EDV Digital Tool Kit

BORDEAUX TODAY DIGITAL TOOLKIT

CONTENTS 2

THE BORDEAUX WINE REGION Map

03

BORDEAUX BY THE NUMBERS

04

BORDEAUX TODAY

06

PRODUCTION IN ALL COLORS

08

DIVERSITY IN STYLES

10

RECENT VINTAGES A Timeline

12

APPELLATION SPOTLIGHT Bordeaux & Bordeaux Supérieur

14

STAY CONNECTED

25

THE BORDEAUX WINE REGION Bordeaux is located in Southwest France and is adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean. Bordeaux’s 65 AOC’s are segmented by three waterways: the Garonne and Dordogne rivers and the Gironde, a 50-mile-long estuary flowing northward into the Atlantic.

3

By the Numbers Bordeaux is located in Southwest France and is adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean. Bordeaux’s 65 AOC’s are segmented by three waterways: the Garonne and Dordogne rivers and the Gironde, a 50-mile-long estuary flowing northward into the Atlantic.

The reputation of Bordeaux wines owes much to their diversity: the variety of soils, microclimates, and talented winegrowers, and the meticulous blending of world-renowned grape varieties, have made Bordeaux synonymous with quality and elegance.

BY THE NUMBERS

THE PEOPLE

300

5,600 Winegrowers

77

Merchants

29

Brokers

Cooperatives

3

Unions

THE TERROIR

273,792

Acres of Planted Vnies

65

Appellations (AOC)

The largest

French AOC vineyard region

55.5 Million cases Average annual production

Bordeaux Today

18

every

Bottles Sold

SECOND The U.S. is a

TOP

Export Market

$

Around the

WORLD 29 MILLION Bottles Sold in 2021

This year, Bordeaux reported the highest 12-month regional growth rate in the past 35 years, driven by strong consumer demand and U.S. hospitality reopening.

Quality and Affordability Bordeaux sets the standard for quality. With an average bottle price of $20 and more than two thousand years of fine winemaking history, Bordeaux offers vast opportunities for consumers to trial wines of distinctive character at accessible price points.

DID YOU KNOW? Only 4% of Bordeaux producers are classified growths.

DID YOU KNOW?

The U.S. is the number one market for dry white Bordeaux, representing 4.13 million bottles

The Art of Blending Bordeaux winemakers have perfected the art of cultivating and blending Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Sauvignon Blanc for centuries. Blending in Bordeaux is more than a just a mix of grape varieties – it is at the heart of the region’s winemaking DNA.

Diversity and Range of Styles

Bordeaux’s dry white, rosé, and Crémant styles are more diverse and exciting than ever; the red blends are brighter, fresher, more supple and ready-to-drink at an early age; sweet Bordeaux offers adventurous pairing possibilities — there is a Bordeaux bottle for every occasion and price point.

Next Generation Winemaking Bordeaux today has embraced a younger generation of winemakers who bring curiosity, innovation and a modern approach while respecting the region’s tradition and heritage.

Sustainability 75% of Bordeaux producers hold environmental certifications and uphold a collective commitment to sustainable winemaking.

Look for the following logos which designate environmental certifications:

Production in All Colors Bordeaux has 65 designated appellations in total.

This large region can be grouped into 3 main areas: Left Bank, Right Bank, and Entre-Deux-Mers. There are 6 main families that describe the styles of Bordeaux

The reputation of Bordeaux wines owes much to their diversity: the variety of soils, microclimates, and talented winegrowers, and the meticulous blending of world-renowned grape varieties, have made Bordeaux synonymous with quality and elegance.

DID YOU KNOW?

Merlot is the most widely-planted variety in Bordeaux

Three main red varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Sauvignon - Power, Rich Color, Tannin, Ageability, Black Fruits Merlot - Plushness, Texture, Blue and Red Fruits Cabernet Franc - Fragrance, Black and Red Fruits, Freshness

DID YOU KNOW?

Sémillon is the dominant grape variety in Sweet Bordeaux

Two key varieties:

Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon

Sauvignon Blanc - Freshness, Liveliness, Aromatics Sémillon - Mouthfeel, Texture, Ageability

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Diversity in Styles Bordeaux Red Blends

Bordeaux has perfected the art of the red blend over centuries.

Modern reds from Bordeaux are brighter, fresher, and ready-todrink earlier.

Red wines account for 85% of the region’s total production and exports. Red Bordeaux are frequently blends of two, three or more varieties.

Left Bank reds typically possess a Cabernet Sauvignondominant blend Right Bank reds typically possess a Merlot-driven blend.

Dry Whites

Bordeaux’s dry whites are the region’s best kept secret for quality and value.

The US is the # 1 export market for dry white Bordeaux. Accounting for 9% of total production, Bordeaux’s dry whites are Sauvignon Blanc-dominant. Sémillon is added for richness and ageability and used for the production of sweet wines.

Sweet Whites

Sweet Bordeaux offers accessible appeal to sweet wine lovers and a range of aromas from sweet and fruity to complex bouquets.

Wines from Sauternes & Barsac are some of the world’s most age worthy and acclaimed sweet wines, while neighboring appellations like Cérons and Loupiac make accessible sweet and fruity white wines

Up-and-coming: Crémant de Bordeaux and Rosé Crémant de Bordeaux is known for its creamy texture and sales of this style have steadily doubled over the past three years. Customers can also expect top quality rosé at accessible price points made from classic Bordeaux blends or entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

DID YOU KNOW?

Crémant de Bordeaux offers similar quality to Champagne for a fraction of the cost.

Bordeaux Rosés come in styles from pale and light to dark and more structured. Well-known grape varieties produce wines with clear varietal character and firmer structure. They show balance between ripeness and freshness with a diversity of terroir for blending.

