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Bordeaux Flashcards

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1
Q

Bordeaux History

A
  • Eleanor of Aquitaine marries Henry Plantagenet, future king of England, in 1152
  • 15th century: The region of Aquitaine becomes French again
  • 17th century: Wine trade grows with Holland and Germany
  • 18th century: Trade expansion with New World countries
  • 19th century: Regional growth and development
  • 1948: Conseil Interprofessional du Vin de Bordeaux (CIVB)
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2
Q

Bordeaux = ___% of all French AOC wine

A

25%

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3
Q

Bordeaux % of world’s vineyards, # of AOCs, # main groupings of wine types?

A
  • 1.5% of the world’s vineyard
  • 65 different AOCs
  • Diverse styles of wine
  • 6 main groupings of wine types
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4
Q

Bordeaux climate

A
  • Maritime, temperate climate
  • Pine forests protect from harsh Atlantic winds
  • Warm sunny summers
  • Gentle autumns and mild winters

BUT
- Humidity, late spring frosts, summer hail and autumn rains present challenges = vintage variations

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5
Q

Bordeaux Soils

A
  • Grave Soils - Left bank of the Garonne and Gironde rivers; Warmed by the sun
  • Limestone soils - right bank, warm
  • Clay soils - Right bank, cool and humid
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6
Q

Grape Varieties (red)

A

Red Grapes - 88%

  1. Merlot (66%)
  2. Cabernet Sauvignon (22.5%)
  3. Others (2%)
    - Malbec
    - Petit Verdot
    - Carmenere
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7
Q

Grape Varieties (white)

A

White Grapes - 12%

  1. Sauvignon Blanc (45%)
  2. Semillon (47%)
  3. Muscadelle (6%)
  4. Others (2%)
    - Sauvignon Gris
    - Colombard
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8
Q

How the grape varieties/wine differ

A

Cabernet Sauvignon dominated wines: black fruits, green pepper

Merlot dominated wines: red fruits and violets

Clairet or Rose wines: light red fruit

Dry white Bordeaux wines: lemon, grapefruit, herbaceous

Sweet white Bordeaux wines: apricot, peaches, honey

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9
Q

Production within main groupings

A

Bordeaux AOC Red and Rose and Bordeaux Superieur - 47%

Cotes - 13%

Medoc and Graves - 18%

Dry White - 9%

Sweet White - 3%

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10
Q

Bordeaux wine trade - wine estates

A

6300 AOC winegrowers average surface area of AOC wine estates: 16 ha

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11
Q

Bordeaux wine trade - wine cooperatives

A

33 wine cooperatives

3 cooperative unions

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12
Q

Bordeaux wine trade - Wine brokers/Courtiers

A

82 wine brokers oversaw 76% of transactions for bulk wine sales

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13
Q

Bordeaux wine trade - Negociants

A

300 negociant merchants sell 70% of all wine produced in the Bordeaux region

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14
Q

En Primeur

A
  • Top Bordeaux wines are sold on a Futures basis

- A portion of the wine is pre-sold almost two years before it is even bottled or delivered to the market

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15
Q

Bordeaux wine levels

A

Regional - Bordeaux AOC
Sub-regional - Haut-Medoc AOC
Commune - Margaux AOC
Chateau - Chauteau Margaux

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16
Q

Dry white AOCs (4)

A
  1. Bordeaux Blanc - classic and dry
  2. Entre-Deux-Mers - classic and dry
  3. Graves - aging potential
  4. Pessac-Leognan - aging potential
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17
Q

Sauvignon in cool climates

A 
Grassy
Herbaceous
Vegetal - bell pepper
Green olive
Grapefruit
Gooseberry
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18
Q

Bordeaux and Bordeaux superieur

A
  • Everday style of red and rose wines
  • Largest AOC
  • Can be sourced from anywhere across the Bordeaux vineyard
  • Bordeaux Superieur - lower yields and 9 months more age
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19
Q

Red Bordeaux left and right bank

A

Left Bank

  • Medoc
  • Graves
  • Pessac - Leognan

Right bank

  • Saint-Emilion
  • Pomerol
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20
Q

The Right bank - ___ dominance

A

Merlot

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21
Q

Pomerol vineyard

Study These Flashcards
A

Plantings

  • 80% Merlot
  • 15% Cabernet Franc
  • 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
22
Q

Saint Emilion

Study These Flashcards
A

Plantings

  • 60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, small amount of Malbec
  • UNESCO heritage site since 1999
23
Q

SAINT - ÉMILION LABELS CAN BE CONFUSING

Study These Flashcards
A
  • AOC Saint-Émilion 

AOC Saint-Émilion Grand Cru:

