Graves is a wine subregion in southwestern France, part of the Bordeaux region. It produces both red and white wines, with red wines being predominant, and has a unique soil composition rich in gravel.
Geography
Graves is located on the left bank of the Garonne river, stretching 60 kilometers between Bordeaux and Langon. The region is bounded by marshes to the west and France's largest forest to the east. The gravel-rich soil allows the grapes to ripen 2-3 weeks earlier than in other Bordeaux subregions.
Grapes and Production
The main grape varieties grown are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, Sémillon, and Muscadelle. Red wines account for approximately 53% of the vineyard area, with white wine production decreasing. The region includes several smaller wine areas such as Pessac-Léognan, Sauternes, Barsac, and Sér.
History
Vineyards in Graves date back to the Roman Empire, and the wine gained popularity in the High Middle Ages. Château Haut-Brion became a pioneer of the 'new Bordeaux style' and was the first widely exported wine from Bordeaux. The region lost some popularity in the 19th-20th centuries due to the separation of Pessac-Léognan and industrialization that destroyed nearly 7,000 hectares of vineyards.
Classification
According to the 1855 Bordeaux classification, only one estate from Graves was ranked in the first growth category for red wines: Château Haut-Brion. The 1959 classification created a separate category for Graves Cru Classe, including 16 châteaux from Pessac-Léognan. The region has two main appellations: Graves for dry wines and Graves Supérieures for sweet white wines.
Adapted from the Russian Wikipedia article Грав, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.