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Recent Vintages

Considered a great vintage dry, warm, July with a cool August. Ripe, wellstructured, homogenous.

2014

2016

2015 Nice vintage to sell and drink! Cool and damp during the summer, warm and dry autumn.

Fragrant, high-toned wines that give a lot of early drinking pleasure!

A great vintage with high critical acclaim. Dry summer and cool nights resulted in small, thick-skinned berries.

High acid, high tannin, wonderfully aromatic.

A “classic” and excellent vintage with overall higher acidity than 2018.

Small berries, high levels of anthocyanins, fully ripe and concentrated wines.

Severe frost resulted in the smallest harvest in 25 years.

Good wines in this vintage, especially from the Médoc, but quantities were limited.

2018

2017

2019

Warm and dry summer and autumn. Higher alcohols and lower acidity, ripe, intensely colored and wellstructured. 2018 should be long-lived.

Bordeaux Appellations

Bordeaux enjoys the distinction of being the largest AOP vineyard of France, and this can be attributed to its great diversity of highquality terroirs. The broad range of wines that it produces will satisfy every wine lover for every occasion, while offering a wide price range.

Geographic factors and the styles of wine produced are what define the ‘six families’ of Bordeaux wines.

The following pages provide a deep dive into the Bordeaux/Bordeaux Supérieur appellation.

Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur

Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur wines represent over half of all wines produced in the Bordeaux region and produce red, white (sec, off-dry, and medium sweet), rosé, and clairet wines from the classic Bordeaux red and white varieties.

www.planete-bordeaux.fr/en

Bordeaux & Bordeaux Supérieur

Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur wines represent over half of all wines produced in the Bordeaux region. Created in 1967, Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur allow winemakers to produce red, white (sec, off-dry, and medium sweet), rosé, and clairet wines from the classic Bordeaux red and white varieties.

Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur are appellations applied to wines made across the Bordeaux wine region and encompass all styles made from classic Bordeaux grape varieties.

PRODUCTION

Key Selling Points • • • •

All encompassing appellation Red, white, rosé, sweet, sparkling The Bordeaux we drink everyday A wealth of varied terroir and winemaking styles to choose from

KEY FIGURES

Bordeaux & Bordeaux Supérieur

52%

Of the Bordeaux area under Vine

A Young and dynamic generation, exciting new cuvées, modern packaging, and Innovative wine tourism initiatives

7

Group

Red, white, Rosé, Clai Bordeaux Supérieur

58,0

Hectar

quality is of prime during production follow-up, marke COMMUNICA

ps

iret, Crémant, Red & White

000

res

e importance n, logistical eting, and ATION

2.3 Million

HL Produced = over 306 million bottles

Modern Wines with a price/quality ratio in keeping with current consumer demands

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THE WINES

Bordeaux & Bordeaux Supérieur

BORDEAUX RED

BORDEAUX SUPÉRIEUR

• Fresh, affordable and unexpected • Best enjoyed young • Promote the modernity of Bordeaux, including new packaging, innovation, wine tourism and groundbreaking cuveés

• Limited to red and mediumsweet white wines • Made from a patchwork of terroirs and varieties across the region • Red wines have stricter production methods: required to undergo élevage until mid-June following harvest

Tasting Notes: deep, rich color with expressive fruit and a light tannic structure Area under vine: 34,840 ha Percent of Production: 64%

Red Tasting Notes: Intense red color with a remarkable aromatic richness and round, complex tannins; good aging potential White Tasting Notes: Made with overripe grapes, this wine is very aromatic and sweet but boasts freshness.

Area under vine: 13,104 ha Percent of production: Red 17.5%; White .02%

BORDEAUX BORDEAUX

• Light styles m the Saignée are lighter in Bordeaux Ro • Produced thr Bordeaux

Rosé Tasting No with distinctive freshness — bes young

Clairet Tasting N color, fuller on t with a touch of refreshing acidit

Area under vine Rosé 3,781 ha; C Percent of Prod Rosé 6%; Clairet

Ripeness is easy to achieve today but was a vastly more important determinant of quality in 1936 Bordeaux Supérieur AOCs were first introduced. Red Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur wines te and aged in older barriques. American oak and oak chips may be employed. They are generally m line? In France, basic Bordeaux wines usually fall under six euros per bottle in price; Bordeaux Sup

ROSÉ AND CLAIRET

made from method, that n style than ouge roughout

otes: pale color lightness and st enjoyed

Notes: bolder the palate, tannin and ty

e: Clairet 497 ha duction: t 0.7%

BORDEAUX WHITE

CRÉMANT DE BORDEAUX

• Extremely versatile white wine that can be appreciated anywhere and with any type of food • An aperitif or pair with seafood and roasted chicken dishes.

• There is no going wrong with Bordeaux blanc.

• Produced throughout Bordeaux

• White (69%) & Rosé (31%) • Produced in the méthode traditionelle and perfect as an aperitif or enjoyed throughout a meals • Aged for at least 9 months on the lees • Produced throughout Bordeaux

Tasting Notes: Characterized by light, fruity aromas (apricot, citrus, peach), with hints of floral and toasted aromas from oak barrel aging

Area under vine: 255 ha Percent of Production: 2%

Tasting Notes: delicate bubbles with a long-lasting sparkle

Area under vine: 5,792 ha Percent of Production: 9.5%

6, when the Bordeaux Rouge and end to be dominated by Merlot machine-harvested. The bottom périeur ranges from $7-18.

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The Bordeaux Wine School

With over 250 experts from all over the world, The Bordeaux Wine School offers educational workshops and training webinars targeted to on-andoff premise sales professionals. From the amateur to professional levels, The Bordeaux Wine School will guide you through the living heritage of Bordeaux.