Graves: Encyclopedia - Graves

Graves

For the medical condition, see Graves-Basedow disease.

Graves (pronounced /grɑ:v/, meaning 'gravel land' in French) is an important wine region of Bordeaux, producing over 20 million bottles each year.

The region stretches 50 kilometers south east from the suburbs of Bordeaux itself long the left bank of the Garonne river, and despite being principally a producer of red wine, it is the only of Bordeaux's regions to be known for both its red and white wines. The area encompasses villages including Pessac, Talence, Léognan, Martillac, St Morillon, and Portets.

In 1987 the region was split into a second appellation with the creation of Pessac-Léognan, containing most of its most celebrated Châteaux. This has had the effect of devaluing the name of wines labelled with the Graves appellation, and so are considered by many to be better value than those of Pessac-Léognan.

The area's red wines are generally considered to be more robust than those of Médoc, and are made using a majority of Cabernet Sauvignon, with smaller amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The famous dry white wines are a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.

Graves - Classification

Despite its importance, the region was largely overlooked by the famous Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, and only a single producer, Château Haut-Brion, was included, being one of only four wines to be assigned the status of Premier Grand Cru Classé.

After the Second World War the omission of the great wines of Graves from the official classification was having a noticeable effect on the price and desirability of wines from the region, and so in 1953 the region announced its own classification of red wines, with white wines being added in 1959. Sixteen wines were given the title Grands Crus Classés, though most now fall in the Pessac-Léognan appellation.

• Château Bouscaut (red & white)
• Château Carbonnieux (red & white)
• Château Couhins (white)
• Château Couhins Lurton (white)
• Château Domaine de Chevalier (red & white)
• Château Fieuzal (red)
• Château Haut-Bailly (red)
• Château Haut-Brion (red)
• Château La Mission Haut-Brion (red)
• Château Latour Haut-Brion (red)
• Château La Tour Martillac (red & white)
• Château Laville Haut-Brion (white)
• Château Malartic-Lagravière (red & white)
• Château Olivier (red & white)
• Château Pape Clément (red)
• Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte (red)

Other wines that pass the requirements are labelled Appellation Graves Controlée. In addition, the appellation of Graves Supérieurs Controlée is reserved for the region's sweet white wines.

Category: French wine regions

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Graves", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki