1945 did not just see the end of the catastrophic war: it also saw the best vintage Bordeaux had ever seen. And it’s still drinking well today.
Today on Le Grand Voyage, Joe Fattorini shares the story – and history – of an unforgettable year in Bordeaux. 1945 was not just the year World War II ended; for French wine regions, it was the year of a vicious late frost and the greatest ripening season of the 20th century.
While many châteaux were heavily vandalised and the vineyards themselves ravaged by frost and years of neglect, winemakers and estate owners returned to find French wine country had produced grapes of astounding quality – and so the picking began.
It is still considered the greatest Bordeaux vintage of the 20th century, harvested by men and women at the end of six years of conflict, and still drinking well today. To drink French wine from that famous vintage is to imbibe history.
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What is Le Grand Voyage?
Beginning in August 2020, Le Grand Voyage will take you on a Bordeaux wine tour unlike any other. You’ll discover the reason cork is the preferred wine bottle closure, why wine tasting needs the right glassware, and how the region’s most famous grapes found their place. You will also hear the stories (and controversies) of French wine classification, and even a few tales of war and conflict that have helped shape and define Bordeaux and other French wine appellations over the last few centuries.
But it’s not just about wine: Le Grand Voyage is about stories. Joe’s love of Bordeaux wine (and French wine appellations in general) is as much about the history of the region as it is about the wines themselves. You’ll find out why Bordeaux is the wine of American presidents; why Irish and English names grace famous French wine labels; and why a sailing ship graces ours.
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We are Château Malartic-Lagravière, a Cru Classé de Graves of the Pessac-Léognan appellation in Bordeaux, France.
Our vineyards sit on the finest gravelly soils of Léognan, south of Bordeaux city. Much of our plot is dedicated to the red wine grapes made famous by the Bordeaux appellation, but our terroir also holds the key to one of the region’s best-kept secrets: first-class Bordeaux white wines.
Château Malartic-Lagravière’s history dates back to the 18th century. We were one of only six wine producers in Bordeaux to enter the 1953 Graves classification for both red wine and white wine. These same varieties are still grown in our vineyards today: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.
The Bonnie family now takes care of the vines and wines using traditional techniques and
modern sustainable agriculture practices to produce wines of incomparable character,
complexity and sophistication.