Bordeaux is the planet's largest source of fine wine, the model for Cabernet Sauvignon- and Merlot-based wines around the globe. Bordeaux wines are considered by many wine connoisseurs to be the world's greatest reds.

The Bordeaux region encompasses both banks of the Gironde estuary in southwest France, as well as the land bordering the Garonne and Dordogne, which split off from the Gironde in the southern Medoc. Bordeaux's highest-quality red wines generally come from seven major appellations: Saint-Estephe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, and Margaux in the greater Medoc region, Graves to the south of the city of Bordeaux, and Pomerol and Saint-Emilion to the east (an area commonly referred to as the "Right Bank"). The best dry white wines come from the large Graves region, while the finest sweet wines are made in Sauternes and Barsac, enclaves within the southern reaches of the Graves appellation.

In general, red wines from the left bank of the Gironde, particularly from the Medoc region of Bordeaux, are based on Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with varying amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc and sometimes bits of Malbec and Petit Verdot. These red wines are dry and firm, with a solid tannic spine, and are often austere in their youth. They are among the longest-lived wines made anywhere. Red wines from the gravel and sand soils of Graves often show a bit more texture early on, as well as more roasted notes of smoke, hot stones, and tobacco. Wines from Bordeaux's Right Bank, located mostly to the east of the town of Libourne, are blends based on the softer Merlot grape. They are generally fleshier and more pliant than wines from the Medoc and are accessible earlier, though the best of them are capable of improving in bottle for decades.

The Atlantic-influenced Bordeaux region covers both banks of the Gironde estuary in southwest France, as well as the land bordering the Garonne and Dordogne, which split off from the Gironde in the southern Médoc. Bordeaux's highest-quality—and most expensive—red wines generally come from seven major appellations: Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien and Margaux in the greater Médoc region, Graves to the south of the city of Bordeaux itself, and Pomerol and Saint-Emilion to the east (an area commonly referred to as the right bank, as it lies east of the Dordogne). The best dry white wines come from the Graves region of Bordeaux, while the finest sweet wines are made in Sauternes and Barsac, enclaves within the southern reaches of the Graves appellation.

In general, red wines from the left bank of the Gironde, particularly from the Médoc region, are based on Cabernet Sauvignon, with varying amounts of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, and sometimes bits of Malbec and Petit Verdot, included in the blends. These wines are dry and firm, with a solid tannic spine, and are often austere in their youth. Bordeaux wines are among the longest-lived wines made anywhere. Red wines from the gravel and sand soils of the Graves often show a bit more texture early on, as well as more roasted notes of smoke, hot stones and tobacco. Wines from Bordeaux's right bank, located mostly to the east of the town of Libourne, are blends based on the softer Merlot grape. These Bordeaux wines are generally fleshier and more pliant than wines from the Médoc, and accessible earlier even though the best of them are capable of improving in bottle for decades.

The classic austerity of claret is one of the reasons Bordeaux is in a state of crisis today -- that plus the fact that the region also produces a lot of mediocre wine. With a new generation of enophiles around the world seeking wines that offer suppler tannins and early gratification, and avoiding the stern, uncompromisingly dry wines of the past, it has become increasingly hard to sell wines that must be cellared for years before they become fun to drink -- not to mention the difficulty of selling wines from less-ripe vintages, which can be lean and herbal. At the same time, more and more money has been chasing fewer and fewer wines -- the first growths plus a handful of wines whose complexity, sweetness of fruit and layered texture have garnered strong reviews from the wine press. The result: a few dozen Bordeaux wines have become increasingly expensive, while most of the thousands of other châteaux are struggling to sell their production.

The financially stable châteaux have been able to take a host of expensive and often labor-intensive measures in the vineyards and in the cellars to improve the quality of their wines. Some of these steps include: improvements in viticultural practices aimed at limiting vine yields and ensuring more concentrated grapes that reach adequate ripeness earlier; later and more precise harvesting for riper grape skins and thus suppler tannins; more careful sorting of grapes at the time of harvest to eliminate less-ripe fruit and grapes with damaged skins; fermentation in smaller lots to allow better control; more stringent selection of the components for the château's grand vin, or flagship label. And of course global warming has allowed the region to ripen its fruit on a more consistent basis in recent years. Still, literally thousands of Bordeaux châteaux are not able to get a sufficiently high price for their wines to be able to afford making the improvements necessary to attract the attention of consumers. And caught in the middle are hundreds of properties that are making very good wine but must sell it for less than its intrinsic value. The CIVB (Conseil Interprofessional du Vin de Bordeaux) has said that fully 20% of Bordeaux's vines -- representing an amount of wine greater than the combined production of the states of Washington and Oregon -- will need to be pulled up to correct the current glut of wine.

Second labels are another place to look for value in Bordeaux. Today, most classified growths use second labels for those components deemed not quite strong enough to go into their grand vin. The best of these second labels offer some of the character and quality of the premium offering at a fraction of the price.

Another important advantage of second label Bordeaux wines is that they typically provide earlier accessibility. Every bottle of declassified juice represents a significant financial sacrifice for a château owner but a potential opportunity for the alert consumer, as the typical second label commands a price between one-fifth and one-third that of the estate's flagship wine. Some consistent standouts, not surprisingly, come from the first growths: Carruades de Lafite, Les Forts de Latour, Pavillon Rouge du Château Margaux, Bahans-Haut-Brion, Le Petit Cheval (Cheval Blanc) and Chapelle d'Ausone. Considerably less expensive are Les Pagodes de Cos (Cos d'Estournel), Les Hauts de Pontet (Ponet-Canet), Les Tourelles de Longueville (Pichon-Baron), La Dame de Montrose, Réserve de la Comtesse (Pichon-Lalande).

The Clos du Marquis of Château Léoville-Las Cases, widely considered to be one of the best second labels, is technically a separate wine rather than a lesser version of the grand vin. Look for second labels in the successful, ripe years; in cooler vintages, these wines can be repositories for a château's underripe fruit.

All Bordeaux wines are entitled to the basic appellation Bordeaux. Bordeaux Supérieur is a slight step higher. Bordeaux wine from districts known for special quality carry the name of their appellation on the label. While seven appellations -- Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux, Graves, Pomerol and Saint-Emilion -- are most familiar to wine lovers, lesser-known districts such as Moulis and Listrac in the Médoc and Fronsac, Canon-Fronsac and Côtes de Castillon on the right bank can also produce excellent wines, generally at much lower prices. All of the best wines of Bordeaux also carry the name of the specific château, or estate. More than 200 of the finest châteaux of the Médoc, Graves and Saint-Émilion (and Sauternes as well) have been awarded cru classé, or classified growth, status. The famous 1855 Classification established four premiers crus, or first growths -- Lafite-Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, and Haut-Brion (in 1973, Mouton-Rothschild too was officially declared a first growth) -- as well as a host of second through fifth growths.

Three right-bank wines of Bordeaux -- Pétrus, Cheval Blanc, and Ausone -- are commonly considered to be equivalent in quality to the "official" first growths, and the right-bank appellations of Saint-Emilion has its own system of classification. In addition, there are hundreds of crus bourgeoises in the Médoc, as well as the lesser properties throughout the Bordeaux region that are commonly referred to as petits châteaux. If these thousands of so-called little wines have less pretension to importance, they are also, as a rule, easier to drink when young.