Best Bordeaux vintages to buy in 2024
Even the most casual wine drinker has heard of Bordeaux. One of the biggest and most popular wine regions in the world, it’s known for producing several of the best bottles in existence so needless to say it’s home to some seriously pricey wines.
However, what can actually be classified as a Bordeaux wine can be confusing. There are a number of regulations governing exactly which grapes can be grown there, how they are grown and even how much alcohol a wine can contain. Of course, wines that don’t follow these rules can be made in Bordeaux, but they will not be permitted to use the prestigious AOC label.
There are more than 50 wine appellations in Bordeaux, meaning a legally defined area where grapes are grown, and you guessed it, each appellation can also have its own separate rules. In Bordeaux, the region is generally referred to in terms of its rivers; the Gironde, Garonne and Dordogne with wine unofficially described as being ‘left bank’ or ‘right bank’ depending on which side of the river the grapes are grown. As a very general – though certainly not hard and fast – rule, the left bank is better known for Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated blends, while the right is renowned for its Merlot.
Often referred to as a claret, red Bordeaux is
