Literature and Grands Crus de Bordeaux : books to offer this Christmas

The Drops of God, Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto In this cult manga (with a TV series adaptation), Yukata Kanzaki is a recently deceased oenologist. The owner of a much-coveted wine collection, he wrote a testament describing twelve fine wines, which he called the twelve apostles, as well as a thirteenth mysterious perfect wine named “The Drops of God”. To behold it, two brothers will need to identify the corresponding wines. Spoiler alert: the twelve apostles include several Grands Crus de Bordeaux. We’ll leave you to discover which ones!

Château Cheval Blanc, Manifesto It’s been several years since Château Cheval Blanc decided to embark on the agroecology adventure. In this manifesto, which promotes an anti-conventional approach to winegrowing, the author explains the estate’s commitments. Thanks to the contributions of renowned experts such as Alain Canet and Konrad Schreiber, the book explores the sustainable practices implemented at the estate, particularly agroforestry, cover crops and mixed farming. An enlightening book about the future of winegrowing.

Goldfinger, Ian Fleming It is common knowledge that Grands Crus de Bordeaux feature highly in the James Bond films. What is less well-known is that the famous secret agent also liked to taste them in the books by Ian Fleming. Thus, when 007 visits the English manor of his antagonist Goldfinger, he is greeted with a bottle of 1947 Château Mouton Rothschild. A diabolical host but a man of taste, nonetheless…

Bordeaux Grands Crus - La reconquête, Jean-Michel Cazes The owner of Château Lynch-Bages, Jean-Michel Cazes is a leading figure when it comes to the Grands Crus de Bordeaux and wine in general. In this work, the man who helped modernise the Bordeaux vineyards tells of the renaissance of Grands Crus de Bordeaux on the international stage after the 1970s economic crisis. A must-read.

Inside Bordeaux, Jane Anson A critic for Decanter magazine for over 20 years and a tutor at the Bordeaux Wine School, Jane Anson is one of the most influential voices on the subject of Bordeaux wines. It was therefore only logical that the English journalist wrote a reference work. In this very richly documented book, the author delves into the secrets of Bordeaux estates and terroirs and offers an extensive analysis of over one thousand châteaux and their wines. An essential work

Bacchus and Me: Adventures in the Wine Cellar, Jay McInerney In his cult novel Bright Lights, Big City, the writer Jay McInerney describes how New Yorkers prefer cocaine over Grands Crus de Bordeaux. However, the author himself is a big fan of wine. So much so that he has long been a columnist on the subject for the Wall Street Journal. Bacchus and Me compiles sixty-five chronicles by McInerney. In particular we learn that Château Cheval Blanc is the wine he liked the most. The American author also compares his first sip of Château Mouton Rothschild to his discovery of the Nirvana group live. Rock’n roll!

The Vineyard of Saint-Emilion: A terroir of Humanity, Florence Hernandez Here is a lovely book for lovers of Saint-Emilion and family sagas. An international reporter who has collaborated with Geo magazine, Florence Hernandez fell for the charm of the Saint-Emilion vineyards. The journalist chose twenty estates which opened their doors to her (including Clos Fourtet and Château Pavie Macquin) to passionately tell the history and legend of this village and its UNESCO-listed winegrowing heritage. The result is a vibrant and captivating tribute to this outstanding appellation.
 

The Kiss to the Leper, François Mauriac This novel by a Bordeaux author published in 1922 is not a book about wine, so to speak. But it was the first great work by Mauriac, who won the 1952 Nobel Prize for literature and owned the Malagar estate in the Entre-Deux-Mers. Above all, this book contains an extraordinary line of poetry on Grands Crus de Bordeaux, which we couldn’t resist sharing with you: “In bottles of Yquem are imprisoned the burning summers of long ago, and the sunsets of yesteryear redden the Gruau-Larose”. Magnificent…