Bordeaux battle: branded wines vs châteaux wines
Today, a friendly match is taking place between two teams with distinctive yet perfectly complementary personalities: firstly, branded wines led by Stéphanie, head of marketing and communication at Producta Vignobles, followed by châteaux wines, led by Jérôme, operations manager at Château Argadens for Maison Sichel. These two teams will unveil the many facets of the Bordeaux vineyards. Which facets, to be precise? Read on to find out!
An incredible diversity of identities and histories
Symbols of Bordeaux worldwide, châteaux wines are intrinsically linked to the region’s time-honored history and reputation. They are produced by ancient family-owned estates that are loyal to their roots and whose expertise is passed down from one generation to the next – even if some of them don’t hesitate to reinvent themselves over time! Uncorking a châteaux wine will transport you immediately to the heart of the winegrower’s universe.
The essence of branded wines is just as inspiring. Their aim? Rather than focusing on one estate in particular, these brands tend to adopt a fairly broad approach to wine: combining the expertise of several partner winegrowers from whom they carefully select the grapes or wines they need.
Production strategies to suit all tastes
Above all, châteaux wines rely on the terroir as their trump card since they grow their own vines. Their winegrowing and winemaking techniques are chosen to enhance the character of their plots, taking into account the weather conditions of each vintage. In other words, they adapt their approach to the situation in the field! The consequence? Every vintage is unique! Depending on the quality of these vintages and the prestige of the châteaux, certain great growths are extremely rare, reserved for the most discerning connoisseurs. Yet many estates also produce more accessible, excellent cuvées to suit all tastes…
Branded wines explore the many possibilities that the art of blending, characteristic of the Bordeaux region, has to offer by using grapes grown on a wide range of terroirs and plots. Thanks to this supply strategy, brands are able to offer wine lovers an array of relatively accessible cuvées representing the different faces of Bordeaux: red wine, white wine, sweet white wine, rosé wine and Crémant de Bordeaux. To sum up, a wide range of styles with wines to suit all tastes and occasions…
Many different tasting experiences full of flavour
As you now know, châteaux wines are crafted from a distinctive terroir. This specific characteristic helps create unique tasting experiences! Each new cuvée is an invitation to discover the person behind the bottle and is a pure reflection of their château and vintage.
In contrast, grapes for branded wines are specially sourced to guarantee consistent quality over the years, regardless of the weather conditions. Preserving the brand’s aromatic signature remains the objective of these cuvées, which are champions of regularity!
A myriad of bottles and labels
In terms of packaging, châteaux wines frequently (but not always!) display traditional labels, featuring the name of the estate, the vintage, and sometimes the château itself. This timeless design epitomises the historic heritage of the Bordeaux vineyards.
For their part, many branded wines showcase their bold creativity through their visual signature (while others remain committed to classic designs). Their modern labels with instantly recognisable, contemporary graphics enrich the field of possibilities in the Bordeaux vineyards…
Both branded wines and châteaux wines promote the many facets of Bordeaux, and the following motto perfectly sums this up: “There’s strength in numbers!” Why? Because all these wines are complementary. They reflect and enhance the diversity of the Bordeaux region and offer everyone the chance to discover it in many different ways. Want to go one step further? Take part in our Entre-deux-Mers vs Cérons Battle of the PDOs and join the Bordeaux Crew on our social media pages!
