Graves is the name generally applied to the dry, white wines produced in the Graves district of the Bordeaux wine region of France. They have a pleasant tang and fruity bouquet, which may be partly attributed to certain minerals in the gravelly soil of the district. The principal varieties of grapes used are the Muscadelle, Semillon, and Sauvignon Blanc. In bottling, the wines made from these three varieties are blended.
The dryness of the Graves wines depends on picking the grapes when they first ripen. Their quality, though, is the result of uniting the smooth and aromatic wine of the Semillon grape with the rich-bodied wine of the Sauvignon Blanc; to these two the wine from the Muscadelle grape furnishes an appropriate fragrant undertone.
Some of the world-famous chateau vineyards in which the Graves wines are produced are Olivier, Carbonnieux, and Haut-Brion Blanc. Many of these wines are sold under registered brand names by various Bordeaux wine firms.
