Bordeaux Wine Guide: The Bordeaux You Know and Don't
The right Bordeaux wine depends on what you're opening it for: a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru for a client dinner, or a chilled, no-sulfur Merlot next to a plate of bún chả on a Tuesday. Most people in Vietnam only ever meet the first kind. This 2026 guide compares 10 bottles from the châteaux we own in Bordeaux, five classics and five surprises, by style, price and what to eat with them.
Bordeaux wine at a glance: 10 bottles compared
# | Wine | Best for | Style |
1 | Château Le Conte, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2020 | Gifting, a first Grand Cru | Round, plush Merlot |
2 | Château Touzinat-Prieuré, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2020 | Special dinners | Dense, dark-fruited blend |
3 | Château Haut-Meyreau "L'Éclat" 2020 | Steak night | Oak-aged blend, black cherry and cocoa |
4 | Château Bellevue Malartic | Big tables and parties | Velvety Merlot and Cabernet |
5 | Château Haut-Meyreau "L'Exalté" | White Bordeaux beginners | Crisp Sauvignon Blanc |
6 | Château Haut-Meyreau "L'Instant H" | Pinot Noir drinkers | Fresh, peppery Cabernet Franc |
7 | Château Aurore "Les Raisins de la Colère" 2022 | Organic Bordeaux | Dark fruit, pepper, firm grip |
8 | Château Haut-Meyreau "Nu Comme Un Verre" 2022 | A red to chill | Light, no-sulfur Merlot |
9 | Château Haut-Meyreau "Orange is the New Wine" 2022 | Spicy food | Skin-contact white |
10 | Château Haut-Meyreau "Pet' Au Casque" 2023 | Aperitifs | Pink pét-nat |
Bordeaux in two minutes: regions and grapes
Bordeaux sits on France's Atlantic coast, cut through by two rivers, the Garonne and the Dordogne, which meet in the Gironde estuary. On the Left Bank, in the Médoc and Graves, gravel soils suit Cabernet Sauvignon. On the Right Bank, in Saint-Émilion, Pomerol and Fronsac, clay and limestone suit Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Between the two rivers lies Entre-deux-Mers, "between two seas", known for fresh whites from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle, and for a lot of everyday red sold as AOP Bordeaux.
Most red Bordeaux is a blend of these grapes. Saint-Émilion Grand Cru is a separate appellation from plain Saint-Émilion, with stricter rules. All 10 bottles here come from the Right Bank and Entre-deux-Mers.
The winemaker behind this list: Hugues Laborde
All 10 wines come from Les Vignobles Invindia, the group of Bordeaux châteaux owned by V&B, the French company that backed Glouglou in 2016. Hugues Laborde, a winemaker from the Gers, arrived in 2017 and runs them today: Haut-Meyreau, Bellevue Malartic and Aurore in Entre-deux-Mers and Bordeaux, Le Conte and Touzinat in Saint-Émilion, and La Vieille Croix in Fronsac
He describes his wines as two worlds. One is the appellations you already know, made to make you look at them again. The other is free-spirited cuvées for ordinary days, each with a story on the label. This list follows that split. Critics Bettane+Desseauve scored his 2025 barrel samples between 90 and 92 points.
How we chose these 10 Bordeaux wines
We own the estates. Every bottle comes straight from the château, which is why Grand Cru quality and a fair price can share a shelf.
We taste everything first. No bottle goes into the catalog until we've opened it ourselves.
Two sides of Bordeaux. Five classics, five surprises, so there is something for the person who orders Saint-Émilion and for the one who has never tried it.
A real spread of prices. From 541,200đ to 2,513,500đ.
In stock in Vietnam now. Every bottle links to a live product page, with delivery anywhere in the country within 24 hours.
The Bordeaux you know: Saint-Émilion, oak-aged reds and crisp Sauvignon
These five are what most people picture when they hear "Bordeaux wine": Grand Cru Merlot, barrel-aged blends, and a bright white from Entre-deux-Mers. Classic, yes, though each has a reason to be on the list beyond the label.
1. Château Le Conte, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2020 – Best for gifting & a first Grand Cru
Producer & region: Château Le Conte, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Grapes: 100% Merlot
Style: Full, round red with black cherry and soft, velvety tannins
Farming: Sustainable, in conversion to organic
Pairs with: Roast duck, bò sốt vang, aged cheese
Serve at: 16–18°C
Best for: Client gifts, Tết, anyone curious about Grand Cru
Insider tip: Put the bottle in the fridge for 20 minutes before you open it. In Vietnam's heat, "room temperature" is too warm for red Bordeaux.
