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Bordeaux — Wine Region Guide

Dajeong Lim M.D.
DipWSET · CMS Advanced Sommelier (Leslie Rudd Award 2024) · FWS · IWS · SWS
Wine educator of PDT Seoul · Editor of YourOwnWineEncyclopedia.com · Last reviewed June 2026

The Bordeaux maps from Your Own Wine Encyclopedia — every name tag opens a study card. Below, the chapter's own geography, climate and geology notes.

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Médoc (Left Bank) · Saint-Estèphe · Pauillac · Saint-Julien · +9 more
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Terrain & satellite · every name tag opens a study card
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Wine Maps — BordeauxSubscriber
Bordeaux · Overview
Bordeaux end to end. Médoc and the Left Bank, the Libournais, Entre-Deux-Mers, Sauternes and the Côtes.
Wine Maps — Bordeaux · Pauillac & Saint-JulienSubscriber
Pauillac · Médoc 1855
Médoc 1855 layer on. Mouton Rothschild 1er · Latour 1er · Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2e — classed growths placed on the map.
Wine Maps — Bordeaux · Libournais · Soils modeSubscriber
Saint-Émilion · Soils
Soils mode. Plateau calcaire, graves and sables separated by colour, with Pétrus · Cheval Blanc · Ausone · Angélus on top.

From the encyclopedia — geography, climate & geology

Geography & Climate

Geography

  • Regional Location: Southwest France, close to the Atlantic Ocean.
  • River Systems: Traversed by the Garonne and Dordogne rivers — they merge to form the Gironde estuary.

Moderating Influences

  • Gironde estuary → protects vineyards from frost.
  • Landes forest (Les Landes) — man-made forest partially shielding the Left Bank.
    • Northern Médoc: less protected → more maritime → cooler.

Climate

  • Classification: Moderate maritime.
  • Rainfall: ~950 mm/yr.
  • Temperature regulation: Gulf Stream (warm) + Atlantic Ocean (cool).
    • Right Bank (easterly): maritime influence less prominent → more continental.
      • Vintage variation: marked — affects both volume and quality.

Best Year Conditions

  • Warmth throughout growing season → even ripening.
  • Plentiful rainfall → growth.
  • Dry, warm autumn → complete ripening → excellent balance of tannins, sugar, acidity → ageing potential.

Rainfall Risks

  • At flowering: poor fruit set; coulure and millerandage.
  • Throughout growing season: disease.
  • At/after véraison: unripe fruit, fungal disease.
  • At harvest: dilute flavours.
Read the full Bordeaux chapter

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