Bordeaux Flashcards
Who is Émile Peynaud?
- Professor of Oenology at Bordeaux University
- encouraged the use of fruit of young vine stocks under a second label (gave a boost to grand vin)
1912-2004
Who is Robert Parker?
- He championed the 1982 Bordeaux vintage, giving high scores
- Launched his career and triggered the 3rd Golden Age
Bordeaux is still in 3rd Golden Age
What does Aquitaine mean?
“well-watered place”
What are the Dordogne & Garonne in Bordeaux?
rivers
What is the Gironde?
It is an estuary that links the Dordogne and Garonne Rivers to the Atlantic Ocean.
What are the 3 levels of AOC in Bordeaux?
- Regional
- Sub-Regional
- Commune
They get more precise as you get to the Commune level
What is the difference between Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux Supérieur AOC?
- Bordeaux Supérieur AOC wines require lower yields and higher minimum ABV
- There is no dry white Bordeaux Supérieur AOC
What are the 3 principal rivers in Bordeaux?
Garonne
Dordogne
Gironde Estuary
What place does Carménère have in Bordeaux?
- a rarity within the modern Bordeaux blends
- succumbed to the diseases of the 1800s and was not replanted on a large scale
What does Petit Verdot add to the Bordeaux blend and how popular is it in Bordeaux?
- adds tannin, pigment, and spice to the Bordeaux blend
- now ripens more regularly and is becoming fashionable again
Where is Malbec (Côt) found in Bordeaux and what does it add to a blend?
- largely found in Blaye, Bourg, and Entre-deux-Mers.
- low-acid nature softens a blend and adds black fruit
What place does Cabernet Franc have in Bordeaux?
- plays a significant role in Saint-Émilion (sometimes 30-35% of blend)
- forms the backbone of the red blends in the Côtes.
- flavor and structure similar to Cabernet Sauvignon but to lesser degree
- has a leafy, tea-like nature that Cab Sauv does not
What place does Cabernet Sauvignon have in Bordeaux?
- 20% of area under vine
- forms the backbone of the Left Bank blends
- inherent structure crafts wines that can age for decades
What place does Merlot have in Bordeaux?
- 59% of area under vine
- most widely planted variety in Bordeaux
- add “flesh” to Cabernet Sauvignon’s skeletal structure and fruit to Cabernet Franc’s herbal/leafy flavor profile
with global warming, its future is unclear
What place does Muscadelle have in Bordeaux?
- an intensely aromatic variety
- general used in small amounts (5% or less) to boost the aromatics of sweet wines
What place does Sauvignon Blanc have in Bordeaux?
- typically dominates Bordeaux’s dry white blends
- inceasingly becoming the only grape in those bottlings
What place does Sémillon have in Bordeaux?
- typically used as primary grape for sweet wine
- quite susceptible to botrytis
- has natural affininty for oak
- used to be most planted white grape in Bordeaux, but Sauvignon Blanc has caught up
What are the 3 primary white grapes of Bordeaux?
Sémillon
Sauvignon Blanc
Muscadelle
What three Entre-Deux-Mers sites can bottle dry red wines under their own AOC name?
- Graves de Vayres AOC
- Sainte-Foy Côtes de Bordeaux DGC
- Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux DGC
What four Entre-deux-Mers AOCs produce sweet wines of at least 4.5% RS?
- Cadillac AOC (sweet only)
- Loupiac AOC (sweet only)
- Saint-Croix-du-Mont (sweet only)
- Côte de Bordeaux Saint-Macaire AOC (dry and semi-sweet wines also)
What 5 Entre-Deux-Mers AOCs produce Moelleux or semi-sweet wines (1.2 - 4.5% RS)?
- Graves de Vayres AOC (red & dry white also)
- Sainte-Foy-Côtes de Bordeaux AOC (Reds & dry white also)
- Bordeaux Haut-Benauge AOC (dry white also)
- Côtes de Bordeaux Saint-Macaire AOC (Dry and sweet white also)
- Premières Côtes de Bordeaux AOC (Red also)
What is the only AOC that is white-only in Entre-Deux-Mers?
Entre-deux-Mers AOC
Also Entre-deux-Mers Haut-Benauge DGC
What are the general details of the Bordeaux region of Entre-Deux-Mers?
- between the Dordogne & Garonne Rivers
- soils are quite complex
- alluvial deposits flank the rivers
- some slopes are pure gravel
- plateaus and hillsides are composite of clay and sand as well as clay and limestone
- majority of vineyards are dedicated to Sauvignon Blanc
- most AOCs make dry and sweet wine
T or F? The Médoc region only produces red wine?
True
What is the Saint-Émilion classification?
- It is the only Right Bank classification system
- Established in 1955 revised every 10 years
- Classification of 2012, 82 properties ranked
- 4 Premières Grands Cru’s classés A level
- 14 Premières Grands Cru’s classés B level
- 64 Grand Cru’s classé
Saint-Émilion Grand Cru = AOC; Saint-Émilion Grand Crus Classé - classif
What is the Graves classification system?
- Classifications in 1953, revised in 1959
- Ranked the wines of 16 estates:
- 6 for red + white
- 3 for white only
- 7 for red only
- All wines fall within the Pessac-Leognan AOC and are entitled to the status: “Grand Cru Classé de Graves”
Only system in Bordeaux that ranks the wines, not the estates.
What are Cru Artisans?
- small (2.5-12.5 ac) estates
- entirely responsible for their own red wine production process
- 36 in the 2018 classification
- recognized “boutique” wineries of quality
What is a Petit Chateau?
