How To Read A Label

HOW TO READ A BORDEAUX LABEL You don’t need to know French to understand Bordeaux. These are the essential points:

B for Bordeaux:

Bordeaux contains 57 separate appellations, but the big Bordeaux B on the label or the bottle necker tells you it’s Bordeaux.

Appellation:

This tells you where the grapes were grown. It can be as general as “Bordeaux” or as specific as an individual village, This example is a wine from the Medoc, a smaller sub-region of Bordeaux. Appellation Controlée is certification of origin.

The Producer:

2003

Chateau Aquitaine

Many of these names start with “Chateau”. This doesn’t always mean there is a castle on the property. Think of it as meaning “estate”.

Médoc Appellation Médoc contrôlée Mise en bouteille par M.... à X.... - France

12% vol

Alcohol Content: Wines from Bordeaux tend to be lower in alcohol than most New World wines, making them excellent wines to enjoy with food.

750 ml

Bottling Information:

Mis en Bouteille is French for “bottled” and an estate wine will say mise en bouteille au Chateau (or au domaine, or à la propriété).