Wine 101: Bordeaux: Part VII Wine Styles of the Libournais
As we approach the end of our Bordeaux saga, we find ourselves exploring the wines found on the Right Bank, or the Libournais.
This region comprises three main appellations — and a bonus one, tacked on for good measure — all surrounding the port city of Libourne. To the west, we have Fronsac, and southeast of Libourne is the ancient, medieval land of Saint-Émilion. In the northeast, we encounter Pomerol, and just north of that is Lalande-de-Pomerol. The entire Right Bank is largely considered Merlot country, and there’s a lot of Cab Franc under vine as well. But unlike the Médoc, there’s very little Cabernet Sauvignon here.
Depending on the appellation in question, the Right Bank’s terroir is characterized by gravel, sand, clay, and limestone, and given the jaw-dropping amount of diversity in soil and elevation across the region, the wines’ profiles vary immensely. From the age-worthy and pricey offerings from Pomerol to the more rustic, affordable Bordeaux in Lalande-de-Pomerol, the Right Bank has a little bit of everything. All in all, these wines tend to be more supple and fruit-forward than the wines on the other side of the Gironde, but their layers of complexity are not to be underestimated.
Last week, we got into the nitty gritty of the Right Bank’s history and how Libourne evolved over the centuries, but today, we’re going to take a look at the present as we break down the various wine styles found across this region. Tune in for more.
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“Wine 101” was produced, recorded, and edited by yours truly, Keith Beavers, at the VinePair headquarters in New York City. I want to give a big old shout-out to co-founders Adam Teeter and Josh Malin for creating VinePair. Big shout-out to Danielle Grinberg, the art director of VinePair, for creating the most awesome logo for this podcast. Also, Darby Cicci for the theme song. And I want to thank the entire VinePair staff for helping me learn something new every day. See you next week.
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