Any unranked or unclassified property.
All Cru Bourgeois are Petit Chateau
What was the Classification of 1855 in Médoc?
Napoleon III had the Châteaux ranked in 1855
87 were ranked:
- 60 Châteaux from Medoc
- 1 Château from Pessac-Leognan
- reds were ranked from 1st growth to 5th growth
- 26 Châteaux from Sauternes + Barsac
- whites were ranked from Supérieur growth to 2nd growth
Now 27 wines from Sauternes + Barsac
Why is Bordeaux well known?
- Greatest percentage of large wine estates of any region in France
- Produces most of France’s luxury bottlings
- Farms 25% of all AOC wine in France
What are the 2 world heritage sites in Bordeaux?
The City of Bordeaux (2007)
Saint-Émilion (1999)
How large is the Bordeaux wine region?
- 63 miles N to S
- 78 miles E to W
- 274K acres of vineyards
- Nearly 4x the size of vineyard landscape of Bourgogne
What is the climate like in Bordeaux?
- Maritime climate due to Atlantic influences
- Receives 37” of rain per year
- Irrigation is not necessary or legal
- Gulf Stream warms and regulates temperatures
What grape suffered the most during the freeze of 1956?
Malbec
It was replaced by more cold-hardy Merlot
What are the origins of Bordeaux soils?
- Last Ice Age left extensive river deposits and maritime sediments
- Bordeaux soils are sedimentary
- Gravel terraces interspersed with sand, silt, and clay
- Also fresh-water and salt-water limestone
What are the two types of Bordeaux soils and how do they affect characteristics of wines?
Warm Soils (Left Bank)
- Gravel: firm tannins & structured wines
- Sand: more opulent, soft, & fruit forward wine
Cold Soils (Right Bank)
- Clay: produces wine with noticeable texture
- Limestone: wines with pronounced acidity and lean, polished tannins
T or F? The Bordeaux Blend is mandated by law?
False
How many miles inland does the Gironde tidal extend?
75 Miles
What did the 1855 classification system rank?
The price points at which the top wines in Bordeaux were selling
T or F? Bordeaux produces more AOC wines than anywhere else in France.
True
What are the four Saint-Émilion satellites?
- Lussac Saint-Émilion AOC
- Montagne-Saint-Émilion AOC
- Puisseguin Saint-Émilion AOC
- Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion AOC
Same flavors and aromas as Saint Emilion but more delicate structure.
What are the seasons like in Bordeaux?
Spring: wet + often accompanied by frost
Summer: warm + sunny. Moderate cloud cover causing grapes to sometimes struggle to ripen
Fall: variable, sometimes rain risking the harvest
Winter: moderate, there can be freezes like 1956
Does “Saint-Émilion Grand Cru” represent a classified estate?
No, this is an AOC
“Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé “ represents a classification
What is different about the Pomerol soil?
It is very iron rich on marl bedrock
What are the 5 DGCs that can contribute grapes to the Côtes de Bordeaux AOC dry red?
- Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux DGC
- Francs Côtes de Bordeaux DGC
- Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux DGC
- Sainte-Foy Côtes de Bordeaux DGC
- Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux DGC
What are the characteristics of the Côtes?
- The slope to the river/estuary
- Mainly located on right banks
- Most are southwest facing
- Have clay/limestone soils
- Mostly planted to Merlot & Cabernet Franc
What is the Ciron?
- A river with cool water because it travels through shade of Les Landes.
- It reaches the warm waters of the Garonne and creates mist that promotes Botrytis cenerea.
What is the difference between Claret and Clairet?
Claret: English nickname for Bordeaux reds
Clairet: a semi-red, darker than rosé, but lighter than red wine
What are the red grapes on the left bank and right bank in Bordeaux?
Left Bank:
- Gravel: Cabernet Sauvignon & Petit Verdot
- Sand: Cabernet Sauvignon & Petit Verdot
Right Bank:
- Limestone: Cabernet Franc & Malbec
- Clay: Merlot
Describe the Right Bank AOC of Bourg/Côtes de Bourg/Bourgeais.
- reds and dry white
- Merlot dominant (red)
- Sauvignon Blanc dominant (white)
Describe the Côtes de Bordeaux Saint-Macaire AOC.
- dry white, semi-sweet and sweet wine
- located along the right bank of the Garonne
- consists of a series of clay and limestone hills
Describe the right bank Blaye AOC and Côtes de Blaye AOC.
- Blaye AOC, red wine only
- Minimum 50% Merlot and both Cabernets
- Côtes de Blaye AOC, dry whites only based on Colombard and Ugni Blanc
What are the secondary red grapes in Bordeaux?
Malbec
Petit Verdot
Carmenère
Describe the Premières Côtes de Bordeaux AOC.
- semi-sweet to sweet white
- Sémillon dominant
- Minimum 3.4% RS
What soils are better for Cabernet Franc?
Cold Soils: limestone
Describe the Francs Côtes de Bordeaux DGC.
- red wine dominates production
- reds based on Merlot and Cabernet Franc
- a lot of limestone, so Cabernet Franc is significant comoponent
- dry and sweet whites based on Sémillon
What soils are best for Merlot?
Cold soils - clay
Describe the Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux DGC.
- red only
- abundance of clay
- Merlot often comprises 70-80% of the blend
Describe the Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux DGC
- right bank of the Garonne
- Red only
- Merlot dominant but w/ significant Cabernet Sauvignon
- soils: clay and limestone interspersed with pockets of gravel
What soil types are best for Cabernet Sauvignon?
Warm soils: gravel + sand