Bordeaux is the center of the world's wines, but bordeaux has many sub-regions and different styles. Graves, as a member of Bordeaux, has long been famous. It is a rare region in Bordeaux that produces both red and white wines and is a region of fine red and white. Located at the southern tip of Bordeaux, it is one of the oldest and most excellent wine regions in Bordeaux.
The history of Graf
As early as the 1st century AD, the Romans had already begun to grow grapes here. Around 1300, the Archbishop of Bordeaux (later Pope Clement V.) founded the chateau Pape-Clement, which still exists today. Bordeaux can have the prominence it has today, and it is inseparable from Graff. U.S. President Thomas Jefferson once praised: "In the 18th century, Graf wine was the most outstanding wine in Bordeaux. ”
At the end of the 19th century, the vineyard area was still about 10,000 hectares, but in the last hundred years many vineyards have disappeared due to the urbanization of Bordeaux. Today, the Graf vineyards stretch 50 kilometres south from Bordeaux and cover an area of around 5,000 hectares.
Graf topographic climate
The name "Graves" first appeared in the Middle Ages, derived from the French word for gravel soil (Terre Graveleuse), so Graves has the meaning of "gravel, coarse sand", and this name also vividly describes the local soil condition of mostly gravel.
Gravel is a relatively loose soil, with excellent drainage properties, dry and less nutrients, so that the vines are deeply rooted, conducive to grapes to find more nutrients, but also to preserve and reflect heat, to increase the maturity of grapes played a better role, can produce a dignified flavor, heavy wine. At the same time, because gravel soils are generally rich in minerals, the finished wine often has a charming salty mineral taste, which is especially common in the dry white of the Graves region.
In addition to gravel, graff's soil is also mixed with pebbles, limestone, silt and clay, etc., which is well drained. In addition, due to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, the appellation has a temperate oceanic climate with an overall mild and humid climate. This rich soil type and mild and humid climatic conditions also provide an ideal place for grapes to grow.
Grape varieties and styles: dry white is famous all over the world
Viticulture in the Graf appellation began as early as the early Middle Ages, and as early as the end of the 19th century, Graf red wine became the court wine of the British royal family. Graff's legal white grape varieties include Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle.
Seminy
Semillon: is a white grape variety that originated in the Bordeaux region of France. Before the 18th century, seminalon was cultivated only in the Sauternes appellation of Sauternes in southwestern France. However, there is no evidence that Semillon originated in the Bordeaux sojourn or Saint-Emilion appellations, in short, it is a bordeaux native to the variety.
This variety is easy to cultivate, thin-skinned, late flowering but early harvest, easy to infect with noble rot bacteria, is a high-yielding, non-picky grape variety. In general, due to its thin skin, susceptibility to infection and high acidity, it is often used to brew noble rot wine, and it is also famous all over the world. Many of the world's appellations have expensive rot wines made mainly of Semirone, but the most famous is the French surreal appellation. The region's SEMILOON is susceptible to noble rot, which is characteristic of a tropical fruit with an amazing balance of refreshing acidity. The aroma is rich and balanced and harmonious, with a rich floral fragrance, the taste is round and full, extremely smooth, and the aftertaste is long and fragrant, which makes people's lips and teeth fragrant.
Outside of expensive rot regions such as Sauerks, it generally plays a low-key supporting role and blends Sauvignon Blanc into dry wines, especially in Pessac-Leognan and Graff. On the whole, the dry white wines of Pessare or org are more complex, with obvious mineral and fruity flavors, a unique oily texture, a delicate and elegant structure, many layers, a long lasting aftertaste, and great aging potential.
Well-known winery: Chateau Haut-Brion. Not only does it produce excellent red wines, but its dry white wines are also "a must", selected for the Gravelle class, which is a blend of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Miscardi. In addition, the Semillon dry whites at wineries such as Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte and Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion are also of excellent quality.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc: Sauvignon Blanc is an aromatic white grape variety that grows in areas with mild or cool climates. Sauvignon Blanc wines usually have a delicate aroma of green fruits and herbs, full of acidity. Many wine regions around the world are passionate about growing Sauvignon Blanc and strive to produce the best Sauvignon Blanc wines in the world.
In Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc is the white grape variety in the region after Semillon, and at Graff Sauvignon Blanc it is often blended with Seminylon. Sauvignon Blanc gives wines an abundance of acidity and a refreshing palate, with fresh citrus and green fruit aromas, as well as a hint of mineral flavour. This high acidity balances the softness of SEMILOON. It is worth mentioning that today, Bordeaux is increasingly used to make single varieties as well as dry white wines.
Muscat
Mouscart: Commonly used to blend with varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc and Semimellone, some wineries use Mouscart to bring fresh, youthful fruitiness and aromas to blended wines. Overall, the area planted in Miscadé in France is declining year by year.
Grading system and wineries
In bordeaux's 1855 grading system, Chateau Haut-Brion from Graf was listed as First Growth and the only winery selected for the appellation. The 1855 grading system gave Medoc a very good brand effect and sales market, and the wineries in Graves were eager to be recognized for the wines of the Grave appellation.
In 1959, the French National Des Appellations d'Origine (INAO) took the market price of wine as a reference, taking into account many factors such as the history of the winery, vineyards and wine style, and after several revisions, the Graff classification was finally established, and a total of 16 listed estates were selected, all located in Pessac-Léolians. Unlike the 1855 classification, this list only distinguishes between red and white wines, and there is no classification of the listed wineries, and all the selected wineries belong to the same class, the Crus Classes de Graves. Among them, there are only 6 wineries with red and white wines that are listed, and only 3 wineries that make white wines.
6 wineries with red and white wines are selected
Domaine de Chevalier
Dating back to the 17th century, the Knight's Estate is currently run by Olivier Bernard. The Knights Winery covers a total of more than 100 hectares, of which 61 hectares are vineyards, surrounded by pine trees and meandering rivers, and is known as the "Secret Garden of Graf". The winery's white grape varieties cover an area of 6 hectares and are mainly Sauvignon Blanc and Beauty. Knights Winery strives to reflect the characteristics of the local terroir when making wines.
When the winery makes white wines, the grapes from different plots are pressed, fermented and aged separately. After fermentation is completed, the wine will be aged through the wine mud, so that the finished wine is more full and full-bodied, the texture is more supple, the structure is more complex, and it has more aging potential. The wine usually has aromas of tropical fruits and minerals.
Chateau Latour-Martillac
The name of Château Latomatiac takes its name from a historic tower inside the winery. The tower is the remains of a castle built in the 12th century by the ancestors of the great French Enlightenment thinker and sociologist Montesquieu.
In 1892, Château Latumadiac introduced the first dry white wine, which won a huge response in the market as soon as it was launched. Later, throughout the 20th century, the winery became famous for its white wines. On the winery's authentic dry white wine label, gold, black and light brown are intertwined, which is expensive and prestigious, quite royal, and also highlights its excellent quality of dry white.
Chateau Olivier
The vineyards of Château Oliver have excellent terroir. The soils here are complex and diverse, dominated by a mixture of gravel and limestone clay, as well as a variety of soils such as quartz, flint and flint. The winery has approximately 8 hectares of land used to grow white grape varieties, including Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscardine, with vines averaging 30 years of age. The winery respects nature and manages the vineyards in an organic way.
When the winery makes genuine white wines, in order to maximize the extraction of the flavor substances in the grape skins, the white grapes are first impregnated with the skins for a period of time, then fermented in oak barrels, and then aged with the wine mud. Château Oliver's authentic white wines are among the best dry whites in Bordeaux. Its pale yellow colour, with distinct aromas of citrus, white flowers and pineapple, is balanced in taste, fresh in fruit, and rich in smoky and mineral flavors, giving it a rounded finish and a long finish.
Chateau Malartic-Lagraviere
With 53 hectares of vineyards, The Marathi winery is ideally located on top of a gravel mound formed millions of years ago by alluvial action, and the "Lagraviere" in the winery's name means "gravel" in French. The vineyard's soil surface is covered with well-drained and heat-absorbing gravel, and beneath it is limestone soils containing marine shells, which provide the vines with the necessary nutrients and store a lot of water.
