2. Bordeaux Flashcards
Which two rivers merge to form which estuary in Bordeaux?
1) River Garonne
2) River Dordogne
3) Gironde estuary
The area between the Dordogne and Garonne is called what?
Entre-Deux-Mers
What per cent of plantings are to black grape varieties?
Approx 90%
What is the red/white/sweet/rose production split in Bordeaux?
1) 85% red
2) 9% white
3) 1% sweet
4) 5% rose
What is the most widely planted grape variety in Bordeaux?
Merlot
How much land is under vine in Bordeaux?1
108,000
What is the climate of Bordeaux?
Moderate maritime
What weather feature has a warming influence on Bordeaux and from where does it originate?
1) The Gulf Stream
2) The Gulf of Mexico
What protects the left bank from Atlantic storms?
The Landes - extensive pine forests towards the south of the region
The Landes - extensive pine forests - protect the vineyards from wine. At what stage of the growing cycle is this protection most beneficial?
Flowering and fruit set
Give three examples of sub-regions protected by the Landes.
1) Leognan (Domaine de Chevalier)
2) Listrac, Medoc
Rainfall is variable year to year. Excessive rainfall at which four stages can result in significant vintage variation?
1) Rain at flowering an result in poor fruit set
2) Rain through the growing season can increase disease pressure
3) Rain at and after veraison can lead to unripe fruit and fungal disease
4) Rain at harvest can cause dilution
Provide an example of a vintage that was beset by hot, dry summers with insufficient rainfall.
2003
What other climatic factor is a concern for vineyards further from the Gironde or its two rivers?
Frost
What is the key soil component of the top estates of the Left Bank and what two advantages does it provide?
1) Gravel
2) Excellent drainage
3) Heat retention
What other soils can be found on the Left Bank?
1) Clay
2) Sand
What are ‘croupes’?
Gravel mounds (up to 32m in Margaux) formed by deposits from floodwaters from the Pyrenees and Massif Central
What is a disadvantage to the Left Bank’s high proportion of gravel soil?
Can cause hydric stress in drought-affected years
In which Left Bank sub-region can pockets of clay be found?
Saint-Estephe
What soil component is more common on the Right Bank?
Clay
What are the eight main varieties grown in Bordeaux (as discussed in the textbook)?
1) Merlot
2) Cabernet Sauvignon
3) Cabernet Franc
4) Malbec
5) Petit Verdot
6) Semillon
7) Sauvignon Blanc
8) Muscadelle
When does Merlot bud?
Early
When does Merlot ripen?
Mid-ripening
What is an advantage of Merlots ripening timeframe?
It can be picked before early autumn rain
What three diseases is Merlot susceptible to?
1) Coulure
2) Drought
3) Botrytis
What climatic condition is Merlot susceptible to?
Spring frost
Why is Merlot commonly planted on soils with high quantities of clay?
1) The soils are cooler
2) The water-holding capacity of the soils produces the large berry size typical of Merlot
What five characteristics does Merlot contribute to a wine?
1) Medium to pronounced intensity
2) Strawberry, red plum, herbaceous flavours in cooler years
3) Cooked blackberry, black plum in hot years
4) Medium tannins
5) Medium to high alcohol
When does Cabernet Sauvignon bud?
Late
What three diseases is Cabernet Sauvignon susceptible to?
1) Powdery mildew
2) Esca
3) Eutypa
When does Cabernet Sauvignon ripen?
Late
What climatic condition is Cabernet Sauvignon susceptible to?
Early autumn rains (due to late ripening)
What four characteristics does Cabernet Sauvignon contribute to a wine?
1) Violet, blackcurrant, black cherry and menthol/herbaceous flavours
2) Medium alcohol
3) High acidity
4) High tannins
What three characteristics does Cabernet Franc contribute to a Bordeaux blend?
1) Red fruit
2) High acidity
3) Medium tannins
When does Petit Verdot bud?
