Chateau Clos Bourbon La Rose Bourbon Cadillac Cotes de Bordeaux

Understanding French wine labels can be a bit of a mission – like Chateau Clos Bourbon La Rose Bourbon Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux. Far out, what a mouthful!

Chateau Clos Bourbon is the winery, nestled in the south-west region of Bordeaux, owned and operated by a couple of Frenchies called Thibaut and Catherine Halluin. Their vineyards are located up on a hill and are a bit different in that they’re actually enclosed (clos in French) by walls.

Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux is part of the appellation, part of the French grading system to help you make sure you don’t end up with a stink bottle of wine. Cadillac (ca-dee-yak) is the sub-region in Bordeaux, not the cars that Thibaut and Catherine cruise around in. In fact it’s the other way round, the car brand was named after the wine region!

As for the bourbon bit – don’t worry they haven’t thrown in a splash of bourbon. This is actually named after descendants of the French royal family.

Phew, so that’s the label sorted. What about the wine? She’s medium bodied, silky, plush style. It’s what you’d expect from a Merlot dominant blend (85%) with Cabernet Sauvignon (15%). It’s a classic match to grilled and charred red meats, roast beef or beef stew, lamb and pork.