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106-554: Haut-Brion is a name found in several Bordeaux wine producers in the Graves district, including: Château Haut-Brion , a premier cru selection of the 1855 classification then named simply Haut-Brion Château Laville Haut-Brion , a grand cru of the Graves classification Château La Mission Haut-Brion , a grand cru of the Graves classification Château La Tour Haut-Brion , formerly

212-402: A grand cru , now discontinued Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion , an unclassed Pessac-Léognan estate Château Larrivet-Haut-Brion , an unclassed Pessac-Léognan estate Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Haut-Brion . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to

318-584: A broad generalisation, Cabernet Sauvignon (Bordeaux's second-most planted grape variety) dominates the blend in red wines produced in the Médoc and the rest of the left bank of the Gironde estuary . Typical top-quality Châteaux blends are 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Merlot. This is typically referred to as the "Bordeaux blend". Merlot tends to predominate in Saint-Émilion , Pomerol and

424-553: A diplomatic mission to be recognized Duchess of Normandy and replace Stephen. Geoffrey followed at the head of his army and quickly captured several fortresses in southern Normandy. It was then that a noble in Anjou, Robert II of Sablé , rebelled, forcing Geoffrey to withdraw and prevent an attack on his rear. When Geoffrey returned to Normandy in September 1136, the region had become plagued with internal, baronial infighting. Stephen

530-411: A major market, now imports more wine from Australia than from France. Amongst the possible causes for this economic crisis are that many consumers tend to prefer wine labels that state the variety of grape used, and often find the required French AOC labels difficult to understand. Christian Delpeuch , president emeritus of Plan Bordeaux hoped to reduce production, improve quality, and sell more wine in

636-567: A period of ageing (commonly a year). The traditional Bordeaux barrique is a 225-litre oak barrel. At some point between pressing and bottling the wine is blended. This is an integral part of the Bordeaux wine making process, as scarcely any Bordeaux wines are varietals ; wine from different grape varieties is mixed together, depending on the vintage conditions, so as to produce a wine in the château's preferred style. In addition to mixing wine from different grape varieties, wine from different parts of

742-592: A period to refer to all red wine rather than to the claret style specifically. The export of Bordeaux was interrupted by the Hundred Years' War outbreak between France and England in 1337. By the end of the conflict in 1453 France had repossessed the province, thus taking control of wine production in the region. As part of the Auld Alliance , the French granted Scottish merchants a privileged position in

848-541: A revolt in Anjou while Stephen attacked Angevin loyalists in England. Several Anglo-Norman nobles switched allegiance, sensing an impending disaster. Henry was about to sail for England to pursue his claim when his lands were attacked. He first reached Anjou and compelled Geoffrey to surrender. He then took the decision to sail for England in January 1153 to meet Stephen. Luckily enough, Louis fell ill and had to retire from

954-535: A separate line there. As far as historians know, there was no contemporary term for the region under Angevin control; however, descriptions such as "our kingdom and everything subject to our rule whatever it may be" were used. The term Angevin Empire was coined by Kate Norgate in her 1887 publication England under the Angevin Kings . In France, the term espace Plantagenet (French for "Plantagenet area")

1060-488: A slang term for blood. Many of the top Bordeaux wines are primarily sold by receiving the related payment in advance, the so-called selling en primeur . Because of the combination of longevity, fairly large production, and an established reputation, Bordeaux wines tend to be the most common wines at wine auctions. Market reports released in February 2009 showed that the market had increased in buying power by 128% while

1166-417: A smaller proportion of Sauvignon blanc. Other permitted grape varieties are Sauvignon gris , Ugni blanc , Colombard , Merlot blanc , Ondenc and Mauzac . Recently permitted by Bordeaux wineries, three new white grapes have been added: Alvarinho , Petit Manseng , and Liliorila. In the late 1960s Sémillon was the most planted grape in Bordeaux. Since then it has been in constant decline although it still

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1272-408: A son, Conan , from her previous marriage to the late Alan de Bretagne . Conan had been too young to succeed his grandfather in 1148, but he became Henry II's perfect candidate to become Duke of Brittany on Bertha's death, as his English holdings as Earl of Richmond meant he would be easier to control. In Nantes, possibly due to Hoël's recognition of his sister and brother-in-law's suzerainty over

1378-488: A trail of filth behind them". Stephen finally arrived in Normandy in 1137 and restored order but had lost much credibility in the eyes of his main supporter, Robert of Gloucester and so Robert changed sides and supported Geoffrey and his half-sister Matilda instead. Geoffrey took Caen and Argentan without resistance, but now had to defend Robert's possessions in England against Stephen. In 1139, Robert and Matilda crossed