Le Conte is the flagship of the group: just under five hectares in Saint-Émilion, planted only with Merlot on clay and sand over limestone near the village of Saint-Hippolyte.
The wine ferments with its own native yeasts and then spends 12 months ageing, mostly in oak barrels, with a fifth in egg-shaped Galileo concrete vats that keep the fruit fresh.
In the glass it shows dark fruit and black cherry, with a juicy, slightly tangy edge and tannins that feel like velvet rather than sandpaper. That makes it an easy Grand Cru to give: impressive on paper, and enjoyable for someone who doesn't drink much red. The 2020 vintage is drinking well now and will keep for several more years.
2. Château Touzinat-Prieuré, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2020 – Best for special dinners & red-meat lovers
Producer & region: Château Touzinat-Prieuré, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Grapes: Merlot, with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon [TBC]
Style: Dense, dark-fruited red with plum and dark chocolate, long finish
Farming: Sustainable, low yields
Pairs with: Bò nướng lá lốt, lamb, braised beef
Serve at: 16–18°C
Best for: Anniversaries, business dinners, people who like their red with weight
Insider tip: Decant it an hour before dinner. It opens up a lot.
Touzinat-Prieuré sits on clay and limestone soils in Saint-Pey-d'Armens, in the south-east of the Saint-Émilion appellation. The vines are planted close together, which keeps yields low and the fruit concentrated. The wine ferments for about 40 days in concrete before 12 months of ageing, mostly in barrel.
Where Le Conte is round and plush, Touzinat is darker and more structured: ripe plum, dark chocolate, fine but firm tannins and real freshness underneath. It is the bottle to open with something rich and charred. Bò nướng lá lốt, with its smoky beef and peppery leaves, is a natural match.
3. Château Haut-Meyreau "L'Éclat Rouge" 2020 – Best for steak night & cellaring
Producer & region: Château Haut-Meyreau, Entre-deux-Mers (AOP Bordeaux)
Grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
Style: Polished, oak-aged red with black cherry, cocoa and licorice
Farming: Sustainable, HVE certified [TBC for this bottle], hand-harvested
Pairs with: Steak, bò lúc lắc, lamb chops
Serve at: 16–18°C
Best for: A steakhouse-style dinner at home; a bottle to keep for a few years
Insider tip: "Éclat" means a flash of brilliance. It's the estate's top red, made only from its best limestone plots.
Haut-Meyreau started in 1802 with two hectares in Dardenac, near Libourne, and has grown to 110 hectares. It joined the group in 2014. L'Éclat comes from its best parcels, on a limestone full of tiny fossilised starfish (calcaire à astéries) that gives Bordeaux reds their freshness. The wine is aged 12 to 18 months in new French oak.
The oak shows as cocoa and spice around black cherry and licorice, with fine tannins and a long finish. It has the weight and polish to stand up to a seared steak or a pan of bò lúc lắc, and the 2020 still has years ahead of it.
4. Château Bellevue Malartic – Best for parties & big tables
Producer & region: Château Bellevue Malartic, AOP Bordeaux
Grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon
Style: Full, velvety red with blackcurrant, plum and spice
Farming: Sustainable, hand-harvested
Pairs with: Sườn nướng, cơm tấm, burgers, barbecue
Serve at: 16–18°C
Best for: Year-end parties, family dinners, restaurant house red
Insider tip: It also comes in magnum (1.5 L), Jeroboam (3 L) and Mathusalem (6 L). A Mathusalem holds eight bottles, about 40 glasses
Bellevue Malartic is the group's everyday classic: Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon from gravel, clay and limestone soils, fermented in stainless steel and then aged in French oak. Nothing about it is unusual, which is the point. It tastes the way people expect red Bordeaux to taste, at a price that works for a table of ten.
Expect blackcurrant, plum and a little spice, with a full body and velvety tannins. It suits food from the grill, from sườn nướng to a weekend barbecue. For a tất niên party, the big bottles turn it into the centre of the table.
5. Château Haut-Meyreau "L'Exalté" – Best for seafood & first-time white Bordeaux drinkers
Producer & region: Château Haut-Meyreau, Entre-deux-Mers (AOP Bordeaux)
Grapes: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Style: Crisp, citrusy white with green apple and a saline finish
Farming: Sustainable, HVE certified [TBC for this bottle]
Pairs with: Gỏi cuốn, chả cá Lã Vọng, oysters, grilled fish
Serve at: 8–10°C
Best for: Seafood dinners, hot afternoons, a by-the-glass white
Insider tip: Plenty of people think Bordeaux means red, so this is a good bottle to surprise a table with.
