Graves [GRAHV] | Wine Terms

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Graves
[GRAHV]

An important wine-producing area in France’s BORDEAUX region. It abuts the MÉDOC in the north just above the city of Bordeaux, extending west and to the south, where it surrounds the appellations of BARSAC, CÉRONS, and SAUTERNES. The Garonne River runs along its eastern border. The word graves is French for “gravel,” and the area takes its name from its gravelly soil, which is particularly prominent in its northern section. This northern part of Graves contains the best châteaux and, in 1987, was given its own appellation— PESSAC-LEOGNAN AC. Since then, the Graves AC covers only red and DRY white wines made in Graves’ southern area. This AC doesn’t have the quality reputation for wines that the Pessac-Leognan AC does. The Graves Supérieures AC is an appellation for DRY, medium-sweet, and sweet white wines with a higher minimum ALCOHOL level (12 percent, versus 11 percent for Graves AC). This rarely used appellation produces primarily sweet wines, which come from southern Graves. The entire region of Graves is rather unique for Bordeaux because it’s well known for both white and red wines. In fact, until the mid-1970s the area produced more white wine than red. The white wines, which are made from SAUVIGNON BLANC, SÉMILLON, and MUSCADELLE, have evolved from sweet wines into those with a CRISP, DRY style. One reason the name Graves is often associated with white wines is because white-wine labels specify Graves AC (or Graves Supérieures AC). Another reason is that the red wines, made predominantly from CABERNET SAUVIGNON, CABERNET FRANC, and MERLOT, are more apt to display the château’s name prominently on the label, with the appellation name in a secondary role. The red wines of Graves are generally credited with being of higher quality than whites, particularly in the northern section (Pessac-Leognan AC). They’re often equated to wines of the Médoc, but they have a distinctively EARTHY quality and are SOFTER because a bit more Merlot is used in the blend. The Classification of 1855 (see Official Wine Classifications of Bordeaux, page 636) for Bordeaux wines was limited to wines from the Médoc because those from other areas weren’t deemed worthy. The only exception was Graves’ Château Haut-Brion, which received a PREMIER CRU ranking—one of only four Bordeaux châteaux to receive this honor at that time. Today, Haut-Brion is still consistently one of the top estates of Bordeaux. The châteaux of Graves were classified for red wines in 1953, and again in 1959, when white wines were added and selected châteaux were given CRU CLASSÉ status (but no rankings within this category). Thirteen châteaux were deemed CRUS CLASSÉS for their red wines; six of those thirteen plus two additional estates also received this honor for their white wines.

Related Links: Bordeaux, Graves de Vayres AC, Mé, Barsac AC

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