Graves

Graves is the oldest wine-producing region in Bordeaux: medieval records show that the area surrounding the city was planted with vines as early as the 12th century, predating the development of the Médoc left bank by several hundred years; Haut-Brion, the most famous Graves estate, appears in Samuel Pepys's diary in 1663 as 'Ho Bryan.'

The region was the first in the world to use the term 'terroir' commercially: Graves négociants used the distinctive gravel soil as a marketing identifier in the London wine trade from at least the 17th century, attaching 'graves' as a descriptor to distinguish their wines from the lighter, sandier 'palus' wines produced on lower riverside land.

Clos Floridène, owned by oenologist Denis Dubourdieu, pioneered the modern style of dry Graves blanc: barrel-fermented and aged on lees to develop texture, with careful oxidative handling to preserve aromatic precision; the technique, now standard across Pessac-Léognan, was developed here before being applied at Domaine de Chevalier and other leading estates.

The southern Graves around Cérons and Podensac produces a unique and now-rare wine style: Cérons AOC, a semi-sweet wine from botrytised grapes that bridges the gap between dry Graves Blanc and full Sauternes; production has declined dramatically as producers switched to the more commercially viable dry wine appellation.