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BORDEAUX Flashcards

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1
Q

What 3 bodies of water moderate the temperature of Bordeaux?

A
  1. The Atlantic ocean
  2. Garonne and Dordogne rivers meet to form Gironde Estuary which flows into the Atlantic
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2
Q

Which people drained Bordeaux?

A
  1. The dutch: 1600’s
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3
Q

When century A.D did wine production begin in Bordeaux?

A
  1. 4th century AD
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4
Q

What is the forest called that shield boredeaux from the Atlantic (coastal forest)

A
  1. Les Landes: 2.5 million acres
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5
Q
A
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6
Q

Left bank: Medoc and Graves are known for what soil type?

A
  1. Gravel
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7
Q

Right bank: Soil type for Saint Emillion?

A
  1. Gravel
  2. Limestone
  3. Sand
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8
Q
  1. Right bank: Soil type for Pomerol
  2. Which region in Burgundy does this match?
A
  1. Clay/Sand + iron pan under
  2. Matches pommard

Iron pan soil is a hard layer of soil that is cemented together by iron oxides and is typically made up of sand or sand and gravel

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9
Q

What white grape varities are found in Bordeaux (3)

A
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10
Q

What red grape varities around found in bordeaux (6)

A
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11
Q

Left bank: Medoc communes have what traditional blend of the 5 grapes? (4)

A

70% Cabernet Sauvignon
– 30% Merlot
– Plus Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot
– These wines are usually aged in new French oak barrels

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12
Q

Right Bank: Saint Emilion and Pomerol have what blend of grapes?

A

70% Merlot
– 30% Cabernet Franc
– These wines also spend some time in French oak barrels

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13
Q

What two styles of white wine are produced in Bordeaux?

A
  1. Sweet white (semillion forward)
  2. Dry white (Sauv Blanc forward)

The two, each use the other in the blend to round out the flavor profile and sweetness.

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14
Q

Dry White wines in bordeaux hail from what regions? (2)

A
  1. Graves (Pessac-Leognan)
  2. Entre-Deux-Mers
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15
Q

What is the grape composition of Dry white wine in Bordeaux? (2)

A

– 80% Sauvignon Blanc
– 20% Sémillon

The majority of inexpensive white wines from Bordeaux are
made without oak. Prestigious wines in the upper price tiers, however,
tend to be aged in new French oak barriques.

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16
Q

What is the grape composition for sweet white wine in Bordeaux? (3)

A

– 80% Sémillon
– 20% Sauvignon Blanc
– Muscadelle (small percentage)

Many sweet wines of Bordeaux are aged in new French oak barrels

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17
Q

What are the three regional appellations (hierarchy)

A
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18
Q

What is the signifigance of Medoc vs Haut medoc vs the 4 major communes?

Big picture down to commune

A
  1. Medoc is the whole area
  2. Haut-Medoc is the smaller, western part
  3. Haut-Medoc contains the 4 famous communes (AKA appellations) that most think of (St.Estephe, Pauillac, St. Jullian, Margaux)

There are other communes that are popular in this area: Listrac-Médoc
Moulis-en-Médoc and others im sure

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19
Q
  1. is Medoc or its subset, Haut Medoc more prestigous?
A
  1. Haut-Medoc: home to the 4 most prestigous communes (appellations) in the world

Reminder: commune and appellation are the same thing, right bank does not use this term.

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20
Q

What is the soil difference between Medoc and Haut Medoc?

A
  1. Medoc: closer to the atlantic has more clay, sand often less desired because clay/sand hold onto water
  2. Haut Medoc: Gravel-based soil drains and helps harvest time.

Atlanti(c): clay. When close to the atlanti(C): you get clay. Closer to Graves: you get Gravel (Graves means gravel)

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21
Q

Why is better draining soil in Bordeaux’s Left bank so important?

Study These Flashcards
A
  1. Harvest conditions are rainy, waterlogging the pinot noir grape just before harvest (ruined)
  2. Better draining soil (gravel) is key to avoiding this

Reminder: Merlot (right bank) tends to ripen early and thus drainage is not needed.

22
Q

Communes (Appellations of Left bank bordeaux)

24
Q

Bordeaux has how many total chateaux that are classified under the 1855 classification (Napolean 3)

Study These Flashcards
A
  1. 61 total chateaux

5, First Growths
14 Second Growths
14, Third Growths
10 Fourth Growth
18 Fifth Growth Bordeaux wines.

