Guide to the Great Classified Growths of Bordeaux | Jean-Francois Martin

What Bordeaux enthusiast hasn't dreamed before a bottle of Grand Cru Classé? And perhaps, by chance, they may have tasted the wine of Lafite, Latour, Mouton, Margaux, Haut-Brion, d'Yquem, d'Ausone, or Cheval Blanc? These globally renowned crus now benefit from the great wave of wine tourism that opens Bordeaux's châteaux, cellars, and vineyards to the general public. Between Médoc, Saint-Émilionnais, Pessac-Léognan, Graves, and Sauternais, today there are 181 claiming the designation of Cru Classé or Grand Cru Classé. The author of this guide has visited them all. Regardless of the intrinsic quality of the wines, he distinguishes four categories: those that only receive professionals and a few "well-informed amateurs" - those that accept the principle of visits, without necessarily having a dedicated team, premises, or other resources (*) - those that proactively bet on wine tourism, offering quality services year-round or at least in season (from April to November), in several languages, and have a shop to materialize a memorable souvenir (**) - finally, those that offer complete and exceptional services that should be highlighted (***). The author: François Martin, a cellar master for fifteen years in Bordeaux and a wine taster for numerous professional organizations, conceived this guide for all wine tourists. He opened a tasting workshop in 2011, at 22 Quai des Chartrons in Bordeaux, to share the taste of wine. He is the author of La cuisine bordelaise (Éditions Sud Ouest), Savoir déguster le vin (translated into English, Mandarin, and Portuguese), Partager le goût du vin, and Le goût du champagne (Éditions Féret).