White Bordeaux is easy to overlook, yet Entre-deux-Mers has made it for centuries. L'Exalté is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from Haut-Meyreau's limestone slopes, fermented in stainless steel and rested six months on its fine lees, which adds a little texture without dulling the freshness.
It smells of citrus, green apple and white fruit, then finishes crisp and slightly salty. That acidity is what makes it work with Vietnamese seafood and herbs: the lime and dill in chả cá, or a plate of gỏi cuốn dipped in nước chấm. It is also the least expensive bottle on this list.
The Bordeaux you don't: Cabernet Franc, organic, no-sulfur and bubbles
This is the side of Bordeaux that rarely reaches Vietnam: natural wine from Bordeaux, a single-grape Cabernet Franc, an orange wine and a pét-nat. Same châteaux, same soils, very different bottles.
6. Château Haut-Meyreau "L'Instant H" – Best for Pinot Noir drinkers & lighter dinners
Producer & region: Château Haut-Meyreau, AOP Bordeaux
Grapes: 100% Cabernet Franc
Style: Fresh, medium-bodied red with red berries, black cherry, herbs and pepper
Farming: Sustainable, low intervention
Pairs with: Gà nướng, charcuterie, mushroom dishes
Serve at: 14–16°C
Best for: People who find Bordeaux too heavy
Insider tip: Bettane+Desseauve scored the 2025 barrel sample of L'Instant H at 90–91 points.
Cabernet Franc is everywhere in Bordeaux, almost always as a supporting grape in a blend. L'Instant H gives it the whole bottle, which is rare in the region. It comes from gravel and clay soils, ferments in stainless steel with a gentle hand, and ages in neutral vessels so the fruit leads rather than the oak.
The result is lighter on its feet than most Bordeaux: red berries, black cherry, fresh herbs and a twist of pepper, with lively acidity and supple tannins. If you usually reach for Pinot Noir or Gamay, start here. It is good slightly cool, with grilled chicken or a board of charcuterie.
7. Château Aurore "Les Raisins de la Colère" 2022 – Best for organic Bordeaux & grilled pork
Producer & region: Château Aurore, AOP Bordeaux
Grapes: Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Style: Deep, peppery red with blackberry, raspberry and a hint of smoke
Farming: Organic
Pairs with: Nem nướng, thịt nướng, grilled sausages
Serve at: 15–17°C
Best for: Organic wine drinkers, grilled meat
Insider tip: The name is the French title of Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath.
Buy: Château Aurore "Les Raisins de la Colère" 2022
Château Aurore "Les Raisins de la Colère" 2022
Aurore is the estate in the group farmed organically, on calcareous and gravel soils. Les Raisins de la Colère is Merlot and Cabernet Franc fermented for 28 days in concrete, then aged six months in concrete with no sulfur added during ageing . No oak, nothing to round off the edges.
That shows in the glass: deep colour, dark berries, black pepper and a touch of smoke, held together by firm tannins and bright acidity. It wants food with char and fat. Nem nướng wrapped in herbs and rice paper is a good place to start.
8. Château Haut-Meyreau "Nu Comme Un Verre" 2022 – Best for a red you can chill & casual meals
Producer & region: Château Haut-Meyreau, AOP Bordeaux
Grapes: 100% Merlot
Style: Light, juicy red with raspberry and cherry, no added sulfur
Farming: Sustainable, HVE certified
Pairs with: Bún chả, pizza, phở cuốn
Serve at: 12–14°C, straight from a short spell in the fridge
Best for: Hot evenings, people new to natural wine
Insider tip: The name plays on the French phrase "nu comme un ver", stark naked. Swap "ver" (worm) for "verre" (glass) and you get a wine with nothing added.
This is Bordeaux Merlot with nothing added: fermented and aged in concrete and stainless steel, no oak, and bottled without added sulfur. The vines grow on clay and limestone in Entre-deux-Mers, and the aim is pure, fresh fruit rather than power.
It is pale for a Bordeaux, with raspberry, cherry and a light floral note, soft tannins and bright acidity. Give it 20 to 30 minutes in the fridge and it becomes the easiest red on this list to drink with Vietnamese food, from bún chả to phở cuốn. Without sulfur it is best finished within a day or two of opening.
