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Appellation Barsac Contrôlée

What does Barsac mean on a wine bottle label?

On the one hand, Barsac is a municipality near Bordeaux in the south-west of France and has about 2065 inhabitants. On the other hand, Barsac is also an appellation on the left bank of the Garonne River. You can find this appellation on the wine label and it has nothing to do with the municipality of Barsac.

Read also: What is an appellation?

The Bordeaux wine-growing region is divided into the left bank and right bank of the Gironde. Gironde is a river that flows into the Atlantic, but also a department in the same area. Bordeaux is also a city and the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.

Let's look again at the Gironde river at its mouth in the Atlantic. There the river divides an area that is world famous for wine growing in Bordeaux. The Gironde river then branches off into the Garonne and the Dordogne. Barsac lies on the left bank of the Garonne, as do the appellations Graves and Pessac-Léognan located above it.

Wine is grown in the Barsac wine-growing region. Consequently, the wineries that have their vineyards in this area belong to the Barsac appellation. The designation "Appellation Barsac Contrôlée" is then listed on the label of a wine bottle.

AOC Barsac: This is an alternative spelling. AOC stands for Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée and means controlled designation of origin.

Following the Bordeaux classification of Médoc wineries in 1855, wineries from the Barsac appellation also belong to this classification.

These well-known Bordeaux wineries are part of the Barsac Contrôlée appellation:

1er Grand Cru Classé

  • Château Climens
  • Château Coutet

2ème Grand Cru Classé

  • Château Broustet
  • Château Caillou
  • Château Doisy-Daëne
  • Château Doisy-Dubroca
  • Château Doisy-Védrines
  • Château de Myrat
  • Château Nairac
  • Château Suau

Now collect wine from Barsac!