Graves French wine appellation guide: location, history, wines, climate & soil
Graves is the historic heart of Bordeaux winemaking, named after its gravelly soils, and one of the few Bordeaux appellations equally renowned for elegant reds, fresh or oaked dry whites and sweet wines.
More info about Graves
Geographic position
Southwestern France, on the left bank of the Garonne, stretching about 50 km south of the city of Bordeaux from Pessac-Léognan to Langon, around the sweet-wine enclaves of Sauternes and Barsac.
Origin & history
Graves was Bordeaux's first great vineyard: its wines, the "clarets" shipped to England after 1152, made the city's fortune. The AOC was created in 1937; in 1987 its northern part became the separate Pessac-Léognan appellation.
Wines & grape varieties
Reds blend Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Dry whites blend Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle; Graves Supérieures covers sweet whites.
Climate & soil
Temperate oceanic climate moderated by the Garonne and the Landes pine forest. Deep gravel and pebble terraces over sand, clay and limestone give drainage and heat to ripen Cabernet.
Wine region: Bordeaux
Grape varieties: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Muscadelle, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon