This week we’ll be trying wines from Bordeaux, but buying a bottle of good Bordeaux isn’t always a straightforward endeavor. For this week’s blog we’ll be breaking down some of the terms you may find on a bottle of the iconic French wine.

Left Bank: Refers to the west/southwest side of the Gironde Estuary. These wines tend to be Cabernet Sauvignon based blends.

Medoc: An area of the Left Bank that is prized for some of the world’s top wines. It has four villages and a sub region you should know!

Haut-Medoc: A subregion of the Medoc for making higher quality wines. (Cab based wines)

Saint-Estéphe: A village with a reputation for making some of the most tannic and burly wines of Bordeaux (Cab based wines)

Pauillac:One of the top two villages of the Medoc. Known for making wines that sell for $1000+/bottle. Wines here are described as "polished". (Cab based wines)

Saint Julien: Another High quality village of the Medoc, the wines here tend to be early drinking compared to its neighbors. (Cab based wines)

Margaux: The other top Village of the Medoc, home to wines that have some of the polish of Pauillac and some of the burlieness of Saint-Estéphe. (Cab based wines)

Right Bank: Refers to the wines of the east/northeast side of the Gironde. These wines tend to be Merlot based blends.

Saint-Emilion: One of the two main villages of the Right Bank, while Merlot based they tend to have a bit more Cab Franc which adds a bell pepper character.

Pomerol: The most prestigious place in the world to grow Merlot, on the right bank. One producer anyone should know, Petrus, maker’s of the world’s most expensive Merlot!

Bordeaux Superior: The are typically Merlot based blends from the right bank and your "every day" Bordeaux. Typically great value for the quality you get.

Other terms to know:

Entre-deux-Mer: "Between two seas" in French. This is an area that is between the left and right banks. Famous for growing early drinking reds and many white wines.

Graves: an area on the Left Bank but south of the Medoc.

Pessac-Leognon: A sub region of Graves and home to the famous Chateau Haut-Brion. (Cab based wines)

Sauternes: Iif you see this on a label expect an intensely sweet and very long lived dessert wine.