The number of châteaux in Bordeaux. Go on, take a guess....

[AlexR]

…. and the answer is…. 8,944 as just announced by the Fédération des Grands Vins de Bordeaux.

10% of these are produced by cooperative cellars.

Since 1990 a château can sell their wine under one, and just one, other name if they can prove an historical precedent.

As many châteaux as there are, there were 12,650 ten years ago!

This reduced number goes to show a number of economic factors at play.
It also shows that it is kind of reckless to say “Bordeaux is… (fill in the blank)”.
The variety is overwhelming.

Best regards,
Alex R.

[Nicklasss]

"Bordeaux is only the Crus Classés".

By the way, I'm out of small affordable Bordeaux. I'll go for some 2012 Chateau La Dauphine this weekend.

Unfortunately, a white 2014 Chateau Graville-Lacoste (Graves) was very dull not so long ago, very acidic, simple, vegetal.

Nic

[AKR]

I've never understood the fuss about Graville Lacoste. I have had a few vintages over the decades, and stopped buying.

Kermit Lynch has a great palate in Rhone, Provence, Languedoc etc. and if I see that import strip, I'm pretty safe buying.

But in BDX, he seems to have a bit of an AFWE palate there, so at odds with what he likes in grenache, syrah, carignan, cinsault etc.

====

That's an amazing number of estates, and the odds are good that whatever is crossing the oceans in good vintages is at least competent.

[DavidG]

Probably not reckless to say "Bordeaux is diverse," even when referring to the stuff that makes it to the US.

But it is true that most of our discussion here is focused on the top 1-2% of those ~9,000 estates. When we say it's overpriced, I think most of us know we're talking about the top classed growths.

Alex, your perspective is understandably different, living in the center of it all, so I can see why it annoys you to hear us repeating these generalizations.