1484-776: A vassal of Louis. She left Beaugency for Poitiers , narrowly escaping an ambush by Henry's brother Geoffrey on route, and there, eight weeks later, she married Henry. Thus Henry became duke of Aquitaine and Gascony and count of Poitou. Louis responded with a furious attack on Normandy. In Anjou, Henry had refused to give the county to his brother, and thus a coalition of Henry's enemies was formed by Louis VII: Stephen of England and his son Eustace IV of Boulogne (married to Louis' sister ); Henry I, Count of Champagne (betrothed to Louis' daughter ), Robert of Dreux (Louis' brother) and Henry's brother, Geoffrey. In July 1152, Capetian troops attacked Aquitaine while Louis, Eustace, Henry of Champagne, and Robert attacked Normandy. Geoffrey raised

1590-522: A year whilst Richard was abroad. Between 1194 and 1198, revenue averaged £25,000. Under Richard's successor John , income fluctuated between £22,000 and £25,000 from 1199 to 1203. In order to fund for the reconquest of France, English income increased to £50,000 in 1210 but then rose to over £83,000 in 1211 before falling back down to £50,000 in 1212. Revenue then fell down to below £26,000 in 1214, and then further to £18,500 in 1215. The first three years of Henry III 's reign brought in £8,000 on average due to

1696-511: Is because England and Normandy were home to more officials to collect taxes and, unlike Aquitaine, local lords were unable to mint their own coins, allowing the Angevin kings to control the economy from their administrative base of Chinon . Chinon's importance was shown by Richard's seizure of Chinon first when he rebelled against his father in 1187, and then when John immediately rushed to Chinon after his brother's death. Money raised in England

1802-848: Is no evidence that the Duke of Brittany, Eudes II , had recognised the Norman overlordship. Two vital frontier castles, Moulins-la-Marche and Bonmoulins , had never been taken back by Geoffrey Plantagenet and were in the hands of Robert of Dreux . Count Thierry of Flanders had joined the alliance formed by Louis VII in 1153. Further south, the Count of Blois acquired Amboise . From Henry II's perspective, these territorial issues needed solving. King Henry II showed himself to be an audacious and daring king as well as being active and mobile; Roger of Howden stated that Henry travelled across his dominions so fast that Louis VII once exclaimed that "The king of England

1908-578: Is now in Ireland, now in England, now in Normandy, he seems rather to fly than to go by horse or ship." Henry was often more present in France than in England; Ralph de Diceto , Dean of St Paul's , said with irony: There is nothing left to send to bring the king back to England but the Tower of London . Henry II bought Vernon and Neuf-Marché back from Louis VII in 1154. This new strategy now regulated

2014-433: Is popular in other places. Following harvest, the grapes are usually sorted and destemmed before crushing. Crushing was traditionally done by foot, but mechanical crushing is now almost universally used. Chaptalization is permitted, and is fairly common-place. Fermentation then takes place, usually in temperature controlled stainless steel vats. Next the must is pressed and transferred to barriques (in most cases) for

2120-816: Is produced in the Bordeaux region of southwest France , around the city of Bordeaux , on the Garonne River . To the north of the city, the Dordogne River joins the Garonne forming the broad estuary called the Gironde ; the Gironde department, with a total vineyard area of 110,800 hectares, is the second largest wine-growing area in France behind the Languedoc-Rousillon. Average vintages produce over 700 million bottles of wine, ranging from large quantities of daily table wine to some of

2226-494: Is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon , a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat effects of climate change on viticulture in Bordeaux, though only for those wines designated as Bordeaux or Bordeaux Supérior. These newly approved grapes are Marselan , Touriga Nacional , Castets , and Arinarnoa. As

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2332-594: Is sometimes used to describe the fiefdoms the Plantagenets had acquired. The adoption of the Angevin Empire label marked a re-evaluation of the times, considering that both English and French influence spread throughout the dominion in the half-century during which the union lasted. The term Angevin itself is the demonym for the residents of Anjou and its historic capital, Angers ; the Plantagenets were descended from Geoffrey I, Count of Anjou , hence

2438-547: Is the most common of Bordeaux's white grapes. Sauvignon blanc's popularity on the other hand has been rising, overtaking Ugni blanc as the second most planted white Bordeaux grape in the late 1980s and now being grown in an area more than half the size of that of the lower yielding Sémillon. Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of

2544-761: The Angevin kings of England brought them into conflict with the kings of France of the House of Capet , to whom they also owed feudal homage for their French possessions, bringing in a period of rivalry between the dynasties . Despite the extent of Angevin rule, Henry's son John was defeated in the Anglo-French War (1213–1214) by Philip II of France following the Battle of Bouvines . John lost control of most of his continental possessions , apart from Guyenne and Gascony in southern Aquitaine . This defeat set

2650-547: The County of Berry but these were not completely fulfilled, and the county was lost completely by the time of the accession of John in 1199. The frontiers of the empire were sometimes well known and therefore easy to mark, such as the dykes constructed between the royal demesne of the king of France and the Duchy of Normandy. In other places these borders were not so clear, particularly the eastern border of Aquitaine, where there

2756-498: The Gironde , but the French navy escorted them safely to the port of Bordeaux to protect them from Huguenot privateers. In the seventeenth century, Dutch traders drained the swampy ground of the Médoc so it could be planted with vines, and this gradually surpassed Graves as the most prestigious region of Bordeaux. Malbec was the dominant grape here, until the early 19th century, when it was replaced by Cabernet Sauvignon . In 1855,

