- Widely recognized as authoritative and novel account of Bordeaux today
- 4-color, extensively illustrated with maps and photos
- Shortlisted for André Simon and Roederer wine book awards
The last two decades have seen a revolution in Bordeaux. What Price Bordeaux? presents a unique overview of the forces making Bordeaux wine what it is today. The book considers terroir, how events ranging from the phylloxera plague to global warming have changed the fundamental nature of Bordeaux, the mysteries of the en primeur system, the rising influence of oenologues and critics, the changing nature of the wine itself, and the rise and fall of various chateaux. A running theme is the powerful effect that the classification of 1855 continues to have on the chateaux of both Left and Right Banks, and this and the other classification systems are considered before concluding with a new classification of the chateaux based on the existing market.
Contents: Terroir and Typicité; A Sense of Place; The Importance of Being Classified; Wine in the Time of Classification; The Land and the Brand; Crisis and Prosperity; Winners and Losers; The Price of Reputation; The Rise of the Right Bank; The New Bordeaux; Grand Vins and Second Wines; Plus Ça Change; Rational Classification.