2.3 Bordeaux Winemaking

Question 1

What controls the levels of sorting?

Answer 1

The value of the wine and the quality of the vintage

Question 2

What are the sorting options for high quality wines?

Answer 2

Hand harvesting in the field. 
In the winery:
By hand 
vibrating belt 
optical sorting

Question 3

When can the best estates perhaps decide to skip sorting of grapes?

Answer 3

In excellent vintages since the grapes quality is so great that the manual sorting done by hand harvesting is considered enough.

Question 4

What is the trend in high quality winemaking when it comes to picking and what are the additional costs for this?

Answer 4

Plot by plot winemaking. Adding care and workforce for harvest dates and also more ans smaller vessels in the winery.

Question 5

How is most red wines made?

Answer 5

Fermentation in closed vats with pump-overs.
Cultured yeasts.
Wood, steel or concrete used for fermentation and all are fitted with temp control.

Question 6

What aspects decide the fermentation temperature and extent of post-fermentation macération for red bordeauxs?

Answer 6

The style of the wine and the quality of the vintage.

Question 7

What does mid-range fermentation temp and short period on the skins 5-7 days result in?

Answer 7

Wines intended for early drinking to preserve primary fruit and limit tannin extraction.

Question 8

What does mid-ranged to war fermentation temp and total 14-30 days of skin macération result in?

Answer 8

Powerful reds with longe age-ability.

Question 9

What can force macération times post fermentation to be shortened?

Answer 9

Poor vintage with unripe fruit.

Question 10

What are the preferred presses in bordeaux and why?

Answer 10

Pneumatic
Vertical
Hydraulic
They give the gentlest extraction.

Question 11

Why is malolactic conversion on barriques preferred?

Answer 11

It gives a better integration of wine and wood.

Question 12

Why can the malolactic conversion sometimes be inoculated and how is it done?

Answer 12

In order for the wine to be as drinkable as possible after one year when journalists and buyers do the en primeur tastings.
Can be encouraged by heating the cellars.

Question 13

What is the common practice for ageing when it comes to simple bordeaux?

Answer 13

Steel tanks, concrete vats or large vats for 4/6 months. Addition of oak chips may be added.

Question 14

How is high quality bordeaux often matured?

Answer 14

In French oak barriques. Some prestigious use 100 percent new barrels but most do a mix of first, second and three year old barriques. Usually 18-24 months with racking every three months.

Question 15

Why do some winemakers prefer to not perform racking while barrel aging?

Answer 15

They prefer the micro-oxygenation from the lees to replace the oxygenation occurring by racking.

Question 16

What sort of oak barrels are usually used?

Answer 16

French barriques from different barrel makers to give the wines complexity. Usually barrels are medium to medium plus toasted.

Question 17

What are the two approaches to blending?

Answer 17

Most estates blend over winter, especially if the wines will perform in an en primeur tasting.
A minority blend a few months before bottling.
Usually wineries have a blending consultant, the top estates often have the same consultant.

Question 18

What types of rose are made in bordeaux?

Answer 18

The deeper coloured Clairet and a lighter coloured.

Question 19

What are the main rose variétés?

Answer 19

Merlot and CS

Question 20

How was clairet traditionally made and how is the modern light rose usually made?

Answer 20

Traditionally by saignée method or by short maceration from young vines. Today direct pressing.

Question 21

When is white wine usually pressed and what does it do flavour wise?

Answer 21

Either straight away (maximum freshness) or after maximum 24 hours of skin contact (aromatic and phenolic complexity)

Question 22

What white wines are generally fermented in cool temp in stainless steel tanks?

Answer 22

Early drinking
Inexpensive which remains a few months in tank, than clarified and bottled.
Mid priced which can be sur lie for 6-12 months to add complexity.

Question 23

How is higher quality white bordeaux made?

Answer 23

Fermented and aged in barriques with varied proportion of new oak. Many block malo and apply battonage.

Question 24

What is the risk with using battonage?

Answer 24

It can in hot years give wines excessive body in relation to lvl of acidity.

Question 25

How are denis dubourdieu and André Lurton important?

Answer 25

They have contributed to the modern white bordeaux style.

Increasing focus on SB, skin contact for extraction of aromatics and reduction in new oak.

Question 26

Why most yields be low in botrytis wine and how is it achieved?

Answer 26

One third fo still wine production. Ensuring high sugar lvls in the grapes.
It’s done via pruning to a low number of buds and then removal of any fruit that shows hints of disease or damage.

Question 27

How high yields are allowed for sweet wines and what is often the reality?

Answer 27

25 hl per ha is allowed, usually its around 10 hL per ha, why the wines are very expensive.

Question 28

Why is skilled labour extra important with botrytis harvesting?

Answer 28

Workers need to be able to identify noble rot from grey or black rot.
Pickers go over vineyards several times, up to 12 times in some vintages and properties to select the properly botrytised and ripe berries. Harvest can last from sep to nov.

Question 29

What do the level of botrytis in the final wine depend on?

Answer 29

Whether conditions are correct for spread of noble rot
Position of the estate, prox. To mists.
Willingness for estate to wait for best harvest time, with risk of losing crop to adverse weather
Willingness of estate to pay for multiple harvest passes.

Question 30

What happens after botrytis grapes are picked?

Answer 30

They are handled as for a dry white wine.

Fermentation in stainless steel, concrete or barriques and than aged in these containers for varied time.

Question 31

How long is top quality sweet wine often made?

Answer 31

Barrel fermented with high proportion of new oak (integration of oak and fruit flavours) and aged for 18-36 months (gentle oxidation to add complexity)

Question 32

What differs ch d Yquem to a less prestigeous sweet bordeaux maturation wise?

Answer 32

Yquem use 100 percent new oak. Inexpensive wines are unbaked and released a year after harvest.