2862-468: The House of Plantagenet during the 12th and 13th centuries, when they ruled over an area covering roughly all of present-day England , half of France , and parts of Ireland and Wales , and had further influence over much of the remaining British Isles . It may be described as an early example of a composite monarchy . The empire was established by Henry II of England , who succeeded his father Geoffrey as Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou (from

2968-616: The Kingdom of England , the Lordship of Ireland which was considered illegitimate since Henry II broke the treaty of Windsor , the duchies of Normandy (which included the Channel Islands ), Gascony and Aquitaine , as well as of the counties of Anjou , Poitou, Maine , Touraine, Saintonge , La Marche , Périgord , Limousin , Nantes and Quercy . While the duchies and counties were held with various levels of vassalage to

3074-649: The Normans , had conquered England in the 11th century. Meanwhile, in the rest of France, the Poitevin Ramnulfids had become Dukes of Aquitaine and of Gascony , and the Count of Blois , Stephen , the father of the next king of England, Stephen , became the Count of Champagne . France was being split between only a few noble families. In 1106, Henry I of England had defeated his brother Robert Curthose and angered Robert's son, William Clito , who

3180-605: The king of France , the Plantagenets held various levels of control over the Duchies of Brittany and Cornwall , the Welsh princedoms , the county of Toulouse , and the Kingdom of Scotland , although those regions were not formal parts of the empire. Auvergne was also in the empire for part of the reigns of Henry II and Richard I , in their capacity as dukes of Aquitaine. Henry II and Richard I pushed further claims over

3286-415: The seneschal of Anjou , and other seneschals governed. They were based at Tours , Chinon , Baugé , Beaufort , Brissac , Angers , Saumur , Loudun , Loches , Langeais and Montbazon . However, the constituent counties, such as Maine , were often administered by the officials of the local lords, rather than their Angevin suzerains. Maine was at first largely self-ruling and lacked administration until

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3392-555: The throne of England . There had been only one occurrence of a medieval European queen regnant before, Urraca of León and Castile , and it was not an encouraging precedent; nevertheless, in January 1127 the Anglo-Normans barons and prelates recognized Matilda as heiress to the throne in an oath. On 17 June 1128, the wedding between Matilda and Geoffrey was celebrated in Le Mans . In order to secure Matilda's succession to

3498-683: The Angevin kings made efforts to improve administration by installing new officials, such as the seneschal of Le Mans. These reforms came too late for the Angevins however, and only the Capetians saw the beneficial effects of this reform after they annexed the area. Aquitaine differed in the level of administration in its different constituent regions. Gascony was a very loosely administered region. Officials were stationed mostly in Entre-Deux-Mers , Bayonne , Dax , but some were found on

3604-521: The Angevins during John's rule as he attempted to consolidate his power. Officials could be stationed in Poitou , however, due to a large concentration of castles compared to the rest of Aquitaine. Normandy was the most consistently administered state within the continental Angevin Empire. Under Angevin rule , ducal government was regularised and strengthened, with the Seneschal of Normandy becoming

3710-500: The Bordeaux region. Henry Plantagenet became King Henry II of England in 1154, and within his so-called Angevin Empire Bordeaux developed a long-lived export market for its wine in England. At this time, Graves was the principal wine region of Bordeaux, and the principal style was clairet . This accounts for the ubiquity of claret in England, though the anglicized term "claret" came to be used by English-speakers for

3816-485: The Gironde. These rivers define the main geographical subdivisions of the region: In Bordeaux the concept of terroir plays a pivotal role in wine production with the top estates aiming to make terroir driven wines that reflect the place they are from, often from grapes collected from a single vineyard. The soil of Bordeaux is composed of gravel , sandy stone, and clay. The region's best vineyards are located on

3922-555: The Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico. The red grapes in the Bordeaux vineyard are Merlot (62% by area), Cabernet Sauvignon (25%), Cabernet Franc (12%) and a small amount of Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carménère (1% in total). The white grapes are Sémillon (54% by area), Sauvignon blanc (36%), Muscadelle (7%) and a small amount of Ugni blanc, Colombard and Folle blanche (3% in total). Because of

4028-600: The Plantagenet-Capetian relationship. Louis VII had been unsuccessful in his attempt to break Henry II down. Because of the Angevin control of England in 1154, it was pointless to object to the superiority of the overall Angevin forces over the Capetian ones. However, Henry II refused to back down despite Louis' apparent change of policy until the Norman Vexin was entirely recovered. Thomas Becket , then

4134-453: The Plantagenets never claimed any sort of imperial title as implied by the term Angevin Empire . However, even if the Plantagenets themselves did not claim an imperial title, some chroniclers, often working for Henry II himself, did use the term empire to describe this assemblage of lands. The highest title was "king of England"; the other titles of dukes and counts of different areas held in France were completely and totally independent from

