Bordeaux Wine Tours

Cru Bourgeois Classification

2009-04-18T01:09:00.000-07:00

The Cru Bourgeois classification been created in 1932 to complete the 1855 classification. It is available only for the Medoc area.

This classification has been reviewed in 2003 but canceled in 2007 so it is still the 1932 list available today.

There is 3 levels in this classification :

Cru Bourgeois exceptionnel
Cru Bourgeois supérieur
Cru Bourgeois

See the list of the Chateaus classified

Graves Classification

2009-04-18T01:03:00.000-07:00

Graves :
The Graves classification has been created in 1953 and reviewed one time in 1959.
There is only 1 level : "Grand Cru Classe des Graves" and most of the wineries are in the Pessac Leognan appellation.

Crus Classés: Château Bouscaut; Château Carbonnieux; Château Couhins-Lurton; Château Fieuzal; Château Haut-Bailly; Château Haut-Brion; Château la Tour Haut-Brion; Château Latour-Martillac; Château La Mission Haut-Brion; Château Malartic-Lagravrière; Château Olivier; Château Pape Clément; Château Smith Haut-lafitte; Domaine De Chevalier

St Emilion Classification

2009-04-18T00:41:00.000-07:00

St Emilion :
This classification exists only from 1959 and it is reviewed every 10 years by a panel of professionals.

It includes 3 levels : Premier Grand Cru Classé A, Premier Grand Cru Classé B & Grand Cru Classé.

Note : The last classification 2006 is at present time canceled. The 1996 is still available.

St Emilion 1996

Premier Grand Cru Classé A (2)

Château Ausone

Château Cheval Blanc

Premier Grand Cru Classé B (11)

Château Angélus

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot

Château Beauséjour

(Duffau-Lagarosse)

Château Belair

Château Canon

Château Figeac

Château La Gaffelière

Château Magdelaine

Château Pavie

Château Trottevieille

Clos Fourtet

Grand cru classé (55)

Château Balestard-La-Tonnelle

Château Bellevue

Château Bergat

Château Berliquet

Château Cadet-Bon

Château Cadet-Piola

Château Canon-La-Gaffelière

Château Cap de Mourlin

Château Chauvin

Château Clos des Jacobins

Château Corbin

Château Corbin-Michotte

Château Curé Bon

Château Dassault

Château Faurie-de-Souchard

Château Fonplégade

Château Fonroque

Château Franc-Mayne

Château Guadet-Saint-Julien

Château Grand-Mayne

Château Grand-Pontet

Château Haut-Corbin

Château Haut Sarpe

Château L´Arrosée

Château La Clotte

Château La Clusière

Château La Couspaude

Château La Dominique

Château La Marzelle

Château La Serre

Château La Tour-Figeac

Château La Tour-du-Pin-Figeac

Château La Tour du Pin Figeac

Château Laniote

Château Larcis-Ducasse

Château Larmande

Château Laroque

Château Laroze

Château Le Prieuré

Château Les Grandes Murailles

Château Matras

Château Moulin du Cadet

Château Pavie-Decesse

Château Pavie-Macquin

Château Petit-Faurie-de-Soutard

Château Ripeau

Château Saint-Georges-Côte-Pavie

Château Soutard

Château Tertre Daugay

Château Troplong-Mondot

Château Villemaurine

Château Yon-Figeac

Clos de l'Oratoire

Clos Saint-Martin

Couvent des Jacobins

1855 Classification

2009-04-10T12:36:00.000-07:00

It exists many classifications depending mainly on the Appellation where the wine is produced.

The most famous is the 1855 classification. This one is available only for :

St Estephe, Pauillac, St Julien, Margaux, Haut Medoc, Pessac, Barsac & Sauternes.

The classification was created to promote the most famous Bordeaux wines at the Paris Universal Exhibition. 78 Chateaus are included in this classification and has been selected by wine merchants and based on many years of trade experience. This classification is made with 5 levels (1 -> 5) and has never been reviewed from this time except in 1973 Mouton Rothschild second has moved to first.

Today, on the bottle, the label refer to this classification with the sentence "Grand Cru Classe 1855" but don't specify the level.

