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Bordeaux Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the largest producing AOP region in France?

A

Bordeaux, 5 times the size of Napa Valley

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2
Q

What did the Dutch do to what is now left bank Bordeaux? When?

A

They drained the marshland and grew the port city of Bordeaux in the mid 1600s

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3
Q

T/F - A famous Bordeaux Château can purchase the land next door to
its property, and still legally label the wines from that
property under the Château’s name.

A

True

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4
Q

Major Bordeaux grape varieties (5)

A

Merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc
semillon, sauvignon blanc

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5
Q

Minor Bordeaux grape varieties (8+)

A

Petit Verdot, Malbec, Carmenere
Sauvignon Gris, Muscadelle, Ugni Blanc, Merlot Blanc, Colombard;

Newly approved varieties are Arinarnoa, Castets, Marselan, and Touriga Nacional (red); and Alvarinho and Liliorila (white)

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6
Q

Bordeaux wine styles

A

Nearly all styles of wine

Dry red, dry white, off-dry white, sweet white, moelleux (sweet wines which contain less natural residual sugar), liquoreux (rich and sweet wine), rosé, clairet (full-bodied and deep-coloured type of rosé), sparkling white, sparkling rosé (Cremant de Bordeaux)

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7
Q

Describe what Bordeaux Merlot adds to the wine

A

Most planted in Bordeaux because it ripens first

Softer than cabernet sauvignon, friendlier on the palate
Med acid and tannin, friendly plum flavors

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8
Q

Describe what Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon adds to the wine

A

Muscle, strength, black fruit

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9
Q

Describe what Bordeaux Cabernet Franc adds to the wine

A

Elegance, violets and herbal and vegetal, graphite
Limestone and sand grown

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10
Q

Describe what Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc adds to the wine

A

Main dry white wine

High acid and herbal

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11
Q

Describe what Bordeaux Semillon adds to the wine

A

Rounder and more exotic

Good mold, botrytis, noble rot, sweet wines

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12
Q

Describe what Bordeaux Muscadelle adds to the wine

A

Aromatic

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13
Q

Bordeaux Rosé and Rosé Cremant de Bordeaux are mainly what two grapes?

A

Merlot with Cabernet Franc

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14
Q

White Crémant de Bordeaux are mainly what two grapes?

A

Semillon and sauvignon blanc

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15
Q

Bordeaux clairet (full-bodied and deep-coloured type of rosé) are mainly what three grapes?

A

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc

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16
Q

Where is Bordeaux located geographically?

A

West coast of France

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17
Q

Major Bordeaux rivers and bodies of water

A

Gironde Estuary splits into:

Dordogne River, to the north, passes St. Emilion and Pomerol

Garonne River, to the south, passes Pessac-Leognan, Graves, and Sauternes

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18
Q

Medoc Peninsula and the Landes of Gascony

A

Man made peninsula and forest (to mitigate climate variations)

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19
Q

Bordeaux climate

A

Maritime

Receives the most annual rainfall in France and can receive frost

Short winters, damp springs, warm humid summers (causes rot)

No drastic temperature changes

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20
Q

General Bordeaux soil types (left bank and right bank)

A

Gravel with clay on the left bank
Sand, gravel, clay in Graves

Clay and iron on the right bank

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21
Q

Why there is such a strong trade arrangement between Bordeaux and England today?

A

1152-1453 Bordeaux was under English rule, this is why clairet became popular

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22
Q

T/F - As the merchant class was rising and trade between England and Bordeaux increased, demand for wine decreased.

A

False - Demand for wine increased

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23
Q

Negociant

A

Merchants who buy grapes and/or finished wine for blending and bottling under their own label

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24
Q

Courtiers

A

Provided financial support to Chateau and other estates and became the authority
over the wine trade