4240-536: The United States. However, two years after the beginning of the program, Mr Delpeuch resigned, "citing the failure of the French government to address properly the wine crisis in Bordeaux." Delpeuch told journalists assembled at the Bordeaux Press Club "I refuse to countenance this continual putting off of decisions which can only end in failure." "Delpeuch said he was shocked and disappointed by

4346-536: The annual income of England was £10,500, or around half what the revenue had been under Henry I . This was due in part to The Anarchy and King Stephen 's loose rule resulting in the reduction of royal authority. As time went on, royal authority improved and the revenue consequently went up to an average of £22,000 a year. Due to the preparation for the Third Crusade , revenue then increased to over £31,000 in 1190 under Richard . The number fell again to £11,000

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4452-434: The channel and arrived in England while Geoffrey kept the pressure on Normandy. Stephen was captured in February 1141 at the Battle of Lincoln , which prompted the collapse of his authority in both England and Normandy. Geoffrey now controlled almost all of Normandy, but no longer had the support of Aquitaine now that William X had been succeeded by his daughter, Eleanor , who had married Louis VII of France in 1137. Louis

4558-439: The châteaux of Bordeaux were classified ; this classification remains widely used today. From 1875 to 1892 almost all Bordeaux vineyards were ruined by phylloxera infestations. The region's wine industry was rescued by grafting native vines onto pest-resistant American rootstock . The major reason for the success of winemaking in the Bordeaux region is the excellent environment for growing vines. The geological foundation of

4664-640: The conflict while Henry's defences held against his enemies. After seven months of battles and politics, Henry failed to get rid of Stephen but then Stephen's son, Eustace, died in dubious circumstances, "struck by the wrath of god." Stephen gave up the struggle by ratifying the Treaty of Winchester , making Henry his heir on condition that the landed possessions of his family were guaranteed in England and France—the same terms Matilda had previously refused after her victory at Lincoln. Henry became King Henry II of England upon Stephen's death on 25 October 1154. Subsequently,

4770-454: The construction of the castles of Chinon , Loches and Loudun exemplify. Fulk IV married his son and namesake, called " Fulk the Younger " (who would later become King of Jerusalem ), to Ermengarde , heiress of the province of Maine, thus unifying it with Anjou through personal union . While the dynasty of the Angevins was successfully consolidating their power in France, their rivals,

4876-401: The continental domains that the Angevin kings ruled were governed by a seneschal at the top of the hierarchical system, with lesser government officials such as baillis , vicomtes , and prévôts . However, all counties and duchies would differ to an extent. Greater Anjou is a modern term to describe the area consisting of Anjou , Maine, Touraine, Vendôme , and Saintonge . Here, prévôts,

4982-545: The county, the citizens rose up against Hoël in 1156 and installed Henry II's brother Geoffrey in Hoël's place as count, at Henry II's suggestion. In September, this was followed up with a successful invasion of the duchy by Conan against his stepfather, Eudo, ending in Conan's accession as Duke of Brittany, albeit with Nantes remaining under direct Angevin control. However by 1158, Geoffrey had died and Conan seized Nantes. Nantes

5088-459: The current Chancellor of England, was sent as ambassador to Paris in the summer of 1158 to lead negotiations. He displayed all the wealth the Angevins could provide and, according to William Fitzstephen , a clerk and companion of Becket, a Frenchman exclaimed "If the Chancellor of England travels in such splendor, what must the king be?" Louis VII's daughter, Margaret , who was still a baby,

5194-611: The earlier years of his reign, Henry II claimed further lands and worked on the creation of a ring of vassal states as buffers, especially around England and Normandy. The most obvious areas to expand, where large claims were held, were Scotland , Wales , Brittany, and, as an ally rather than a new dominion, Flanders . King David I of Scotland had taken advantage of The Anarchy to seize Cumberland , Westmorland and Northumberland . In Wales, important leaders like Rhys of Deheubarth and Owain Gwynedd had emerged. In Brittany, there

5300-634: The establishment of Norman customs and institutions that would last until the French Revolution . Stephen continued to claim Normandy , believing an alliance with Louis was possible. Louis VII had recognised Henry as duke of Normandy in August 1151 in exchange for concessions in the Norman Vexin , but remained angered by Henry and Geoffrey's treatment of Giraud II of Montreuil-Berlay following Giraud's failed rebellion against Angevin rule

5406-465: The failure of his efforts—and by the lack of co-operation from winemakers and négociants themselves—to achieve anything concrete in terms of reforms to the Bordeaux wine industry over the last 24 months." The future of Plan Bordeaux is uncertain. Angevin Empire The term Angevin Empire ( / ˈ æ n dʒ ɪ v ɪ n / ; French : Empire Plantagenêt ) describes the possessions held by

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5512-479: The first growths of the 1855 classification, and often sell for even higher prices. Bordeaux wine labels generally include: Claret ( / ˈ k l ær ɪ t / KLARR -it ) is a name primarily used in British English for red Bordeaux wine. Claret derives from the French clairet , now a rare dark rosé , which was the most common wine exported from Bordeaux until the 18th century. The name

