Ready to have a week long wine tasting tour at home? Then settle in and get ready to explore some exquisite wines from the Bordeaux region. Bordeaux is by far the largest fine wine region in France and arguably has the greatest and finest wine in the world. Three main types of wine are produced here - red, dry white and luscious sweet wine. At the top levels, these wines are the most aristocratic, profound and heavenly wines on earth. Our wine specialists have dug deep into their knowledge of fine Bordeaux wines to provide you with a show-stopping list of Bordeaux wines for every day of the week. Let's start the week off right...
Sunday
On Sunday, it’s best to start the upcoming week with a dry white. These will often be made from Sauvignon Blanc, with and without Semillon (a golden-skinned grape that is used to make both dry and sweet white wines). A good value crisp white wine is G de Guiraud, but stepping up to something like Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte will kick the week off with something special.
Monday
It’s Monday, so let’s brighten up the day by going to the top of the tree for white wines in Bordeaux with Chateau Haut Brion Blanc. Most of the top whites are in Pessac Léognan, but you will also find some in the Medoc, such as that from Chateau Margaux.
Tuesday
Tuesday is ideal for something slightly atypical. Bordeaux produces impressive rosé wines made from merlot and cabernet sauvignon grapes, as well as clairet, one of the region’s oldest and often forgotten wines, which is darker than conventional rosé. A good example is a 2016 Chateau Armurey.
Wednesday
On Wednesday we should start on the reds. A very good wine to begin with is from the third growth Chateau Giscours in Margaux, whose top wine is delicious. La Sirene de Giscours is a very pleasant 'second' wine. Many of the top chateaux make second wines that are cheaper versions of their Grand Vins.
Thursday
Thursday means more red. Chateau Léoville Barton is a delight to most wine tasters and is made by Anthony Barton at a St-Julien property which has been owned by his family since 1826. Dark, dry and full of tannins, these wines will mellow with time to rare and beautiful quality. The second wine from this estate is also worth trying and is called Réserve de Léoville Barton.
Friday
Friday demands another top quality red. There are 7,375 wine-producing chateaux in Bordeaux, but let’s go to one of the top 10 in most people’s books: Chateau Le Pin on the Pomerol plateau with its unique terroir of gravel and sand with traces of iron oxide. It's a relatively young estate which really started on its own in 1979, and largely thanks to wine-buff Robert Parker it has become a sought-after star of the region which can taste sublime if you are lucky enough to try it.
Saturday
On Saturday we should try what many people believe is the ultimate expression of grapes - the sweet luscious wines from Sauterne, a name synonymous with the best sweet wines in the world. A good entry point is from Chateau Doisy-Védrines, a classed growth from Barsac, technically just outside Sauterne. The taste is rich and botrytized (the so-called noble rot). We should however, reserve our last glass of the week for arguably the best of the lot, the legendary sweet wine from Chateau d’Yquem, where the low yields partly explain the high cost but the taste is unbeatable.
Be sure to keep an eye out for these and other great wines in our weekly Wine auctions. With copious amounts of wine flowing through our auctions every week will always give you something to marvel at and keep you coming back for more.
Or perhaps you'd like to assist someone else with enjoying a week long wine tour by selling your Bordeaux or other wine? It's easy to do; just register as a seller here and then you can offer your wine up for auction (and probably make someone else's week!)