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25
Chateau concept
Estate under single ownership Size of estate varies and can change Individual winery, like a brand
26
1855 Classification
Napoleon III, emperor of France, threw a world fair Ranking of Bordeaux’s top chateaux (growths), brought acclaim to single estates 61 properties or chateaux It is the name in Bordeaux that is important, not the vineyard An estate can purchase new vineyards, not attached to the original property and still bottle it under their name
27
Bordeaux First Growths (4 original + 1 elevated)
Château Lafite Rothschild - Pauillac Château Latour - Pauillac Château Margaux - Margaux Château Haut-Brion - Pessac, Graves (since 1986, Pessac-Léognan) Château Mouton-Rothschild (elevated to first-growth in 1973) - Pauillac
28
General Bordeaux winemaking preferences
Mainy blends due to instability of weather, different varieties ripen at different times All reds will be a blend aged in either stainless steel, neutral oak, or new French oak for 2 years White wines can be a single varietal or a blend, dry or off-dry aged in stainless steel or French oak Small family farms to large wealthy estates
29
New French oak barrels (size and add what to wine)
225 liters, reds and whites aged for about 2 years, adds flavor and aroma
30
Left Bank Bordeaux AOPs (3 major)
Medoc Haut-Medoc Graves
31
Typical Left Bank red blend % (2 grapes)
70% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot
32
Typical Left Bank white blends % (2 grapes, 2 styles)
Dry white wines 80% sauvignon blanc, 20% semillon Sweet white wines 80% semillon, 20% sauvignon blanc
33
Medoc & Haut-Medoc soil
thick gravel on heavy clay
34
Medoc & Haut-Medoc location
North of the city of Bordeaux along the Gironde Estuary
35
Medoc & Haut-Medoc main grape and vinification
Cabernet sauvignon based blends Red wine only
36
Medoc & Haut-Medoc sub AOPs (4)
Saint-Estèphe AOP Pauillac AOP Saint-Julien AOP Margaux AOP (from north to south)
37
Graves soil
gravel, sand, clay
38
Graves location
south of Medoc and the city of Bordeaux
39
Graves vinification
dry red, dry white, sweet white
40
Graves grapes (3 red, 2 white)
Red: Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc White: Sauvignon blanc, Semillon
41
Graves sub AOPs (2)
Pessac-Leognan AOP Sauternes AOP
42
Pessac-Leognan location and vinification
Northernmost part of Graves Dry red and dry white wines aged in new French oak
43
Sauternes location and climate
Southern Graves Humid
44
Sauternes grapes (3)
Semillon (attracts botrytis), sauvignon blanc, muscadelle
45
Sauternes vinification
Sweet white wine, does well in humidity Botrytis-affected sweet white wines Water evaporates, concentrating flavor Often aged in new French oak barriques
46
Right Bank Bordeaux AOPs (2 major)
Saint-Emilion Pomerol
47
Right Bank Bordeaux grape varieties and vinification (2 main grapes)
Merlot and cabernet franc Red wines only Rich merlot based blends
48
Saint-Emilion soil
silt, clay, gravel limestone plateau sand all location dependant
49
Saint-Emilion location
Along the Dordogne River (north) near the town of Libourne
50
Saint-Emilion grapes (2)
Merlot and cabernet franc
51
Saint-Emilion sub AOPs (2)
St-Emilion AOP St-Emilion Grand Cru AOP (appellation not a place)
52
Right Bank Classification System (3 classification tiers)
Premier Grand Cru Classe A (4 named chateau wines) Premier Grand Cru Classe B (14 named chateau wines) Grand Cru Classe (64 named chateau, most wines from region)
53
Premier Grand Cru Classe A (4 named chateaus)
Chateau: Ausone, Angelus, Pavie, Cheval-Blanc
54
Premier Grand Cru Classe B (name 2)
Chateau Canon, Chateau Figeac, Chateau Fortet
55
Pomerol soil
Sand, clay, gravel Sub-soil of iron pan and clay
56
Pomerol location
Along the Dordogne River (north), very small appellation only 3 square miles
57
Pomerol grapes
Merlot and cabernet franc based blends Almost exclusively merlot Exotic and complex flavors
58
Pomerol vinification and classification system
Red wines only No classification system
59
Pomerol typical blend % (2 grapes)
70% merlot, 30% cabernet franc
60
Entre-Deux-Mers location
Between the two rivers
61
Entre-Deux-Mers vinification (and oak usage?)
Dry, off-dry, and sweet white wines Stainless steel, little to no oak
62
Entre-Deux-Mers grapes (3)
Sauvignon blanc, semillon, muscadelle
63
Fronsac and Canon Fronsac location
right bank Bordeaux, west of Pomerol
64
Fronsac and Canon Fronsac vinification
dry red wines
65
Fronsac and Canon Fronsac grapes (2)
Merlot and cabernet franc
66
Fronsac and Canon Fronsac soil
rocky clay and chalky limestone
67
Cotes de Bordeaux location
farthest east on the right bank
68
Cotes de Bordeaux vinification
dry red
69
Cotes de Bordeaux grapes (5)
Main 5 bordeaux reds with Carmenere instead of Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carménère, Malbec, Petit Verdot
70
Cotes de Bordeaux soil
clay and limestone on bedrock
71
Blaye and Côtes de Blaye location
northernmost on right bank Bordeaux, across from Medoc
72
Blaye vinification
dry red
73
Blaye grapes (5)
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot
74
Blaye and Côtes de Blaye soil
clay and limestone
75
Côtes de Blaye vinification
dry white
76
Côtes de Blaye grapes (5)
Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon
77
Bourg and Cotes du Bourg location
right bank Bordeaux, right across from Margeaux
78
Bourg and Cotes du Bourg vinification
dry red and dry white
79
Bourg and Cotes du Bourg grapes (4 red, 3 white)
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot Colombard, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon
80
Cadillac, Loupiac, and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont location
Entre-Deux-Mers west along the river Garonne
81
Cadillac, Loupiac, and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont vinification
sweet white wine
82
Cadillac, Loupiac, and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont grapes (3)
Muscadelle, sauvignon blanc, semillon

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