The Wines of Bordeaux: Vintages and Tasting Notes, 1952-2003

Clive Coates

University of California Press, 2004 - Cooking - 720 pages

Written by the leading international expert on French wine, The Wines of Bordeaux is the authoritative guide to one of the most important and complex wine regions in the world. Sumptuously produced, with a wealth of color illustrations and stunning line drawings, this book covers all the vineyards of Bordeaux--from the largest and most famous chateaux to the smallest farmsteads.

Bordeaux is known for the quality, quantity, and variety of its wine. It produces twenty-five percent of the appellation controlee harvest in France--a great deal more than the Beaujolais, Burgundy, Alsace, Loire, or Rhone regions. It also produces all of the three main types of wine: red, dry white, and sweet white. Updating and augmenting Clive Coates's classic Grands Vins, this book shows that many of Bordeaux's wines are not only superlative but also affordable. Thirty-five years of traveling around the French vineyards has given Coates an encyclopedic knowledge of France and its wines. His love and respect for French wines is apparent as he imparts detailed information on the best vintages, tasting notes of the top wines, and up-to-the-minute advice for selecting best value wines. With clear wine descriptions that are accessible to both the uninitiated and the connoisseur, The Wines of Bordeaux increases the pleasure of traveling to this remarkable region and of selecting and enjoying its splendid wines.

Contents

• PREFACE: 7
• GRAPE VARIETIES: 21
• PART ONE THE APPELLATIONS AND THEIR CHÂTEAUX: 60
• HAUTMÉDOC: 74
• SAINTESTÈPHE: 98
• PAUILLAC: 114
• SAINTJULIEN: 132
• MARGAUX: 146
• MOULIS LISTRAC: 172
• GRAVES DU SUD: 212
• SAUTERNES: 226
• THE LESSER SWEET WHITE WINE AREAS: 256
• BETWEEN THE RIVERS: 274
• THE SAINTÉMILION SATELLITES 330: 330
• LALANDEDEPOMEROL: 368
• CÔTES DE CASTILLON CÔTES DE FRANCS: 396
• THE REST OF BORDEAUX: 421
• 437: 490
• 502: 558
• 560: 638
• 1970: 657
• 665: 680
• GLOSSARY: 709

About the author

Clive Coates, MW, was awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre du Merite by the French government, the Ruffino/Cyril Ray Memorial Prize for his work on Italian wine, and the title of Wine Writer of the Year for 1998/1999 in the Champagne Lanson awards. He has published The Vine, his independent fine wine magazine, since 1985. His books include Claret (1982), Wines of France (1990), Grands Vins: The Finest Chateaux of Bordeaux and Their Wines (California, 1995), An Encyclopedia of the Wines and Domaines of France (California, 2000), and Cote D'Or: A Celebration of the Great Wines of Burgundy (California, 1997), which won the Champagne Veuve Clicquot Prize, the Andre Simon Award, and the James Beard Award.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Wines of Bordeaux: Vintages and Tasting Notes, 1952-2003
• Author: Clive Coates
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: University of California Press, 2004
• ISBN: 0520235738, 9780520235731
• Length: 720 pages
• Subjects: Cooking / Beverages / Alcoholic / General; Cooking / Beverages / Alcoholic / Wine; Science / Earth Sciences / Geography; Travel / Europe / France