Wine

Regions

Old World

France

Bordeaux

GRAVES

GRAVES

The district of Graves takes its name from the gravel and sandy soil left behind from the river Garonne. Graves produces both classic red and variable dry white wines. The area under vine where black grapes are cultivated is about 1,900 hectares (4,695 acres), compared with 1,430 hectares (3,534 acres) for white grapes. On the map, Graves looks about the same size as the Medoc, but this is deceptive for its vineyards cover less than one third of the 10,950 hectares (27,050 acres) under vine in its northeast neighbor. Graves vineyards become more sparce between pine forests as you go south till you reach the well developed vines of Barsac and Sauternes.

The silky smooth red wines of the Graves district have been famous, since the Middle Ages, when they were protected by local laws that punished those who dared to blend them with other Bordeaux wines. Chateau Haut-Brion was the only red wine outside the Medoc to be classified in 1855, and such was its relatively that it was placed alongside the First Growths of Latour, Lafite, Mouton and Margaux. Beneath Haut Brion, there are a few great wines equivalent in quality to Second or Third Growth but only few. The relative lack of superstars in Graves is offset by a higher base quality and greater consistency of performance. Of the 43 communes its this appellation, Leognan, Talence and Pessac are much the best, after which Martillac and Portet are the most outstanding, followed by Illats and Podensac. All the greatest wines are thus in the north of Graves, amid the urban sprawl of Bordeaux, and this presents something of a problem. The once peaceful left bank of the river Garonne, is slowly and inexorably disappearing. As the city bursts outwards, more and more rural vineyards are encircled by the concrete jungle, and many quite simply vanish. In 1908 there were 30 active wine making properties in this commune; today there is just one, Chateau Picque-Caillou. The conurbated communes of Gradignan, Merignac, Pessac, Talence, Leognan, Martillac, Cadaujac and Villenave d'Ornan have lost no less than 214 vine chateaux over the same period.

The white wine of Graves have an inconsistant history. With the exception of the top Chateaux, which rate with any white wines anywhere in the world, such as Chateau Haut-Brion blanc, Chateau Laville-Haut-Brion and Chateau Carbonnieux to name a few, Graves whites have had trouble living up to the success of the reds. The top wines do age marvously and many others in good vintages can be exceptional. Others to look for: Domaine de la Grave, Domaine Benoit, Chateau Constantin, Chateau Rahoul and Chateau La Garance.