What, you may well ask, is the meaning of Bordeaux Supérieur? This is a designation given to wines produced within the generic Bordeaux AOP – Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée – Protected Designation of Origin. This is a certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butter, and other agricultural products, based entirely upon terroir.
Approximately 30,670 acres of vineyards are designated for Bordeaux Supérieur wines. Around 60 million bottles are produced in this area each year. The red wines are, as their name implies, intended to be “superior” to the standard Bordeaux AOC vintages. Therefore, they rely heavily upon Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with, depending upon the producer, smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carménère… Miniscule amounts of white wine are also produced; but since these wines must be sweet, they do not represent the same level of quality as the red wines.
Under the strict guidelines of French appellation law, in order for a Bordeaux to be classified as Supérieur, it must come from a vineyard that is more densely planted. This higher density makes it more difficult for plants to survive, creating stronger root systems and healthier vines.
Regulations also stipulate a lower yield, which allows each vine to maximize the nutrients received by the grapes that have not been pruned. The grapes must also be picked riper at harvest, which results in 10 percent natural alcohol level, higher than the 9.5 percent for regular Bordeaux. The wines must then be aged in oak barrels for a minimum of 12 months before they can be sold to buyers.
The Bordeaux Supérieur I’ve been enjoying on a regular basis recently is the 2019 Château Brun Despagne Querre, an enticing blend of 80 percent Merlot and 20 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. Garnering 91 points from James Suckling, this medium-bodied every-day quaffer is lusciously textured, alive with sweet dark fruit, and pure pleasure in the glass… And you don’t have to cellar it for years, waiting for it to mature. No, this hedonistic little beauty is ready to go as is.
But the best part of the 2019 Bordeaux Supérieur wines, as one writer put it, is that “every one of them sells for a song.” The 2019 Château Brun Despagne Querre, for example, is currently on sale at Pennsylvania State Stores for a cool $8.99 per bottle (a dollar or two more at Total Wines). Trust me… bargains like this do not come along every day.
Cheers!
TAD
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