Gironde

They were the lightships marking the middle bank of the Gironde, which is many miles wide at this spot and rendered dangerous by innumerable sandbanks.

The Last Hope Henry Seton Merriman 1882

They were the lightships marking the middle bank of the Gironde, which is many miles wide at this spot and rendered dangerous by innumerable sand-banks.

The Last Hope Henry Seton Merriman 1882

Certainly, it was a year where châteaux on both sides of the Gironde, such as Château Margaux and Vieux Château Certan, made some of the best wines in their history.

A Vintage That Will Age for a Century Will Lyons 2011

Next month, the world's eyes will turn once again to Bordeaux, where the vignerons along the Gironde will throw open their doors for a glimpse of the new vintage.

Vintage Bargain-Hunting Will Lyons 2011

On the Gironde's left bank, there are some beautiful wines, particularly in Saint-Estèphe.

A Vintage That Will Age for a Century Will Lyons 2011

And on the right bank of the Gironde, the Pomerol region has produced some glorious wines, in particular from Château L'Evangile, Château La Conseillante, Vieux Château Certan and Château Cheval Blanc, whose vineyards sit on the higher plains where the soil of gravel over sand imparts a dry, mineral edge to the wine when it hits the palate.

A Vintage That Will Age for a Century Will Lyons 2011

Long before the Bordelais grew rich on the export of Claret and began the process of building their spectacular châteaux on the banks of the Gironde, the salons of Paris were supplied with wines made from the Syrah grape in places such as Côte-Rôtie, Hermitage, Condrieu and Cornas.

Vintage Bargain-Hunting Will Lyons 2011

On the other side of the Gironde, the Left Bank, many châteaux that were once in family hands are now owned by international conglomerates, and wines that were once sold for around €20 are now on the market for thousands of euros a bottle.

The Remarkable Rise of Le Pin Will Lyons 2011

This has nothing to do with political orientation—it refers to a region's position relative to the Gironde estuary that divides two sides of Bordeaux.

Getting to the Bottom of Bordeaux Lettie Teague 2011

"The wines arrived by road and train, whereas on the other side of the Gironde, on the Medoc, those wines left by sea and found their way to England."

The Remarkable Rise of Le Pin Will Lyons 2011