5618-410: The fragility the civil war had brought to England. In Ireland, the revenue was fairly low at £2,000 for 1212; however, all other records did not survive. For Normandy, there were many fluctuations relative to the politics of the Duchy. The Norman revenues were only £6,750 in 1180, then they reached £25,000 a year in 1198, higher than in England. What was more impressive was that the Norman population

5724-401: The generally humid Bordeaux climate, a variety of pests can cause a problem for the vigneron . In the past, this was counteracted by the widespread use of pesticides, although the use of natural methods has recently been gaining in popularity. The vines are generally trained in either single or double guyot. Hand-picking is preferred by most of the prestigious châteaux, but machine-harvesting

5830-412: The intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Haut-Brion&oldid=756664591 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Bordeaux wine Bordeaux wine ( Occitan : vin de Bordèu ; French : vin de Bordeaux )

5936-549: The king and defend all of their lands at once. The power of the English earls had grown during the Anarchy between Matilda and Stephen, as she and he vied for support by granting earldoms to various barons, but this reversed beginning with Henry II, whose reign saw the number of earls halve from twenty-four to twelve. England instead saw a reliance on the exchequer to provide both financial and administrative control on behalf of

6042-519: The king of France again. Flanders would provide Henry II with knights in exchange of an annual tribute in money, known as a "money-fief". In 1148, Conan III, Duke of Brittany , died, leaving behind two children. Although his son Hoël was the natural choice to succeed to the ducal throne, evidence suggests that Hoël was illegitimate and instead he was only recognised as Count of Nantes . Hoël's sister Bertha became Duchess of Brittany, ruling alongside her husband, Eudo of Porhoët . However Bertha had

6148-431: The largest appellation producing fine wines, and the strong foundation of the pyramid of Bordeaux wines, Bordeaux AOC & Bordeaux Supérieur AOC today account for 55% of all Bordeaux wines consumed in the world. Plan Bordeaux was an initiative introduced in 2005 by ONIVINS , the French vintners association, designed to reduce France's wine production in order to improve profitability for the remaining producers. Part of

6254-564: The latter of which the term Angevin is derived). Henry married Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1152, acquiring the Duchy of Aquitaine , and inherited his mother Empress Matilda 's claim to the English throne , succeeding his rival Stephen in 1154. Although their title of highest rank came from the Kingdom of England , the Plantagenets held court primarily on the continent at Angers in Anjou, and at Chinon in Touraine. The influence and power of

6360-514: The market. In November 2011 the president of the Union des Maisons de Négoce de Bordeaux announced an intention to use the term claret de Bordeaux for wines that are "light and fruity, easy to drink, in the same style as the original claret when it was prized by the English in former centuries". "Claret" is also sometimes used as a colour name to refer to the dark, purplish-red colour of Bordeaux wine . In Britain and Australia, "claret" has also been

6466-630: The nobles previously loyal to Henry I against Matilda. In November, Henry was dying; Matilda was with her husband in Maine and Anjou while Stephen , brother of the Count of Blois and Champagne , who was Matilda's cousin and another contender for the English and Norman thrones, was in Boulogne . Stephen rushed to England upon the news of Henry's death and was crowned King of England in December 1135. Geoffrey first sent his wife Matilda alone to Normandy in

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6572-452: The other right bank appellations. These Right Bank blends from top -quality Châteaux are typically 70% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. White Bordeaux is predominantly, and exclusively in the case of the sweet Sauternes , made from Sémillon , Sauvignon blanc and Muscadelle . Typical blends are 80% Sémillon and 20% Sauvignon blanc. As with the reds, white Bordeaux wines are usually blends, most commonly of Sémillon and

6678-428: The pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela and also on the river Garonne up to Agen . The rest of Gascony was not administered, despite being such a large area compared to other smaller, well-administered provinces. This difficulty when it came to administering the region wasn't new – it had been just as difficult for the previous Poitevin dukes to cement their authority over this area. A similar state of affairs

6784-478: The plan was to uproot 17,000 hectares of the 124,000 hectares of vineyards in Bordeaux. The wine industry in Bordeaux has been experiencing economic problems in the face of strong international competition from New World wines and declining wine consumption in France. In 2004, exports to the U.S. plummeted 59% in value over the previous year. Sales in Britain dropped 33% in value during the same period. The UK,

6890-416: The pre-eminent figure in Norman government. The seneschals' administrative and judicial power peaked with William FitzRalph . Below them were the baillis, who held both executive, judicial and financial powers. These officials were introduced under Geoffrey of Anjou , replacing the weaker prévôts and vicomtes, in response to the unrest that followed Henry I 's death and Geoffrey's invasion. Ducal authority

6996-409: The prices had been lowered for the very best Bordeaux wines. Syndicate des Vins de Bordeaux et Bordeaux Supérieur is an organization representing the economic interests of 6,700 wine producers in Bordeaux, France. The wine lake and other economic problems have increased the salience of the winemakers' association, whose members are facing increasing costs and decreasing demand for their product. As

