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Bordeaux for the Level 1 sommelier exam: a study guide

What the Court of Master Sommeliers' Introductory syllabus asks about Bordeaux: the two banks, the grapes, the classifications and the trade, in plain words, with a quiz.

Updated October 2026

Rewritten by Alper Billik, Advanced Sommelier

7 min read

The short answer: for the Level 1 exam, know Bordeaux's two banks and what grows on each, the five red grapes and three white ones, the main districts, the five First Growths of 1855, the two Saint-Émilion “A” châteaux, a few Pomerol names, how Sauternes gets sweet, and how Bordeaux is sold. That covers most of what the Court's Introductory syllabus lists for Bordeaux.

Level 1 is the Introductory Sommelier Certificate of the Court of Master Sommeliers. In Europe it is a two-day course with the exams on the morning of the third day: a multiple-choice theory paper and a short service test, with 60% needed in each. This guide follows the Bordeaux headings of the Court's syllabus.

1. Climate

  • Maritime: the Atlantic and the Gironde estuary keep winters mild and summers moderate. The Gulf Stream warms the coast.
  • Shelter: the pine forest of the Landes, between the vineyards and the ocean, breaks the Atlantic wind.
  • Risks: rain at flowering and at harvest, spring frost, hail and rot. That is why vintages vary so much in Bordeaux.

2. Soils

Gravel
WhereMédoc and Graves (Left Bank)
Best suited toCabernet Sauvignon: the stones drain well and hold the day's heat
Clay
WherePomerol and parts of Saint-Émilion
Best suited toMerlot: cool and water-holding
Limestone
WhereThe Saint-Émilion plateau
Best suited toMerlot and Cabernet Franc with freshness
Sand
WhereParts of the Right Bank and Graves
Best suited toLighter, softer wines

3. Grapes and blending

  • Reds: Merlot (about two-thirds of red vines), Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, with small amounts of Petit Verdot and Malbec. Carménère is also allowed.
  • Whites: Sauvignon Blanc (freshness, aroma), Sémillon (body, and the key grape of Sauternes) and Muscadelle (floral).
  • Blending is the point: Cabernet Sauvignon gives structure and age-worthiness, Merlot gives flesh and softness, Cabernet Franc gives perfume. Left Bank blends are led by Cabernet Sauvignon, Right Bank blends by Merlot.

4. The districts

Médoc and Haut-Médoc
BankLeft
What to rememberCabernet-led reds; communes Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Margaux, Listrac-Médoc, Moulis
Graves and Pessac-Léognan
BankLeft
What to rememberReds and dry whites; Pessac-Léognan is the northern Graves
Sauternes and Barsac
BankLeft
What to rememberSweet whites from botrytised grapes
Saint-Émilion
BankRight
What to rememberMerlot and Cabernet Franc on limestone and clay
Pomerol
BankRight
What to rememberMerlot on clay; small estates, famous names
Entre-Deux-Mers
BankBetween the rivers
What to rememberThe appellation is for dry white wine

The geography in one line: the Garonne and the Dordogne meet to form the Gironde. The Left Bank lies west of the Garonne and the Gironde; the Right Bank lies north and east of the Dordogne; Entre-Deux-Mers is the land between the two rivers.

5. Making the wines

  • Each grape and plot is fermented separately, then blended. The blend changes every year with the weather.
  • Barrique: the Bordeaux barrel holds 225 litres. New oak adds vanilla, toast and spice and helps soften tannin. Top reds and some whites are fermented or aged in barrique.
  • Botrytis (noble rot): in Sauternes and Barsac, autumn mists from the cool Ciron river meet the warmer Garonne. The fungus *Botrytis cinerea* shrivels the grapes and concentrates their sugar. Pickers go through the vineyard several times, choosing only the affected grapes.

6. The classifications

1855
CoversMédoc reds plus Haut-Brion; Sauternes and Barsac
Remember61 reds in five growths; 27 sweet wines, with Yquem alone as Premier Cru Supérieur
Saint-Émilion
CoversSaint-Émilion Grand Cru
RememberRevised about every ten years; 2022 edition: Figeac and Pavie are the two “A” châteaux
Graves
CoversPessac-Léognan
Remember16 châteaux, for red, white or both
Crus Bourgeois
CoversMédoc reds
RememberThree tiers, revised every five years
Pomerol
CoversPomerol
RememberNo classification at all
  • The five First Growths: Lafite Rothschild, Latour and Mouton Rothschild (all Pauillac), Margaux (Margaux) and Haut-Brion (Pessac, in the Graves). Mouton was promoted from Second to First in 1973.
  • Saint-Émilion “A”: Château Figeac and Château Pavie in the 2022 classification. Ausone, Cheval Blanc and Angélus, once “A”, left the classification, but they are still names to know.
  • Pomerol names: Petrus, Le Pin, Lafleur, Vieux Château Certan and Trotanoy.

