WHAT PRICE BORDEAUX?

Settle down with a glass of wine and uncover the secrets behind the production of this wine in the region of Bordeaux. Benjamin Lewin has experience in both science and wine, as founding Editor of Cell, the world's leading biological journal, and having obtained the qualification of Master of Wine from the Institute of Masters of Wine in London - there are fewer than 300 Masters of Wine across the world. Why have top chateaux climbed into the stratosphere while smaller chateau owners are going bankrupt? How and why is the style of Bordeaux changing (will the region can survive global warming)? Do the great châteaux make wines based on unique terroirs or are they merely brands? Discover the battles fought in the court room over the classification of wines including the overthrowing of classification of Cru Bourgeois of the Médoc and St Emilion in March 2007 which left producers unsure whether the terms Cru Bourgeois or Grande Cru Classé could be used. Follow the illegal prevention of water reaching the grapes from the sky, while it remains legal to remove water from the wine through physical manipulation. Each step in the line of Bordeaux wine production is explained with perfect precision. The presence of water in the wine making process is further examined. From graphs illustrating the average price of Bordeaux rouge in euros per bottle across each year, and the release prices for Sauternes premier crus across a decade, to images of labels such as the second wine of Château Margaux which flaunted its connection with the grand vin, there are stunning photographs such as the extensive renovations by a new proprietor in 2008 on Château Cos d'Estournel which turned the property into a building site. With extensive tables providing you with data such as a list of the large estates owned by local seigneurs through the 18th century as well as the details of the relative prices between 1741 and 1774 which identified a hierarchy of the Châteaux wines in four classes. From sections on 'Rational Classification' and 'Terroir and Typicité', to 'The Land and the Brand' and 'Grand Vines and Second Vines'. 'Good wine makes good blood', and there is certainly no greater wine than the Bordeaux. 16" x 9", colour images, 296pp.