Bordeaux Flashcards
Describe Bordeaux’s climate, moderating influence and challenges with respect to grape growing?
a) moderate Maritime
b) Gulf Stream, Landes Forest
c) rainfall, weather variability from vintage to vintage, spring frost
Why do Bordeaux producers favor blends?
Since the varieties grown in Bordeaux flower and ripen at different types blending provides insurance against a late frost or heavy rainfall, as it’s unlikely an entire crop would be lost.
What varieties are permitted in Bordeaux?
13 total varieties, the most important of which are
Cabernet Sauvignon - black fruit, structure
Merlot - body, softness
Cabernet Franc - red fruit, herbaceous
Petit Verdot - color, tannin, spice
Sauvignon Blanc - green fruit, acid
Semillon - thin-skinned, suspectible to Bot
Muscadelle - grapey, floral
In what container is Bordeaux typically aged?
225 litre Barriques
Describe the Bordeaux classification system.
1855 Classification - Five ranks (or Growths) for red wines of the Medoc and three ranks for white wines of Sauternes.
Ch Lafite-Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, and Mouton-Rothschild (upgraded in 1973) occupy the top rank in Medoc, along with Haut-Brion of Grave.
Chateau d’Yquem occupies the top rank in Sauternes.
The term Cru Bourgeois was later introduced for those not included in previous classification and is awarded to a Vintage as opposed to the Chateau itself
In Grave, Chateau’s are classified as Cru Classes for white and red wines. All are currently in Pessac-Leognan.
In St. Emilion the classification is part of the appellation system. With the Grand Cru app, a Chateau can be classified as Grand Cru Classe, Premier Grand Cru Classe B and Premier Grand Cru Classe A. Reclassification occurs every ten years.
What are the generic appellations of Bordeaux?
Bordeaux AOC (mostly red with some white) Bordeaux Superieur (mostly red - greater ripeness expressed as higher alcohol) Bordeaux Rose and Bordeaux Clairet - (rose, with Clairet undergoing a longer maceration)
Which lesser known appellations can use the term Cotes de Bordeaux by mutual agreement?
Blaye, Cadillac, Castillon and Francs.
Cotes de Bourg elected not to join.
Which appellations, besides Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur, are permitted to make dry white wines?
Entre-Deux-Mers (white only)
Graves and Pessac-Leognan (whites and reds)
What are the main sweet wine appellations of Bordeaux?
Sauternes and Barsac (located within Sauternes, able to classify as either)
What are the most esteemed communes within Medoc and Grave?
Saint-Estephe, Paulliac, Saint-Julien, Margaux (Haut-Medoc) and the area of Pessac-Leognan (Grave)
What sets Left Bank and Right Bank Bordeaux apart?
Left Bank is predominantly gravel soil, which favors Cabernet Sauvignon and produces more structured, powerful wines.
Righ Bank is more clay, which suits Merlot and results in softer, fuller wines. Cabernet Franc is also produced here and plays a larger role in blends.
What are the most prestigious appellations on the Right Bank?
Saint-Emillion and Pomerol.
What does Vins de Garage mean?
A group of full-bodied, very ripe, low yield, high quality wines produced mostly on the Right Bank which weren’t initially part of the classification system.
