Bordeaux: The Wines, The Vineyards, The Winemakers

I had previously enjoyed Robert Parker's Bordeaux opus, but it is sorely in need of an update, so I decided to give Oz Clarke's new book (published in 2012) a try. I'm impressed. His writing is eloquent, entertaining, and informative, and the book is a welcome companion to the recent great vintages that are just now reaching consumers.There are a few key differences between Clarke's approach and Parker's. Clarke focuses on the region first, specific chateaux second, and specific vintages hardly at all. If you don't yet understand the difference between the Medoc, Graves, and St. Emilion, you will after reading this volume. In addition, Clarke's book is beautifully printed and illustrated in color, with detailed maps and high quality photos. Another difference is that Clarke doesn't believe in numerical scores and barely touches on specific vintages. As for which chateaux to seek out, he focuses mainly on the "affordable" (not cheap) end of the market -- wines priced between $15 and $100 -- rather than the classified growths. The only thing missing is more detail about which vintages of specific wines to seek out or avoid. It seems he may have pulled his punches to avoid alienating the Bordeaux establishment.

A sumptuous book. Lavishly illustrated, when I first received it, I was slightly turned off, I thought I had bought a coffee table book. But is is not . It is instead well written and examines the Bordeaux wines exhaustively, from the famous grand crus to the promising new arrivals. The author admits he grew up (like we all did) admiring the Medoc and Haut -Medoc wines, but admits it was a mistake and t hat the best wines from the Right Bank are just as enjoyable as the most severe from the Left Bank. But whatever... whether it is Chateau Margaux or Chateau Petrus, they are all treated in detail. If he wants to decrease the price of the book, some of the pictures (not the maps) are excessive, but I enjoyed the book as it is.. I recommend it very highly, like the Frankel's book I reviewed previously..

Of all the top tier writers about wine today, Oz Carke is to my mind one of the best. His writing is conversational and approachable (unlike so many others) and his knowledge of the subject is superb. If you love the wines of Bordeaux or are planning on traveling to the area, get this book!

An excellent overall book that complements other notable works on this region. Good up-to-date information, with well selected illustrations.

Excellent reference book on the region. Very well written and photographed. Oz Clark is as good if not better than Parker.

What a great book for Bordeaux wine lovers or people that want to learn more about this region. It is very detailed and provides a lot of useful information about the various wines in the area. Especially when you are looking at whether to buy/keep certain wines. Oz Clarke knows his stuff and writes really well!!

Fun to read. Love the personal touch in the writing and tips. Great overview of the region and its producers and wines.

Bordeaux by Oz Clarke is well - written, accurate and complete

A very good resource for my wine studies.

Students of Bordeaux must use this as your text. Ozzie has spent much of his live drinking all these Grand Vin, his opinion is much valued.