7. Quality levels and label terms

  • AOP: Bordeaux's appellations, from regional Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur up to village names such as Pauillac or Pomerol. The smaller and more precise the place, the higher the ambition.
  • IGP: wines from a wider area, with looser rules on grapes and yields.
  • Château: a wine estate, whatever the building looks like.
  • Grand Vin: the estate's main wine. A second wine comes from younger vines or lots not chosen for it.
  • Mis en bouteille au château: bottled at the estate.
  • Saint-Émilion Grand Cru is an appellation, not a rank. Only “Grand Cru Classé” and “Premier Grand Cru Classé” mean the wine is classified.

8. The trade: négociants and en primeur

  • La Place de Bordeaux: most châteaux don't sell to the world themselves. They sell through courtiers (brokers) to négociants (merchants), who sell on to importers and shops in every country.
  • En primeur: the newest vintage is sold as futures in the spring after the harvest, while the wine is still ageing in barrel. Buyers pay first and receive the bottles later.

How to study it

  • Draw the map: three rivers, two banks, then place the districts and the First Growths on it.
  • Learn in pairs: gravel and Cabernet, clay and Merlot, mist and botrytis.
  • Taste one of each: a Médoc, a Saint-Émilion or Pomerol, a white Graves and a Sauternes. The banks become obvious in the glass.
  • Go deeper next: my Bordeaux basics, then the Certified Bordeaux guide and the full 1855 list.

Quick quiz

Question 1

Which of these is NOT a commune appellation of the Médoc?

  1. a)Margaux
  2. b)Pauillac
  3. c)Saint-Émilion
  4. d)Saint-Julien
Show answer

c) Saint-Émilion. Saint-Émilion is on the Right Bank. The other three are Médoc communes.

Question 2

Which grape leads the blends of Pomerol?

  1. a)Cabernet Sauvignon
  2. b)Merlot
  3. c)Petit Verdot
  4. d)Malbec
Show answer

b) Merlot. Pomerol's clay suits Merlot, which leads almost every blend there.

Question 3

Where is Petrus in the 1855 classification?

  1. a)A First Growth
  2. b)A Second Growth
  3. c)Nowhere: Pomerol has never been classified
  4. d)A Premier Cru Supérieur
Show answer

c) Nowhere: Pomerol has never been classified. The 1855 list covers the Médoc, Haut-Brion and Sauternes-Barsac. Pomerol has no classification.

Question 4

Which First Growth is not in the Médoc?

  1. a)Château Latour
  2. b)Château Margaux
  3. c)Château Haut-Brion
  4. d)Château Lafite Rothschild
Show answer

c) Château Haut-Brion. Haut-Brion is in Pessac, in the Graves (today's Pessac-Léognan).

Question 5

Which two châteaux are Premiers Grands Crus Classés “A” in the 2022 Saint-Émilion classification?

  1. a)Ausone and Cheval Blanc
  2. b)Figeac and Pavie
  3. c)Angélus and Ausone
  4. d)Petrus and Le Pin
Show answer

b) Figeac and Pavie. Figeac joined Pavie in 2022. Ausone, Cheval Blanc and Angélus left the classification.

Question 6

How much does a Bordeaux barrique hold?

  1. a)225 litres
  2. b)228 litres
  3. c)300 litres
  4. d)500 litres
Show answer

a) 225 litres. The Bordeaux barrique is 225 litres. The Burgundy barrel (pièce) is 228.

Question 7

What makes Sauternes sweet?

  1. a)Spirit added during fermentation
  2. b)Grapes frozen on the vine
  3. c)Noble rot concentrating the sugar in the grapes
  4. d)Sugar added after fermentation
Show answer

c) Noble rot concentrating the sugar in the grapes. Botrytis cinerea shrivels the grapes in the misty autumns of Sauternes and Barsac.

Question 8

What is sold “en primeur”?

  1. a)Last year's unsold stock
  2. b)The newest vintage, while it is still ageing in barrel
  3. c)Only second wines
  4. d)Wines direct from the château door
Show answer

b) The newest vintage, while it is still ageing in barrel. En primeur means buying the young vintage as futures, before it is bottled.

For more questions on every region, try my Level 1 practice test, or ask SOMM DIGI AI to quiz you on Bordeaux, one heading at a time.

Level 1 practice testStudy with SOMM DIGI AI

Questions people ask

What is the difference between the Left Bank and the Right Bank?

The Left Bank (Médoc, Graves) has gravel soils and red blends led by Cabernet Sauvignon. The Right Bank (Saint-Émilion, Pomerol) has clay and limestone and blends led by Merlot.

How many First Growths are there in Bordeaux?

Five in the 1855 red classification: Lafite Rothschild, Latour, Mouton Rothschild, Margaux and Haut-Brion. Yquem is the only Premier Cru Supérieur, for sweet wine.

Is Saint-Émilion Grand Cru a classified wine?

Not necessarily. Saint-Émilion Grand Cru is an appellation. Only wines labelled Grand Cru Classé or Premier Grand Cru Classé are in the classification.

How much Bordeaux do I need to know for Level 1?

The essentials: banks, grapes, main districts, the First Growths, the Saint-Émilion “A” châteaux, a few Pomerol names, botrytis, barrique, and en primeur. Detail on every classified growth comes at Certified and Advanced.

For sommeliers · next steps

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