Vineyard of Château d'Yquem, Sauternes Region, Bordeaux

Left Bank

The wines of Bordeaux can generally be split into two major categories, those from the Right Bank and those from the Left. They are so named because they lie to the west or “left” of the Garonne River and Gironde Estuary and to the east or “right” of the Dordogne River and Gironde Estuary. The soils of the Left Bank tend toward more gravel and less clay, making it better suited to Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact Cabernet Sauvignon is the predominant grape variety grown here, followed by Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. The Haut-Médoc, comprised of the four communes of St-Estèphe, Pauillac, St-Julien, and Margaux leads the area with the greatest percentage of top wines. Overall, dry red wine is the predominant style in the Haut-Médoc, while dry white wine (with rare exception) is favored in Graves/Pessac-Léognan and sweet white wines rule Sauternes/Barsac.

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