This post is a continuation of #18, where I began to break down the various wine regions of France. I will be using the same notes and reference material that I did in #18. After Burgundy, we move south to the Rhone Valley, which splits into 2 sections: Northern Rhone and Southern Rhone. These two areas could not be more different. In the north, you find mostly steep, narrow river banks of granite, with a climate that is much wetter and cooler. In the south, you find rolling hills of sand & clay in a much warmer and drier climate. In the north, the main grape is the Syrah and the wines tend to be more expensive. In the south, the red blend of Grenache, Syrah, & Mourvedre (GSM) is very popular and the wines tend to be less expensive, except for Chateauneuf-du-Pape.
The next wine region, moving clock-wise, is Languedoc-Roussillon. It is found in south central France, right on the Mediterranean coast. For years, this is where France’s “bulk wine” came from; a lot of cheap reds, whites, and sweet Muscat wine. But lately they have been upping their game, thanks mostly to Gerard Bertrand, the Wine King of Languedoc. He is making some very high quality wine, especially Rose. Skipping Bordeaux for now (see below), the last region is the Loire Valley, found in the west, central part of France. It is divided into 3 areas: coastal, middle, & eastern or upper. It is known for its whites, especially the Sauvignon Blancs of Pouilly-Fume (upper Loire). They are usually affordable (Billy’s range)and an excellent alternative to the New Zealand Marlborough.
Now for the second “Big Dog”, Bordeaux. Almost all of this areas wines are AOC and will cellar (age) for years. They do make a Sauternes, sweet dessert wine, but are most famous for the “Bordeaux” blends of the 5 red or 2 white grapes that are grown here. Bordeaux is broken up into the Left Bank, the Right Bank, and an area between the two (to the south) called Entre-Deux-Mers. From the Left Bank, there are 6 AOC’s: Pauillac, St. Julien, St. Estephe, Listrac, Moulis, & Margaux. Many wines from the first 3 are usually EXCELLENT. From the Right Bank, there are 2 AOC’s to focus on: St. Emillion and Pomerol. Most any wine from here is also excellent. According to the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, all AOC Bordeaux wine is categorized by “growths”. So, the Premier Cru Classe wines are the 1st growth, the Grand Cru Classe wines are 2nd or 3rd growths, and so on (down to 5th growth). So, why should you care? Many of the 1st-3rd growth Bordeaux wines from these AOCs are very expensive (Reggie III’s range). But, there are quite a few reasonable 3rd-5th growths (Steve’s range) to be had. According to the Wine Spectator (WS), 2018 was a GREAT year for the Left Bank; otherwise, 2017-2020 were very good years for either bank.
That should be enough information on France, for now. Next week, I will have another Food & Wine Post. See you then. Cheers!