7102-610: The question was again raised of Henry's oath to cede Anjou to his brother Geoffrey. Henry received a dispensation from Pope Adrian IV under the pretext the oath had been forced upon him, and he proposed compensations to Geoffrey at Rouen in 1156. Geoffrey refused and returned to Anjou to rebel against his brother. Geoffrey may have had a strong claim, but his position was weak. Louis would not interfere since Henry paid homage to him for his continental possessions. Henry crushed Geoffrey's revolt, and Geoffrey had to be satisfied with an annual pension. The Angevin Empire had now been formed. In

7208-521: The region is limestone, leading to a soil structure that is heavy in calcium. The Gironde estuary dominates the regions along with its tributaries , the Garonne and the Dordogne rivers, and together irrigate the land and provide an Atlantic Climate, also known as an oceanic climate , for the region. Bordeaux lies at the center of the confluence of the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers, which flow into

7314-572: The request of Emperor Napoleon III for the Exposition Universelle de Paris . This came to be known as the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855, which ranked the wines into five categories according to price. The first growth red wines (four from Médoc and one, Château Haut-Brion, from Graves), are among the most expensive wines in the world. The first growths are: At the same time,

7420-574: The royal principality of the king of France generated alone more incomes than all the Angevin Empire combined. The Counts of Anjou had been vying for power in northwestern France since the 10th century. The counts were recurrent enemies of the dukes of Normandy and of Brittany and often the French king . Fulk IV, Count of Anjou , claimed rule over Touraine, Maine and Nantes ; however, of these only Touraine proved to be effectively ruled, as

7526-574: The royal principality was more centralized under Louis VII and Philip II than it had been under Hugh Capet or Robert the Pious . The wealth of the Plantagenet kings was definitely regarded as bigger; Gerald of Wales commented on this wealth with these words: One may therefore ask how King Henry II and his sons, in spite of their many wars, possessed so much treasure. The reason is that as their fixed returns yielded less they took care to make up

7632-459: The royal throne, she and her new husband needed castles and supporters in both England and Normandy, but if they succeeded, there would be two authorities in England: the king and Matilda. Henry prevented the conflict by refusing to hand over any castles to Matilda as well as confiscating the lands of the nobles he suspected of supporting her. By 1135, major disputes between Henry I and Matilda drove

7738-409: The royal title, and not subject to any English royal law. Because of this, some historians, such as W. L. Warren , prefer the term commonwealth to empire , emphasising that the Angevin Empire was more of an assemblage of seven fully independent, sovereign states loosely bound to each other, only united in the person of the king of England. At its largest extent, the Angevin Empire consisted of

7844-437: The ruling monarch, saw power delegated to specially appointed subjects in different areas. Supported by what W. L. Warren called a "self-regulating administrative machine", these subjects had varied political and military powers. England was under the firmest control of all the lands in the Angevin Empire, due to the age of many of the offices that governed the country and the traditions and customs that were in place. England

7950-522: The ruling monarch. Wales obtained good terms provided it paid homage to the Plantagenets and recognised them as lords. However, it remained almost self-ruling. It supplied the Plantagenets with infantry and longbowmen . Ireland was ruled by the Lord of Ireland , who at first had great difficulty imposing his rule. Dublin and Leinster were Angevin strongholds, while Cork , Limerick and parts of eastern Ulster were taken by Anglo-Norman nobles. All

8056-541: The scene for further conflicts between England and France, leading up to the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453), in which the Plantagenet, for a time, would re-establish dominion over much of western, central and northern France, before losing their possessions again, this time permanently. The term Angevin Empire is a neologism defining the lands of the House of Plantagenet: Henry II and his sons Richard I and John . Another son, Geoffrey , ruled Brittany and established

8162-532: The sweet white wines of Sauternes and Barsac were classified into three categories, with only Château d'Yquem being classified as a superior first growth. In 1955, St. Émilion AOC were classified into three categories, the highest being Premier Grand Cru Classé A with two members: In the 2012 classification, two more Châteaux became members: There is no official classification applied to Pomerol . However some Pomerol wines, notably Château Pétrus and Château Le Pin , are often considered as being equivalent to

8268-511: The term Empire . Some historians argue that the term should be reserved solely for the Holy Roman Empire , the only Western European political structure actually named an empire at that time, although Alfonso VII of León and Castile had taken the title "Emperor of all Spain" in 1135. Other historians argue that Henry II 's empire was neither powerful, centralised , nor large enough to be seriously called an empire. Furthermore,

8374-549: The term. Claret is occasionally used in the United States as a semi-generic label for red wine in the style of the Bordeaux, ideally from the same grapes as are permitted in Bordeaux. The French themselves do not use the term, except for export purposes. The meaning of "claret" has changed and now refers to a dry, dark-red Bordeaux. It has remained a term associated with the English upper class and consequently appears on bottles of generic red Bordeaux to raise their status in

8480-511: The term. The demonym, according to the Oxford English Dictionary , has been in use since 1511. The use of the term Empire has engendered controversy among some historians over whether the term is accurate for the actual state of affairs at the time. The area was a collection of the lands inherited and acquired by Henry, and so it is unclear whether these dominions shared any common identity and so should be labelled with