White grapes are planted on 7 hectares and grow at a rate of 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon. The winery's white and red wines are of excellent quality and quality, with many vintages receiving high praise from critics with a score of 90 or more.
Chateau Bouscaut
The Vineyards of Château Bausco have existed since the 17th century and are located in the village of Cadaujac, a sub-appellation of Graf at the time. In 1979, Château Bosco was bought by the famous Bordeaux winemaker Lucien Lurton and became a fellow château such as Chateau Climens and Chateau Brane-Cantenac.
The vineyards cover a total area of approximately 50 hectares and the average age of the vines is 35 years. Of these, 10 hectares of white grapes are planted with Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. The park is dominated by calcareous clay and gravel soils. When the winery makes white wines, alcoholic fermentation and aging are done in oak barrels, which are also stirred during the aging period to increase the complexity, fullness and ageing potential of the wine.
Chateau Carbonnieux
One of the oldest wineries in Bordeaux, the Château de Carbonne (also known as the Château de la Croix de Las Baison) was confiscated at the end of the 18th century due to the influence of the French Revolution and changed hands several times after the revolution. In 1956, the château was acquired by Marc Perrin, thus ushering in a new era of winery development, which is now in its fourth generation in the Palin family.
The winery's white grapes are planted on a par with red grapes, at 42 hectares and 50 hectares respectively, making it the largest white grape grower in the Pessac-Léolians region. White grape varieties are 65% Sauvignon Blanc and 35% Semillon. The types of soils within the vineyard are rich and diverse, and the winery subdivides the vineyards into multiple plots according to local conditions, so that the characteristics of each plot are transformed and displayed in the wine.
3 wineries with only white wines selected
Chateau Couhins
Although not as famous as the neighbouring Chateau Couhins-Lurton, it remains an excellent producer in the region. The winery is one of the wineries that mainly use Sauvignon Blanc to make white wines. Château Goshin now has two vineyards, adding up to a total of 22 hectares, the vineyard soil is a mixture of clay and limestone soil, the deep clay underneath can save enough water, so that some grapes that are more dependent on water grow very well, so all the white grape varieties are planted here, and the white wine of the winery is amazingly expressive, fine, the acidity is just right, and the variation is varied.
Chateau Couhins-Lurton
From the name of the winery, it can be seen that Chateau Couhins-Lurton is closely related to Château Gosin. Château Ginlutong was formerly a fine plot of land in the vineyards of Château Goshin. In 1967, Andre Lurton offered the owner to lease the vineyard to save the famous winery. The winery currently has 25 hectares of vineyards, with a predominantly gravel soil, of which 6 hectares are used to grow the white grape variety Sauvignon Blanc, which is extremely rare in Bordeaux.
Chateau Laville Haut-Brion
Adjacent to Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion, the sandy clay and unique microclimate make white grapes grow better than red grapes. Semillon accounts for about 70 percent of the vineyards, Sauvignon Blanc 27 percent and Muscadelle 3 percent. The white wines produced have intense fruity notes, and the acidity and balance are commendable.
Image credit: wine-searcher
In 1983, Château Ravel-Haute was acquired by Domaine Clarence Dillon, also owner of Chateau Haut-Brion. In March 2010, Dillon Wines announced that it would no longer produce Ravel-Huber king wines, and since 2009, the wines produced by Ravel-Houber king have been labelled as Meixun Winery White Wines.
Market performance
Although the prestigious Pessac-Léolian appellation has been "self-reliant" since 1987 as a village-level appellation and has reduced Graff's prestige, Graff still produces fruity, crisp and aromatic white wines that are sought after by consumers from all over the world. With the diversification of tastes, more and more people want a more refreshing and refreshing experience. As a result, dry white and rosé wines have gradually become popular.
The top dry white produced by Pessac-Léolian, the most prestigious dry white region in Graf, is usually expensive in China, and a bottle can cost thousands of yuan. However, in addition to these top-notch wineries, the high-quality dry whites in the Graf appellation include Chateau de Chantegrive Blanc, Chateau Rahoul Blanc, Clos Floridene Blanc, Chateau du Seuil Graves Blanc and other good qualities. The price is also much lower than these listed houses, and the value for money is good.