A look at the methods and traditions behind Bordeaux’s pink wines, from fresh, dry rosé to the region’s deeper-coloured clairet and sparkling crémant
For those who enjoy a cool glass of rosé wine, it seems to fit right between a crisp sauvignon blanc and a bright pinot noir. The colour alone can fall along quite a wide spectrum from very pale salmon all the way to a deep, intense pink, bordering on orange. One might say that the rosé world is like oil painting – it can be as simple as a few brush strokes in a light pass, all the way to multiple layers of colour and, in this case, flavour.
Making rosé anywhere is as much art as science. And, because Bordeaux revels in rules and complexities, making rosé there is not for the faint of heart.
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Indeed, Bordeaux has distinct rules for the making of rosé. The rules define the grape varieties and, in some instances, the percentage of each that can be used and the methods that can be employed to make the wine. All of this is designed to ensure that the wines produced are of a standard that allows them to be associated with specific Bordeaux appellations.
The primary grapes used in Bordeaux rosé are merlot, cabernet franc, and cabernet sauvignon.
The true difference between the rosé wines of Bordeaux is driven more by grape blend, soil, climate, and winemaker preference than by completely different regional recipes. In fact, the broad Bordeaux Rosé AOC covers the entire Bordeaux wine region and includes more than 1,200 producers, each of which has the same legal rosé methods they can use.
Basic Bordeaux rosé process
Harvest – The primary grapes used in Bordeaux rosé are merlot, cabernet franc, and cabernet sauvignon. Essentially these dark-skinned grapes produce a white juice that develops its colour from those very skins. The grapes deliver freshness and acidity, usually earlier than grapes intended for their red Bordeaux counterparts.
Extract a small amount of colour – Bordeaux producers generally use one of three methods for developing and producing rosé wines and in some cases the wines made by different methods can be blended, after they are fermented, to make a distinctive rosé.
- Direct pressing: The grapes are pressed immediately after harvest and ferments for no more than three to four months. This produces a pale, fresh, lightly coloured rosé and is now viewed as the most modern method for Bordeaux rosé.
- Short maceration: The crushed grapes remain briefly with their skins, often for several hours, to extract more colour and fruit.
- Saignée: Some juice is “bled” from a tank of red grapes at the beginning of maceration. This produces a rosé while concentrating the remaining red wine.
In the written rules that govern wine production in Bordeaux, the official appellation documentation (called the Cahier de Charge) recognizes direct pressing, light maceration, and saignée as specific methods that influence rosé colour and character. This is important because it sets the ground rules for all the winemakers who set their sights on making their own style of Bordeaux rosé.
Settle and ferment – Once the pink juice is produced, it is quickly separated from the skins and solids, clarified, and fermented at cool temperatures. This typically happens in stainless steel, concrete, or sometimes neutral vessels. The purpose of this is to preserve freshness and fruit in the young wine rather than adding the strong flavours that would be developed using new oak vessels.
Blend and bottle – Different grape varieties or vineyard lots can be blended after fermentation. Bordeaux rosé is generally kept on its fine lees for a short time, clarified or filtered, and bottled young. Some producers opt to blend the wines made by direct press with those made by saignée to give the wine more depth and complexity. The aim is to bottle a dry, fresh wine intended to be enjoyed within a year or two.
The true difference between the rosé wines of Bordeaux is driven more by grape blend, soil, climate, and winemaker preference.
If that’s not convoluted enough, there are two more categories of rosé to consider. Bordeaux Clairet has a darker profile and has more body than other types of rosé. The grapes remain on their skins longer, so the maceration period is typically around 24–36 hours. This makes a raspberry-coloured wine with more fruit intensity, and very soft tannins. There are only around 100 producers of clairet that farm somewhere in the region of 400 hectares in Bordeaux. Its popularity has lessened over the past 100 years, but it is still favoured for picnics, grilled foods, and fruity desserts.
And let’s not forget about Crémant de Bordeaux, which is both the name of an AOC and a sparkling wine itself. Bordeaux producers make both white and rosé crémant. The fine bubbles in the wine highlight the pink colour and add to the pleasant strawberry and redcurrant aromas often present in the wine. Most of the crémant are dry (brut) or off-dry (demi-sec). The latter is a softer more approachable style.
Crémant has significantly increased in popularity over the past decade. Total Crémant de Bordeaux Rosé production increased from around 410,000 bottles in 2009 to 2.3 million in 2019. Global Bordeaux Crémant exports increased more than 35 percent between 2024 and 2025 – but this includes both white and rosé. Worldwide Crémant de Bordeaux sales of white and rosé jumped over 20 percent between 2023 and 2024.
Buying rosé
If you are looking for this style of wine in your local wine shop it should be easier than ever to find. Below are a few suggestions for both still and sparkling Bordeaux rosé:
Rosé de Giscours 2023, Margaux – Refined, dry, crisp, mineral, and made from a classified-growth Margaux estate. ($56)
Château de la Grave “Les Choses en Rose” – This is an organic wine made from 100 percent merlot. It is fragrant and rounded with peach and red-berry notes. ($28)
Henri d’Augan Brut Crémant de Bordeaux Rosé – Made with merlot and cabernet franc grapes from Entre-Deux-Mers this sparkling wine has ripe berry and cherry front notes, and a lively acidity. ($19)
La Fleur de François Crémant de Bordeaux Rosé – This is primarily made from merlot with a small percentage of cabernet franc. The fermentation process brings out brioche notes, and the key fruity flavours are citrus and strawberry. ($17)
– Gillian Marks, PhD. is a contributing editor with VineRoutes and has her Bordeaux Masters Certification.
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