Bordeaux

Red Bordeaux is a dry, medium to full-bodied wine from southwestern France, usually blending Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Expect blackcurrant, plum and blackberry with cedar, herbs and savoury spice. Structured and complex, it’s brilliant with steak, roast beef, lamb, beef stew, mushroom dishes and mature cheese.

Taste:

Dark fruit, savoury complexity and a very French sense of confidence.

Red Bordeaux is typically dry and medium to full-bodied, with noticeable acidity and moderate to firm tannins. Expect blackcurrant, blackberry, black cherry and plum, often joined by cedar, dried herbs and savoury spice.

The exact flavour depends heavily on the blend. Cabernet Sauvignon tends to bring blackcurrant, structure and firmer tannins, while Merlot adds softer plum fruit and a rounder texture. Cabernet Franc can bring freshness, fragrance and herbal flavours.

Oak ageing may add vanilla, cedar, toast and tobacco, while mature Bordeaux can develop complex notes of leather, earth, mushroom and dried fruit.

There’s a lot going on. Bordeaux has had centuries to practise.

Food Pairings:

Bordeaux's tannins and savoury flavours make it a natural match for rich meat dishes.

Steak is an obvious winner, particularly ribeye, sirloin, fillet, steak frites or steak with peppercorn sauce. It also works beautifully with roast beef, beef bourguignon, beef short ribs, beef stew and slow-cooked beef.

Lamb is another classic pairing. Try roast lamb, lamb chops or lamb shank, particularly with rosemary, thyme or garlic.

For meat-free options, pair Bordeaux with mushroom pie, mushroom risotto, mushroom pasta, lentil casserole or roasted vegetables.

A Sunday roast with beef or lamb is also very safe territory.

For cheese, mature Cheddar, Comté, Gruyère and aged Gouda are all excellent choices.

Similar Wines:

If you enjoy Bordeaux, Saint-Émilion and Pomerol are brilliant places to explore the Merlot-led wines of Bordeaux's Right Bank.

For the grapes themselves, try Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc to discover what each brings to the blend.

Meritage is also worth exploring for an American take on the classic Bordeaux-blend idea.

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More About Bordeaux:

Bordeaux is a huge wine region in southwestern France centred around the Gironde estuary and the Garonne and Dordogne rivers.

The region is commonly divided into the Left Bank and Right Bank. Cabernet Sauvignon tends to dominate many famous Left Bank blends, while Merlot is generally the star on the Right Bank in appellations such as Saint-Émilion and Pomerol.

Bordeaux also has several classification systems, including the famous 1855 Classification, which ranked many of the leading estates – known as châteaux – into different growths.

And despite its reputation for red wine, Bordeaux also produces white, rosé and some of the world's most famous sweet wines.

Basically, Bordeaux built an entire wine empire and then added its own ranking systems.

Of course it did.