9. Château Haut-Meyreau "Orange is the New Wine" 2022 – Best for spicy food & curious drinkers
Producer & region: Château Haut-Meyreau, Vin de France
Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle
Style: Skin-contact white with apricot, grapefruit, honey and a light grip
Farming: Natural, low intervention
Pairs with: Bánh xèo, cà ri gà, Thai salads
Serve at: 10–12°C
Best for: Spicy or fish-sauce-heavy dishes, adventurous drinkers
Insider tip: Orange wine has a little tannin, like a light red. That grip is what lets it stand up to chilli and nước mắm.
Orange wine is white wine made like red: the juice stays in contact with the grape skins, which gives it colour, texture and a little tannin. Here, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle spend ten days on their skins, ferment with native yeasts and rest on their lees, with nothing added.
The colour is orange-gold. On the palate there is apricot, grapefruit, citrus zest and honey, with fine tannins and fresh acidity. It is one of the most useful wines we know for Vietnamese food, because it handles herbs, fish sauce and chilli in a way most whites can't. Try it with crisp bánh xèo.
10. Château Haut-Meyreau "Pet' Au Casque" 2023 – Best for aperitifs & surprising your guests
Producer & region: Château Haut-Meyreau, Vin de France
Grapes: 100% Merlot
Style: Pink pét-nat with strawberry, raspberry and a creamy fizz
Farming: Sustainable, low intervention
Pairs with: Nem rán, bánh tráng nướng, fried snacks
Serve at: 6–8°C
Best for: Aperitifs, parties, people who think Bordeaux is serious
Insider tip: Stand the bottle upright for a day and open it slowly over a glass. A little cloudiness is normal for a pét-nat.
Pét-nat, short for pétillant naturel, is the oldest way to make sparkling wine: the wine is bottled before it finishes fermenting, so the last of the fermentation makes the bubbles. Pet' Au Casque is 100% Merlot made this way, with native yeasts, unfiltered and with no added sulfur. The name is French slang for being a little bit crazy,
It pours light pink, with fine bubbles, red berries, flowers and a touch of bread dough from the yeast. Crisp and creamy at once, it is the bottle to open first: with fried spring rolls, bánh tráng nướng or anything salty and crunchy.
Bordeaux wine FAQs
How much does Bordeaux wine cost in Vietnam?
It depends on the appellation. The bottles in this guide run from 541,200đ for a Sauvignon Blanc to 2,513,500đ for a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru. On our shop, everyday AOP Bordeaux reds sit between about 550,000đ and 1,300,000đ, and Saint-Émilion Grand Cru starts at about 2,000,000đ.
What grapes are in Bordeaux wine?
Red Bordeaux is usually a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, sometimes with a little Malbec or Petit Verdot. White Bordeaux is mostly Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon, with some Muscadelle. On the Right Bank, Merlot leads; on the Left Bank, Cabernet Sauvignon does.
Is Saint-Émilion Grand Cru worth the price?
For a gift or a special dinner, usually yes. Grand Cru wines follow stricter rules than plain Saint-Émilion and generally have more depth and ageing potential. Château Le Conte is the rounder, softer choice; Touzinat-Prieuré is darker and more structured.
Is there natural wine from Bordeaux?
Yes, though it is still a small part of the region. Nu Comme Un Verre is a Merlot bottled with no added sulfur, Pet' Au Casque is a pét-nat, and Orange is the New Wine is a skin-contact white.
How should you serve red Bordeaux in Vietnam's heat?
At 16–18°C, which is cooler than most rooms here. Put the bottle in the fridge for about 20 minutes before opening, and longer for light reds like Nu Comme Un Verre. Warm red wine tastes heavy and alcoholic.
Where can I buy Bordeaux wine in Vietnam?
All 10 bottles are on the Glouglou shop and come straight from the châteaux our group owns. We deliver anywhere in Vietnam within 24 hours from warehouses in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang and Nha Trang. Restaurants and hotels can contact us for wholesale prices.
Find the Bordeaux that fits your table
If you're buying a gift or marking an occasion, start with Le Conte or Touzinat-Prieuré. For steak night, open L'Éclat; for a crowd, Bellevue Malartic; for seafood, L'Exalté. When you want to see the other side of Bordeaux, chill a bottle of Nu Comme Un Verre, or open Pet' Au Casque before dinner. Browse our red wines , and if you'd like to meet the winemaker himself, join us when Hugues Laborde visits in January.
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