek of some of the featured bottles.

Grand Cru Classé of Médoc and Graves

In 1855, a Bordeaux Wine Official Classification was developed after Napoleon III inquired to select the best Bordeaux wines for presentation at the Exposition Universelle in Paris. “Left Bank” wines selected from Médoc estates and one from Graves were graded in ascending order from Fifth to First Growth. Initially, there were only four First Growth wines: Château Lafite, Château Latour, Château Margaux, and Haut-Brion. After years of persistent petitioning, Château Mouton-Rothschild was promoted from Second to First Growth in 1973, the most famous change to the classification. Today, the list has evolved to include 61 red wines produced in one of the following appellations: Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Haut-Médoc, and Pessac-Léognan. All five major black Bordeaux grape varieties are permitted in the wines, but Cabernet Sauvignon features prominently in many of the best blends.

• • • Château Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan 2017
    • Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Pauillac 2010 
    • Château Pichon-Longueville Baron Pauillac 2014 
    • Château Giscours Margaux 2017 
    • Pichon-Lalande Réserve de la Comtesse 2017

Grand Cru Classé of Graves

Between 1953 and 1959, France’s Institute National des Appellations d’Origine enlisted a jury to classify the top wine estates in Bordeaux’s Graves region. The classification includes both red and white wines, with all the châteaux residing in the appellation of Pessac-Léognan. 

• • • Château Carbonnieux Pessac-Léognan 2015 
    • Château Olivier Pessac-Léognan 2015 

Grand Cru Classé of Saint-Émilion

A century after the Médoc wines were ranked, France’s Institut National des Appellations d’Origine developed a classification system for the Merlot-centered “Right Bank” wines of Saint-Émilion in 1955. Since then, the list is updated approximately every decade or so and contains three levels. In ascending order, they are: Grand Cru Classé, Premier Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé (B), and Premier Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé (A).

• • • Château Clos Saint-Martin Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé 2015
    • Château Fombrauge Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé 2017

Pomerol

While there is no official classification for Pomerol wines, some of Bordeaux’s most coveted bottles hail from this small, unassuming “Right Bank” region. As in Saint-Émilion, Merlot takes center stage here, providing the base for distinctive reds with marvelous aging potential. Vineyards cultivated on elevated, gravelly clay parts of the plateau tend to yield the best quality grapes. Château Petrus consistently fetches the highest prices among all Bordeaux wines, but many other top producers within the appellation offer a classic tasting experience for far less. 

• • • Château Hosanna Pomerol 2016
      
    • Château Certan de May Pomerol 2010
      
    • Château Bourgneuf Pomerol 2009
      
    • Château Bourgneuf Pomerol 2015

Grand Cru Classé of Sauternes

We’d be remiss to overlook the lusciously sweet white wines of Sauternes and Barsac, which were also covered under the 1855 Bordeaux Wine Official Classification. These estates are ranked in one of three Great Growth levels. In ascending order, they are: Deuxième Grand Cru Classé (Second Growth), Premier Grand Cru Classé (First Growth), and Premier Cru Supérieur Classé (Superior First Growth) which is exclusively represented by Château d’Yquem. 

• • • Château Doisy-Daëne Barsac 2013 375 ml

We hope to see you on Wednesday, October 20 for this Premium Bordeaux Event!

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