The French Wine Label

February 26, 2017

The French Wine Label

Bordeaux wine labels generally include:

  • The name of the estate (Image example: Château L'Angelus)
  • The estate's classification (Image example: Grand Cru Classé) This can be in reference to the 1855 Bordeaux classification or one of the Cru Bourgeois.
  • The appellation (Image example: Saint-Émilion) Appellation d'origine contrôlée laws dictate that all grapes must be harvested from a particular appellation in order for that appellation to appear on the label. The appellation is a key indicator of the type of wine in the bottle. With the image example, Pauillac wines are always red, and usually Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape variety.
  • Whether or not the wine is bottled at the château (Image example: Mis en Bouteille au Château) or assembled by a Négociant.
  • The vintage (Image example: 1978)
  • Alcohol content (not shown on image)



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