Is Bordeaux Red Wine sweet? (Spoiler: not ours)

This is one of the most common misconceptions we hear, especially from those discovering Bordeaux reds for the first time.

“It’s so smooth… is it sweet?”
“Do you add sugar?”
“It’s fruity – but is it dry?”

Let’s break it down: Bordeaux red wines are almost always dry.

What does “Dry” really mean?

“Dry” means there is little to no residual sugar left in the wine after fermentation. Technically, that’s under 4 g/L.

So even if a wine feels fruity, round or velvety, it can still be 100% dry.

At Canon Chaigneau, all our red wines are dry, made from fully fermented Merlot and Cabernet Franc.

In cooler years like 2021 or 2024, we may chaptalise slightly (add sugar before fermentation) to avoid an unbalanced, watery wine. But the result is always dry in taste, with no sweetness on the palate.

Sweet ≠ Fruity

Many confuse fruitiness with sugar.
But it’s possible, and desirable, to have ripe fruit aromas (like cherry, plum, blackberry) in a bone-dry wine.

That’s what makes Bordeaux reds so versatile and food-friendly.

Taste our Cuve 8a for a juicy, unoaked red that’s round and fresh, but completely dry.