8586-481: The time of his accession, but much of Flanders' prosperity relied on English trade and England traded much of its wool via the Flemish port of Boulogne. Henry, therefore, was able to re-establish friendly relations to the extent that Thierry appointed Henry guardian of his eldest son and regent, Philip , when Thierry undertook his pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1157. When William of Blois died without an heir in 1159,

8692-400: The titles of Count of Boulogne and Count of Mortain fell vacant. Henry II absorbed Mortain into his Duchy of Normandy, but granted Boulogne and William's sister, Mary , to Thierry's second son, Matthew . Through this marriage, and the 1163 renewal of a previous treaty between Henry I of England , and Robert II of Flanders , Henry II was assured of Flemish neutrality if war broke out with

8798-405: The total by extraordinary levies, relying more and more on these than on the ordinary sources of revenue. Petit Dutailli had commented that: "Richard maintained a superiority in resources which would have given him the opportunity, had he lived, to crush his rival." There is another interpretation, not widely followed and proven wrong, that the king of France could have raised a stronger income, that

8904-549: The trade of claret. This position continued largely unchanged after the Treaty of Edinburgh ended the military alliance between France and Scotland. Even when the by then Protestant kingdoms of England and Scotland, both ruled by the same Stuart king by this point, were trying to militarily aid the Huguenot rebels in their fight against Catholic France in La Rochelle , Scots trading vessels were not only permitted to enter

9010-420: The vineyard is often aged separately, and then blended into either the main or the second wine (or sold off wholesale) according to the judgment of the winemaker. The wine is then bottled and usually undergoes a further period of ageing before it is released for sale. The Bordeaux wine region is divided into subregions including Saint-Émilion , Pomerol , Médoc , and Graves . The 60 Bordeaux appellations and

9116-431: The well-drained gravel soils that are frequently found near the Gironde river. An old adage in Bordeaux is the best estates can "see the river" from their vineyards. The majority of land facing riverward is occupied by classified estates . Red Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon , Cabernet Franc , Merlot , Petit Verdot , Malbec and Carménère . Today Carménère

9222-586: The western world to such an extent that historians consider it to be one of the most fortunate and flourishing of the provinces of Gaul . Its fields are fertile, its vineyards productive and its forests teem with wild life. From the Pyrenees northwards the whole countryside is irrigated by the River Garonne and other streams, indeed it is from these life-giving waters that the province takes its name. The Capetian kings did not record such incomes, although

9328-406: The wine styles they represent are usually categorized into six main families, four red based on the subregions and two white based on sweetness: The vast majority of Bordeaux wine is red, with red wine production outnumbering white wine production six to one. There are four different classifications of Bordeaux, covering different parts of the region: The 1855 classification system was made at

9434-512: The world's most expensive and prestigious wines. The vast majority of wine produced in Bordeaux is red (sometimes called "claret" in Britain), with sweet white wines (most notably Sauternes ), dry whites, and (in much smaller quantities) rosé and sparkling wines ( Crémant de Bordeaux ) collectively making up the remainder. Bordeaux wine is made by more than 5,660 producers or châteaux . There are 65 appellations of Bordeaux wine. Viticulture

9540-502: The year before. This situation quickly began to shift when, in September, Geoffrey died and Henry inherited his position as Count of Anjou, with rule also over Touraine and Maine. Geoffrey had planned to leave Anjou to his younger son, Geoffrey , but this would have hampered Henry's ability to succeed in conquering England. Geoffrey instead asked his vassals to swear that his body would be left unburied until Henry promised to abide by his wishes. W. L. Warren suggested that this story

9646-624: Was Count of Flanders from 1127. Henry used his paternal inheritance to take the Duchy of Normandy and the Kingdom of England and then tried to establish an alliance with Anjou by marrying his only legitimate son, William , to Fulk the Younger's daughter, Matilda . However, William died in the White Ship disaster in 1120. As a result, Henry then married his own daughter Matilda to Geoffrey "Plantagenet" , Fulk's son and successor; however, Henry's subjects had to accept Matilda's inheritance to

9752-541: Was anglicised to "claret" as a result of its widespread consumption in England during the period in the 12th–15th centuries that Aquitaine was part of the Angevin Empire and continued to be controlled by Kings of England for some time after the Angevins . It is a protected name within the European Union , describing a red Bordeaux wine, accepted after the British wine trade demonstrated over 300 years' usage of

9858-670: Was betrothed to Henry's heir, his eldest son, Henry the Young King with a dowry of the Norman Vexin. Henry II was given back the castles of Moulins-la-Marche and Bonmoulins. Theobald V, Count of Blois handed Amboise and Fréteval back to him. The counts of Flanders had long been powerful but capricious allies of the kings of France. Count Thierry had taken part in Louis VII's early assaults against Henry II, and Henry had expelled all Flemish mercenaries in England at

