- Wine purchase, drinking and advance reading are optional. The full lesson and quiz can be followed alcohol-free.
Level 5 · Lesson 2
Bordeaux: Rivers, Blends and Reputation
16:15C34
Before you press play
Choose your preparation track
You do not need to buy every comparison wine. Choose the track that matches your time, budget, and interest.
- Optional open-label flight: 5 distinct wines. Keep labels visible, use small pours, provide water, food and spit cups, and use the pauses across more than one sitting if helpful.
- A — Dourthe N°1 Sauvignon Blanc (Bordeaux). Grape/style: Dry Sauvignon Blanc. Introduce white Bordeaux before the bank comparison. Reference edition: Producer range reference; match actual vintage and market edition before service. Substitution: Dry Bordeaux Sauvignon-led white, producer-confirmed grape and sweetness.
- B — Château Beaumont (Haut-Médoc). Grape/style: Red Bordeaux blend. First Left Bank anchor. Reference edition: Photo: 2022. Technical sheet: 2023. Match the actual vintage before applying analysis.. Substitution: Haut-Médoc red with vintage-specific blend evidence.
- C — Château Lanessan (Haut-Médoc). Grape/style: Red Bordeaux blend. Test variation within the Left Bank. Reference edition: Producer range reference; match actual vintage and market edition before service. Substitution: Second Haut-Médoc producer, comparable maturity and documented blend.
- D — Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac (Saint-Émilion). Grape/style: Red Bordeaux blend. First Right Bank anchor; appellation versus classification. Reference edition: Producer range reference; match actual vintage and market edition before service. Substitution: Saint-Émilion red with documented vintage blend; Grand Cru is not presumed Classé.
- E — Château La Vieille Cure (Fronsac). Grape/style: Red Bordeaux blend. Test variation within the Right Bank. Reference edition: Producer range reference; match actual vintage and market edition before service. Substitution: Fronsac or another clearly located Right Bank red with verified producer/vintage facts.
- Match actual producer, cuvée and vintage before applying a technical sheet. Check local availability before buying; use the described role when substituting.
- Use the visible labels, maps and documented production choices to follow each comparison. You do not need to invent a tasting note.
Taste responsibly: small pours, water, food, and spit cups are sensible equipment. Never build transport plans after the bottles are open.
Wine references for this class
Labels, technical sheets and source material
Use the named producer, wine and edition. A historical sheet or range page cannot establish the contents of another vintage.
- Haut-Médoc position, mixed soil settings and trade context.
- 1855 scope: Médoc reds plus Haut-Brion, and Sauternes/Barsac sweet whites; absolute never-changed wording not adopted.
- Graves south of Bordeaux, river deposits and varied subsoils.
- Right Bank example: oceanic climate with more continental influence inland.
- Public-domain country/river geometry; town locators and approximate physical-feature markers, not vineyard boundaries.
- Dourthe N°1 Sauvignon Blanc — Producer range reference; match actual vintage and market edition before service
- Château Beaumont 2023 — producer technical sheet; bottle photograph is 2022
- Château Lanessan — Producer range reference; match actual vintage and market edition before service
- Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac — Producer range reference; match actual vintage and market edition before service
- Château La Vieille Cure — Producer range reference; match actual vintage and market edition before service
- Principal grape identities, typical expression and regional roles; original tasting prompts.
- Cabernet Sauvignon originated in the Bordeaux region, from a natural crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.
- Merlot originated in the Bordeaux vineyards. Cabernet Franc is one of its parents.
- Cabernet Franc is thought to come from southwestern France; its later success in the Loire is another chapter in its story.
- Petit Verdot comes from southwestern France.
- Malbec, also called Côt, comes from southwestern France; its international fame does not make it an Argentine invention.
- Carménère originated in Bordeaux, despite its modern association with Chile.
- Sauvignon Blanc probably originated in central or southwestern France; the precise birthplace remains uncertain.
- Sémillon originated in the Bordeaux vineyards.
- Muscadelle is thought to come from southwestern France.