Bordeaux Chronicle

After 23 years in Bordeaux, wine writer Jane Anson knows how to get under the skin of a region that can still feel famously intimidating. Her previous book, Inside Bordeaux, is an enormously thorough yet approachable decoding of the region and its terroirs (you can sign up for Jane’s newsletter of the same name for access to her tasting reports and enormous wine database). She co-authored her new book, Bordeaux Chronicle (Vendôme), with photographer Peter Aaron, who first traveled to Bordeaux in 1969 with his father—the founder of legendary New York wine retailer Sherry-Lehmann—and documented a Bordeaux that reflected a modest, workaday life of farming and time-worn cellars and multi-generational winemaking.

Fifty-some years later, Aaron revisited the region, capturing the now polished chateaux and their cutting-edge winemaking facilities. His photographs, past and present, are accompanied by Jane’s insights about what about Bordeaux has changed over the years, and what endures, including a continued reverence for tradition and terroir. Below, she helps demystify the Left Bank versus the Right, dispels the myth that Bordeaux is all expensive bottles for stuffy drinkers, and shares producers actually worth seeking out (including some fantastic whites!). Plus, she lists the small hotels, markets, restaurants, beach escapes, and other places in the area that she returns to and recommends to friends.

Tell us a bit about your origin story. How did you come to live in Bordeaux and become an expert in wines?

I had been living in Japan and Hong Kong working as a journalist, then returned to London for a role as managing editor of a large website during the dot.com boom years, if you can remember them! The intention was then to just spend a few years in Bordeaux before heading back to London… 23 years ago.

You’ve written many books on Bordeaux, including Inside Bordeaux, a deep-dive reference guide through the lens of the region’s terroirs that has been called “a bible.” Was it challenging to establish your authority in this region as an outsider? And as a woman in what is still a pretty male-dominated field? 

I often say that I didn’t know enough to be intimidated by what I didn’t know, and that set me in good stead. I approached getting to understand Bordeaux as I would any subject—asking lots of questions, being curious, reading widely, finding a few mentors who I trusted and who were happy to share their knowledge, and not being afraid to get things wrong a lot. Being a journalist is always a wonderful way to gain access, and it’s a privilege that I never take lightly. Then over time I began to get more serious about tasting, taking classes at the oenology school here, and pursuing the areas that I felt had not been covered in a way they deserved—most specifically the terroirs of Bordeaux, which are rich and varied, and have a huge impact on how the wine actually tastes in our glass. Inside Bordeaux was a way to address the missing conversation.

Your new book, Bordeaux Chronicle (Vendome), is a collaboration with the photographer Peter Aaron, who has his own deep ties to the region. Together, you trace a lot of the history of the area—the vineyards, the chateaux, the families and workers who have populated it for generations. Given how well you know Bordeaux, was there anything you learned in the course of your research that really surprised you?

One of the things that keeps me engaged in this region after so many years is how there is always something new to learn. Peter was a joy to work with, and seeing the region through his eyes (he had a break of 55 years in between his two visits for the photographs) was fascinating, hearing about how low key everything was in the 1960s, that he could just turn up at the chateau cellars and be welcomed in by the bemused workers, who were only too happy to take a break to allow this crazy New Yorker to take their photos! It was also wonderful to learn just how many generations of the same families are still working in these châteaux, despite the influx of money and new owners. Peter got some great shots of next gen cellar staff standing next to photos of their ancestors taken in the 1960s—and one excellent shot of Philippe Castéja aged 19 in front of his Pauillac estate, and another one of the same man, in the same spot, 55 years later!

Are you encouraged to see more women in wine in the region? How does this affect the business?

I’m encouraged every time I see the doors open wider in this region. It helps all of us, and is a reminder that wine is something to be shared, with no rules over who gets to enjoy it. 

The vintage photographs are fantastic—how did you guys track those down? There must be some good stories behind those finds. 

Peter was commissioned to take these images in 1969 by Alexis Lichine, known as the “pope of wine,” for a book that he was writing but in the end never published. So they were taken by Peter himself—turning up on a Vespa directly to the cellar doors!!!

You write, “Bordeaux is the world’s most famous, and famously maddening, wine region.” That’s partly because of the unusually rainy climate. What else makes it maddening?

Bordeaux is a port city that has been shaped by centuries of new arrivals from across the globe, and is sold in 170 countries worldwide, and yet can come across as insular and closed. There is a disconnect between the reality and the myth that the Bordelais are not always skilled at dispelling.

What makes it wonderful? What has kept you here?

The wine industry here brings together history, politics, economics, ego, families, friendship, pleasure… plenty to keep a writer interested. Being close to Cap Ferret, the French Pyrenees and San Sebastien doesn’t hurt either!

Can you explain the region’s basic geography, what a visitor should understand about the difference between the Left Bank and the Right Bank?

Let’s ignore the nuances and say Left Bank = more gravel, lower lying land, more Cabernet Sauvignon. Right Bank = more clay and limestone, higher altitude, more Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Of course there are a ton of exceptions, but in general if you like to work up a sweat when cycling head to the Right Bank, if you like to run marathons over relatively flat land, head to the Left Bank.

The Bordeaux region remains more intimidating to wine-curious travelers than some of France’s other less formal-feeling wine regions. You write that half a century ago, the vineyards and châteaux of the region were seldom visited by tourists, and there was little or no professional hospitality. Has that changed?

Yes, that part has changed beyond recognition. The first vineyards that I visited as a tourist, in the mid-1990s, were in South Africa, and even then the Cape winelands had restaurants and shops, and were super welcoming. It took longer for Bordeaux to get there, but today there is an abundance of excellent restaurants in châteaux, from La Dominique to Troplong Mondot, Marquis de Terme and Palmer.

The reputation of Bordeaux wines is that they are very expensive and drunk by very stuffy people (the opposite of the natural wine drinker!); they have to be put away for a number of years and nobody ever (at least in the States) mentions the white wines. In your Inside Bordeaux book, you mentioned a producer who makes great white wines in the Médoc, and Yolanda went to visit them. She said they were inexpensive and fantastic. Can you speak to this stereotype and help redirect the way our readers think about this region? And can you give examples of wines that aren’t expensive and are ready to go?

It’s a good example of the frustrating thing about Bordeaux. The vast majority of wine here is great value, and made by people who truly care about offering brilliant bottles that have been made with love. Look to names like Clos Manou, Le Puy, Clos d’Uza, Ch d’Aiguilhe, Roc de Cambes, Château le Rey and many others. It’s definitely true that the growth of white wines is probably the biggest trend in recent years here, and there are many brilliant examples – Alto de Cantenac Brown is one of my favorites, as is the one that Yolanda visited called Château Poitevin. And if you want slightly higher end, but can’t-go-wrong whites, look to Smith Haut-Lafitte, Domaine de Chevalier, and Les Champs Libres.

Do you have a couple of favorite places where you recommend friends stay when they are in the region?

The small hotel at Troplong Mondot is always a good idea, but there are so many options now. Recent openings (guesthouses, châteaux with rooms, hotels) include Château Dauzac, Château du Tertre, Château Cantemerle, Clos Dubreuil, Sources de Caudalie, Château du Pape.

What 3 or so wineries might one visit to gain a well-rounded understanding of Bordeaux wines?

Ok, let’s think Left Bank, Right Bank, white wine. Château Palmer, Château Montrose or Pontet Canet on the Left Bank to see people pushing the boundaries, working biodynamically, developing farms on the property, encouraging true biodiversity programes etc. On the Right Bank I would suggest Château Fonplégade for the same reason, or Château Cheval Blanc with their agroforestry programme. And a white wine, let’s think of a smaller producer so you get an example of a family run estate—Château Biac makes a wonderful red, and small quantities of an excellent white also, and are just a wonderfully welcoming family.

What are some of your favorite small producers in the region who welcome visitors?

Thomas Boudat of Vignobles Boudat Cigana is a great one to visit, particularly in October when they host a day of trail biking, hiking and running. He cycled for the French team at the last Olympics, and is really doing some excellent work encouraging a different style of wine tourism.

How has the city of Bordeaux changed since you arrived in the city?

I was lucky to arrive just as the first tramline was being built, and the city’s limestone buildings cleaned up in the run-up to getting awarded UNESCO World Heritage recognition. The quays now are one of the greatest places in the city, on both banks of the river, lined with shops and bars, but also gardens, perfect for walking and jogging.

What are a few of your favorite places to eat/drink/shop in the city?

Sequoia coffee shop is a clear favourite, on rue Fondaudege. Definitely a trip to Capucins market, and eat at any of the restaurants that line the market, especially Au Bistrot with the wonderful chef-owner François. 

Favorite outing for a beach day?

Dune de Pyla so you can finish with a cocktail at La Co(o)rniche.

What’s your favorite thing to do in Bordeaux in winter?

Go to the beach – Cap Ferret is so much better in winter when it’s cold and windy, especially along the Atlantic beaches.