Early
When does Petit Verdot ripen?
Later than Cabernet Sauvignon
What two climatic factors is Petit Verdot vulnerable to?
1) Spring frost
2) Harvest rain
What four characteristics does Petit Verdot contribute to a Bordeaux blend?
1) Power
2) Deep colour
3) Spice
4) High tannins
When does Semillon ripen?
Mid-ripening
What is Semillon vulnerable to?
Botrytis
What four features does Semillon contribute to a dry white Bordeaux?
1) Low to medium intensity aromas
2) Weight
3) Medium acidity
4) Softens Sauvignon Blanc’s intensity
What two features does Semillon contribute to a sweet Bordeaux?
1) Honey, dried fruit
2) Waxy texture
What four features does Sauvignon Blanc contribute to a dry white Bordeaux?
1) Grassy, gooseberry fruit
2) High acidity
What is Muscadelle prone to?
Botrytis
What does Muscadelle contribute to sweet white wines?
Flowery, grapey notes
What is the traditional planting density for top quality Bordeaux vineyards and why? (4)
1) 10,000 vines/ha
2) Vines 1m apart
3) 1m between rows
4) Makes the most of prestigious land
What three factors add to the expense of close-planted vineyards of Bordeaux?
1) Adequate trellising
2) Over-row tractors
3) Time for training, ploughing and spraying
At what planting density might vineyards in Bordeaux AOC be planted?
3,000-4,000 vines/ha
What is the most common system of vine management in Bordeaux?
Head-training, replacement cane-pruned where vines are training along wires
On which bank is Double Guyot most common?
Left Bank
On which bank is Single Guyot most common?
Right Bank
What other training method is less common but used by some prestigious estates?
Cordon-trained, spur-pruned
What is ‘soft pruning’?
Soft pruning involves avoiding cuts to live wood in positions where you want healthy sap flow, and making cuts as small as possible (since bigger cuts cause a larger region of dieback)
What two disease pressures does soft pruning alleviate?
1) Eutypa dieback
2) Esca
What is the average yield in Bordeaux?
50 hL/ha
In what three vessel types does red winemaking take place?
1) Stainless steel
2) Oak
3) Concrete
What wines are produced by mid-range fermentation temperatures and 5-7 days post-fermentation maceration?
Wines intended for early drinking where the preservation of primary fruit and limited tannins is desired
What wines are produced by mid-range to warm fermentation temperatures and 14-30 days post-fermentation maceration?
Wines intended to age in bottle
By tradition, how often are wines racked?
Every three months
Simpler wines may be matured in what three vessel types and for how long?
1) Stainless steel, concrete, large vats
2) 4-6 months
High quality wines are matured in what vessel type and for how long?
1) 225l barriques
2) 18-24 months depending on quality and progress of maturation
What is Clairet?
A deeper coloured, traditional style of Rose, which is bled off as a by-product of red winemaking where the aim to to concentrate red musts and wine
What are the two main varieties used for Bordeaux rose?
1) Merlot
2) Cabernet Sauvignon
Once white grapes arrive at the winery they may be a) pressed on arrival or b) left on skins for up to 24 hours. Why?
a) To deliver maximum freshness
b) For more aromatic, phenolic complexity
Wines intended for early drinking are generally fermented how and in what vessel?
1) Cool
2) Stainless steel
What winemaking technique might give a mid-priced wine more weight and complexity?
A period of 6-12 months lees maturation
How are higher quality whites fermented?
In barriques with varying levels of new oak
What technique used to be more common for white Bordeaux that is used less now and why?
1) Battonage
2) Can give excessive body in relation to acidity levels, particularly in warm years
What is the maximum yield for Sauternes and Barsac?
25 hL/ha
What is a common yield for Sauternes and Barsac?
10 hL/ha
Why must yields for sweet wines be kept low?
To ensure the very high sugar levels in the grapes