Medoc & Graves

1st Premiers Crus

Château Lafite-Rothschild, Pauillac

Château Latour, Pauillac

Château Margaux, Margaux

Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac (Second cru en 1855, promu en premier cru en 1973)

Château Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan, Graves (Pessac jusqu'en 1986)

2nd Deuxièmes Crus

Château Rauzan-Gassies, Margaux

Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux (anciennement Château Rausan-Ségla)

Château Léoville Barton, St.-Julien

Château Léoville Las Cases, St.-Julien

Château Léoville Poyferré, St.-Julien

Château Durfort-Vivens, Margaux

Château Gruaud-Larose, St.-Julien

Château Lascombes, Margaux

Château Brane-Cantenac, Margaux (Cantenac-Margaux)

Château Pichon-Longueville, Pauillac

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, St.-Julien

Château Cos d'Estournel, St.-Estèphe

Château Montrose, St.-Estèphe

3rd Troisièmes Crus

Château Kirwan, Margaux (Cantenac-Margaux)

Château d'Issan, Margaux (Cantenac-Margaux)

Château Lagrange, St.-Julien

Château Langoa Barton, St.-Julien

Château Giscours, Margaux (Labarde-Margaux)

Château Malescot St. Exupéry, Margaux

Château Boyd-Cantenac, Margaux

Château Cantenac Brown, Margaux (Cantenac-Margaux)

Château Palmer, Margaux (Cantenac-Margaux)

Château La Lagune, Haut-Médoc (Ludon)

Château Desmirail, Margaux

Château Calon-Ségur, St.-Estèphe

Château Ferrière, Margaux

Château Marquis d'Alesme Becker, Margaux

4th Quatrièmes Crus

Château Saint-Pierre, St.-Julien

Château Talbot, St.-Julien

Château Branaire-Ducru, St.-Julien

Château Duhart-Milon, Pauillac

Château Pouget, Margaux (Cantenac-Margaux)

Château La Tour Carnet, Haut-Médoc (St.-Laurent)

Château Lafon-Rochet, St.-Estèphe

Château Beychevelle, St.-Julien

Château Prieuré-Lichine, Margaux (Cantenac-Margaux)

Château Marquis de Terme, Margaux

5th Cinquièmes Crus

Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac

Château Batailley, Pauillac

Château Haut-Batailley, Pauillac

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac

Château Grand-Puy Ducasse, Pauillac

Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac

Château Lynch-Moussas, Pauillac

Château Dauzac Margaux (Labarde)

Château d'Armailhac, Pauillac (anciennement Château Mouton-Baronne-Philippe)

Château du Tertre, Margaux (Arsac)

Château Haut-Bages Libéral, Pauillac

Château Pédesclaux, Pauillac

Château Belgrave, Haut-Médoc (St.-Laurent)

Château de Camensac, Haut-Médoc (St.-Laurent) (anciennement Château Camensac)

Château Cos Labory, St.-Estèphe

Château Clerc-Milon, Pauillac

Château Croizet-Bages, Pauillac

Château Cantemerle , Haut-Médoc (Macau)

Sauternes & Barsac

1st A Premier Cru Supérieur

Château d'Yquem, Sauternes

1st B Premiers Crus

château La Tour Blanche, Bommes (Sauternes)

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey, Bommes (Sauternes)

Clos Haut-Peyraguey, Bommes (Sauternes) (château Clos Haut-Peyraguey)

Château de Rayne-Vigneau, Bommes (Sauternes)

Château Suduiraut, Preignac (Sauternes)

Château Coutet, Barsac

Château Climens, Barsac

Château Guiraud, Sauternes

Château Rieussec, Fargues (Sauternes)

Château Rabaud-Promis, Bommes (Sauternes)

Château Sigalas-Rabaud, Bommes (Sauternes)

2nd Deuxièmes Crus

Château Myrat, Barsac (château de Myrat)

Château Doisy Daëne, Barsac

Château Doisy-Dubroca, Barsac

Château Doisy-Védrines, Barsac

Château d'Arche, Sauternes

Château Filhot, Sauternes

Château Broustet Barsac

Château Nairac, Barsac

Château Caillou, Barsac

Château Suau, Barsac

Château de Malle, Preignac (Sauternes)

Château Romer, Fargues (Sauternes)

Château Romer du Hayot, Fargues (Sauternes)

Château Lamothe, Sauternes

Château Lamothe Guignard, Sauternes

Introduction

2008-12-16T02:41:00.000-08:00

Welcome on the 33Tour blog.