9964-522: Was considerably smaller than England's, an estimated 1.5 million as opposed to England's 3.5 million. This period has become known as the 'Norman Fiscal Revolution' due to this increase in revenue. For Aquitaine and Anjou, no records remain. However, it is not because these regions were poor; there were large vineyards , important cities and iron mines. For example, this is what English chronicler Ralph of Diceto wrote about Aquitaine: Aquitaine overflows with riches of many kinds, excelling other parts of

10070-601: Was divided in shires with sheriffs in each enforcing the common law . A justiciar was appointed by the king to stand in his absence when he was on the continent. As the kings of England were more often in France than England they used writs more frequently than the Anglo-Saxon kings, which actually proved beneficial to England. Under William I's rule, Anglo-Saxon nobles had been largely replaced by Anglo-Norman settlers whose lands were split between England and France. This made it much harder for them to revolt against

10176-562: Was especially important to Henry II as it sat at the mouth of the Loire , and threatened trade from Angers and Tours . Henry II responded to this seizure by mustering an army in Avranches , as well as threatening Conan's English estates. Conan submitted, ceding Nantes back to Henry II and in return was recognised as Duke. During Conan's rule, Henry II continued to intervene—he arranged Conan's marriage to Margaret of Scotland and appointed

10282-519: Was formally recognised by Louis VII. However, Geoffrey still didn't assist Matilda even as she was on the verge of defeat. Further rebellion occurred in Anjou, including Geoffrey's younger brother, Helie , demanding Maine. It was during this period of Angevin unrest that Geoffrey dropped the title of duke of Normandy and formally invested his son Henry as duke in 1150, though both Geoffrey and Matilda would continue to dominate Norman affairs. The following six decades of Angevin rule over Normandy would see

10388-431: Was found in the eastern provinces of Périgord and Limousin , where there was not much of a royal administrative system and practically no officials were stationed. Indeed, there were lords that ruled these regions as if they were "sovereign princes" and they had extra powers, such as the ability to mint their own coins, something English lords had been unable to do for decades. The Lusignans , for example, became rivals to

10494-462: Was introduced into the Bordeaux region by the Romans , probably in the mid-1st century CE, to provide wine for local consumption, and wine production has been continuous in the region since then. During the 12th century, the popularity of Bordeaux wines in England increased dramatically following the marriage in 1152 of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine , whose Aquitaine lands included

10600-411: Was not able to travel to Normandy and so the situation remained. Geoffrey had found new allies with the Count of Vendôme and, most importantly, William X, Duke of Aquitaine . At the head of a new army and ready for conquest, Geoffrey was wounded and was forced to return to Anjou again. Furthermore, an outbreak of dysentery plagued his army. Orderic Vitalis stated "the invaders had to run for home leaving

10706-559: Was not concerned with the events in Normandy and England. While Geoffrey consolidated his Norman power, Matilda suffered defeats in England. At Winchester , Robert of Gloucester was captured while covering Matilda's retreat so Matilda freed Stephen in exchange for Robert. In 1142, Geoffrey was asked by Matilda for assistance but refused; he had become more interested in Normandy. Following the capture of Avranches , Mortain and Cherbourg , Rouen surrendered to him in 1144 and he anointed himself duke of Normandy. In exchange for Gisors , he

10812-514: Was often a difference between the frontier Henry II, and later Richard I, claimed, and the frontier where their effective power ended. Scotland was an independent kingdom, but after a disastrous campaign led by William the Lion , English garrisons were established in the castles of Edinburgh , Roxburgh , Jedburgh and Berwick in southern Scotland as defined in the Treaty of Falaise . The Angevin Empire, rather than being administered directly by

10918-419: Was spread purely to justify the younger Geoffrey's later rebellion against Henry, and that the Angevin nobles supported the story as it gave them an opportunity to reclaim their lost autonomy. In March 1152, Louis VII and Eleanor of Aquitaine had their marriage annulled under the pretext of consanguinity at the council of Beaugency . The terms of the annulment left Eleanor as duchess of Aquitaine but still

11024-538: Was the strongest on the frontier near the Capetian royal demesne . Toulouse was held through weak vassalage by the Count of Toulouse but it was rare for him to comply with Angevin rule. Only Quercy was directly administered by the Angevins after Henry II's conquest in 1159, but it did remain a contested area. Brittany , a region where nobles were traditionally very independent, was under Angevin control during Henry II and Richard I's reigns. The county of Nantes

11130-502: Was under the firmest control. The Angevins often involved themselves in Breton affairs, such as when Henry II arranged Conan of Brittany 's marriage and installed the archbishop of Dol . The economy of the Angevin Empire was quite complicated due to the varying political structure of the different fiefdoms. England and Normandy were well administered and therefore would be able to generate larger revenues than areas such as Aquitaine. This

11236-536: Was used mostly for continental issues, although John Gillingham argues that although areas like Normandy, Anjou, and Aquitaine are recorded to have brought in less revenue compared to England, much of this is due to poor financial accounts for these continental possessions. Gillingham further argues that by the end of Richard's reign, Normandy may have been bringing in even more revenue to the royal treasury than England. The English revenues themselves varied from year to year. When financial records begin in 1155 to 1156,

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