25
What are the 5 first growth Chateaux (L.R-L-M.R-M-H.B)
First Growth Châteaux of the 1855 Classification * Château Lafite-Rothschild * Château Latour * Château Mouton-Rothschild (elevated to first growth status in 1973) * Château Margaux * Château Haut-Brion (Graves)
26
General Commune style: Margaux
1. Elegant, Floral, soft, cassis and Rose 2. soil: Gravel, clay, limestone 3. Texture: Velvety | Margaux-ing to be easy on the palate. (feminine) and think Chambolle-musigny ## Footnote Famous for Château Margaux, a First Growth Soil: Gravelly and well-drained.
27
General Commune style: St. Julien
1. Balanced: finesse of margaux with power of Pauillac 2. Balanced, silky, cassis & blackberry 3. Texture: Silky, smooth and medium bodied 4. Soil: gravel, clay and sand (no limestone like margaux) ## Footnote Home to a high concentration of Classified Growths (11 Châteaux). soil: Gravelly.
28
General Commune style: Pauillac
1. Bold, powerful, structured wines 2. Cassis, graphite, tabacco and cedar notes 3. Texture: full-bodied, tannic 4. Soil: matches St-Julien (gravel, clay and sand) | powerful pauillac ## Footnote Houses three First Growths: Château Latour, Château Lafite Rothschild, and Château Mouton Rothschild. Soil: Deep gravel with excellent drainage.
29
General Commune style: Saint-Estephe
1.Robust and tannic like pauillac but a bit softer. 2.Robust, earthy, tannic, cassis and leather ## Footnote Clay soils are common in Saint-Estephe
30
Power Rankings for left bank bordeaux
Margaux < Saint-Julien < Saint Estephe < Pauillac ## Footnote margaux: roses Saint-Julien: cassis Paulliac: cassis + tabacco + cedar Saint-Estephe: cassis + earthy + leather
31
32
What are the two sub-regions within Graves?
1. Pessac-Leognan 2. Sauterns
33
34
35
Pessac-Leognan AOP: Wine style
1. Vibrant acidity, Fresh (lemon, lime, grapefruit + pineapple and guava sometimes) 2. Citrus fruit + Tropical 3. Herbacous (grass, tomato leaf, green pepper (sauv blanc) 4. Minerality (wet stone, chalk) 5. Some oaking (vanilla, toast, smoke) ## Footnote Blend: Sauv blanc (for aromatics and acid), Semillion(for body, texture and aging) and sometimes muscadelle 2. Lemon, lime and grapefruit also pop up when thinking about Montagny and Bouzeron, Rully too has this fruity thing going on 3. Pineapple found in Chassagna-Montrachet 4. Pes(S:souithern fruit (tropical)a(C: citrus fruit), minerality is the theme of the region.
36
What creates the rich flavor for semillion when making sauterns wine?
1. Botrytis Cinerea
37
Sauterns AOP Wine style:
1. Rich and lush 2. Stone fruit (apricot, peach and nectarine) 3. Citrus and honey + Tropical fruits 4. Vanilla and Caramel (oak aging)
38
39
Where is Entre-Deux-Mers?
1.Between two sea's: the two rivers that make up the Gironde Estuary
40
Major difference between Pessac-Leognan whites and Entre-Deux mers (same grapes used)
1. Entre: crisp and clean style with larger portion of Sauv Blanc 2. Entre: leans more towards green tree fruit and citrus (crisp) while holding on to the herbacous feel of Leognan ## Footnote Sauvignon Blanc – Sémillon – Muscadelle
41
Which is lighter in style: Pessac-Leognan white or Entre-Deux-Mers
1. Entre-Deux-mers: less semillion and muscadelle used. 2. There is also no oaking in Entre, stainless is traditionally used.
42
What is the soil type for Entre-Deux-Mers?
1. Very fertile silt ## Footnote Silt is granular material of a size between sand and clay and composed mostly of broken grains of quartz. Entre-Deux-Mer(S: silt)
43
## Footnote St-Emilion: 13.300 acres of vineyard (7x larger) Pomerol: 1,997 acres of vineyard
44
What classification system does the right bank use?
1. Pomerol: doesnt have one 2. Saint-Emilion: classe system (1955)
45
Saint-Emilion soil type
1. Silt, clay and gravel on top 2. Limestone plateau 3. sand ## Footnote Reminds me of what is going on in Entre-Deux-mers but mixed with margaux, saint-julien and Pauillac
46
Pomerol soil type
1. Clay and iron deposits 2. gravel ## Footnote remember: very similar to the soil type of pommard.
47
Where does merlot ripen faster: Pomerol or Saint-Emilion?
1. Pomerol is cooler: grapes ripen slower 2. Saint-Emilion: faster ripening due to warmer weather and also drier ## Footnote I.E: pomerol will develop more flavor over time due to slower ripening timeline
48
Compare and contrast Saint-Emilion and Pomerol wine style
1. Saint-Emilion: fuller bodied, more texture and bigger tannin (more cabernet Franc in the blend) 2. Pomerol: softer, velvety texture and ripe fruit. Better well rounded and fruit forward.
49
Saint-Emilion AOP wine style:
1. Firm tannin, big structure 2. Darker fruits and earthy (blackberry and plum) 3. Spicy (pepper, clove and bay leaf) 4. Big, long finish, minerality shows its head 5. Better aging (tannins) | Complex, structured, earthy and spicy ## Footnote fruits are the same, how they are presented is different than pomerol 1. (S:spicy, pepper clove bay leaf)aint-(E: earthy)(M:minerality)ilion
50
Pomerol: AOP wine style:
1. Soft tannin, velvety and round 2.Dark fruits (blackberry, plum) but ripe and plush (JUICY) 3.Milder spice (cinnamon) earthy (truffle and mushroom feel) 4.Lower acidity than Saint-Emilion, smooth and lush 5.Better to drink young | Elegant, fruit-forward, earthy and velvety

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