33Tour is a local transportation agency specialized in the Bordeaux region.

"33" is the local administrative number of the Gironde (Bordeaux + wine region), It is why 33Tour evoke the company geographic identity.

Because the Bordeaux vineyard is one of the most famous in the world but also one of the most complicated to understand (even for French people !). These pages try to explain what are the different appellation, classification, terroir ...

Wine Tours

2008-12-16T01:48:00.000-08:00

What is a Wine Tour in the Bordeaux vineyard ?

First you have to understand that wine tourism is something "new" here in Bordeaux. Before few years ago it was not so usual to welcome the visitors in the estates. Now the minds change but we are not in the "Napa" and don't imagine arriving one day, stop at the fist winery on the road, ring the bell and taste. No ! it does not work like that especially if you come on Sunday or a week during the lunch hour (12-2pm).

Most of the Chateaus will welcome you with pleasure, but it is better to take an appointment, to select the places where you want to visit & taste.
A visit takes around 1h-1h30, they will explain you the history of the estate, the "terroir", the vineyard, the process then you will taste the wines from the estate.
Usually you can visit 3 Chateaus per day.

It exists more than 10.000 wineries in the Bordeaux vineyard but only less than 200 are very renown and famous.

First rule : more the winery is famous, more it is difficult to visit.
Forget about Cheval Blanc, Yquem, Margaux, Lafite & Latour.

At the opposite, some Chateaus want to be open to visitors and have their own employees who make the visit and the tasting :
Mouton Rothschild, Pape Clement, Smith Haut Lafite, Franc Mayne ....you just need to take an appointment.

Second rule : The others 9800 wineries less prestigious have to be also visited. Because it is a family estate and they don't have "staff", most of the time you will meet directly the owner. A wine tasting is not just a glass of wine in your hand it is an unique opportunity to share with him on his passion and his products.

Third rule : The vineyard is large St Emilion, Sauternes, Pauilac are far away from each others. So you need to think about one day per vineyard. One day St Emilion, one day Medoc, one day Sauternes & Graves, one day Blaye & Fronsac.
For a full wine tour it is a minimum of 3-4 days.

Appellation

2008-12-14T07:58:00.000-08:00

What are the mains Bordeaux vineyard appellation ?

There is more than 30 different appellations in the Bordeaux vineyard.

An appellation is related to a geographic part : the name of a village (St Emilion, Margaux, Sauternes ...) or the name of an area (Medoc, Entre 2 mers, cotes de Blaye ...).

The vineyard is separated in the middle by the Gironde river.
We call the right bank the right side of this river and the the left bank the left side.

On the Right bank you can find : St Emilion, Pomerol, Blaye, Fronsac ...

On the Left Bank you find : Medoc, Graves, Sauternes ....

The Gironde river splits in 2 others rivers, the Dordogne & the Garonne and in the middle of those there is the Entre 2 mers appellation.

Have a look on the Bordeaux vineyard map

Medoc :
The Medoc is a long wide band situated on the left bank. Most of the production is red wine & the mains appellations are :
-Margaux
-Pauillac
-St Estephe
-St Julien
-Listrac
-Moulis

Graves :
The grave is a small appellation close Bordeaux. They produce both red & white wines.
The most famous appellation is the Pessac Leognan.

Sauternes :
The Sauternes production is sweet white wine. It is a very small appellation but very famous.

Entre 2 mers :
This appellation is less known but they product very special dry white wine which goes very well with fish & sea food.

St Emilion :
The village and the vineyard are listed as human world heritage by the UNESCO. The production is mainly red wine. Situated close the Dordogne valley, the landscape is made of plateau and small hill.

Pomerol :
Close St Emilion there is the Pomerol appellation. The production is red wine made with more than 90% of Merlot.

May be the smallest vineyard but one of the most famous with it Star "Petrus".
Note that we don't say Chateau" we just say Petrus !

Arround St Emilion
Puisseguin, Montagne, Lalande de Pomerol, Fronsac, Lussac ....

Arround Blaye
Cote de Blaye, Cote de Bourg