  • A maximum yield of 40 hl/ha.
  • Wines require a second formal tasting after 12 months 

Both AOCs cover the same production zone – difference is in the rigor of the viticultural and winemaking regulations

24
Q

THE CLASSIFICATION OF SAINT -ÉMILION

Study These Flashcards
A

Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé or Grand Cru Classé

Established in 1954; updated in 1969, 1979, and in 1996, 2006 and again in 2012 the following was established:

18 Premiers Grands Crus Classés. Of which, four estates merited an “A
1. Château Cheval Blanc  2.Château Ausone,  3.Château Angelus,  4.Château Pavie

64 Grands Crus Classés.

25
How many grand crus class is there?
64
26
How many Premiers Grands Crus Classes are there?
18
27
Merlot: Varietal Characteristics
Dark fruits, plum, tobacco, fruitcake, violets, bell pepper, spicy
28
CHÂTEAU PUY-BLANQUET | soil, GV percentage, aged
- Family owned estate along eastern edge of Saint Emilion - Clay - limestone soils - 96% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc - Aged 12-14 months before release (mainly vat but about 20% oak - with just 10% new)
29
Medoc classification
1855 classification of the Medoc (60 Chateaux) - divided into First, Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Growths 1855 Classification of Sauternes (27 Chateaux) - First and Second Growths + one 'Superior First Growth' - Chateau d'Yquem
30
Which medoc classifications get periodic updates?
1932 The Cru Bourgeois of the Medoc region. Over 200 properties which account for 40% of production 2006 "Cru Artisan" 44 properties in the Medoc and Haut-Medoc
31
Cabernet Sauvignon: Varietal Characteristics
- Red and blackcurrants (cassis) - Dark fruits - Tea - Herbaceous (green olives) - Bell pepper - Spicy
32
Chateau le monteil darsac | GV %, aging
- 52% Merlot, 48% Cabernet Sauvignon | - 25% aged in oak barrels for 12 months with 33% being new oak
33
The 1st Growths
- Chateau Haut - Brion (Graves) - Chateau Margaux (Margaux) - Chateau Lafite Rothschild (Pauillac) - Chateau Mouton Rothschild (Pauillac) - Chateau Latour (Pauillac) Pricing can reach $1000 and more per bottle. Highly south after wines for investment - Chateau is the key
34
What is unique about Chauteau Haut-Brion ?
The only Medoc 1855 Classification wine NOT in the Medoc
35
What are the 6 Haut-Medoc Communes?
1. Margaux 2. Moulis 3. Listrac 4. Saint-Julien 5. Pauillac 6. Saint-Estephe
36
St- Estephe
- No first growths but many classified top chateaux Chateau Montrose & Chateau Cos d'Estrounel (2nd) Chateau Calon Segur (3rd) Chateau Lafon-Rochet (4th)
37
Paullac AOC - 3 first growths
1. Chateau Lafite Rothschild 2. Chateau Latour 3. Chateau Mouton Rothschild
38
St-Julien's growths?
No first growths but classified Chateaux from 2nd to 4th
39
Chateau De Camenso Haut Medoc AOC 2012
1855 Classification Estate wine $35 GV: Bordeaux; 50% Merlot / 50% Cabernet Sauvignon Sight: ruby red, prple Smell: Vanilla, Cherry
40
Chateau Brane-Cantenac, Margaux
Classified Estate wine Grew and made by Henri Lurton Location: Margaux Sight: young, dark, vibrant Smell: blackberry Taste: pepper double sorted grapes
41
Sauternes + Barsac
Twin appellations established in 1936
42
Saternes | ha, maximum yield, sugar per litre, minimum alcohol
- 1,550 ha - 25 hl/ha maximum yield - Grapes affected by noble rot - At least 221 g of natural sugar per litre - Minimum alcohol 13% - 33,000 hl per year
43
Barsac
- 600 ha - 25 hl/ha maximum yield - Grapes affected by "noble rot" - At least 221 g of natural sugar per litre - Minimum alcohol 13% - 15,000 hl per year - Wine-growers in Barsac can choose between the AOC barsac and the AOC Sauternes
44
Sauternes - Barsac Micro-climate
- Combination of misty mornings and warm windy afternoons - Humidity comes from the nearby Landes pine forest to the south and the Ciron rivers to the norht - Dry easterly winds
45
Noble Rot
There are multiple individual grape pics
46
The development of Botrytis
- As the grape is infected it turns brown - Sugar concentrate - Slow, very irregular process - Takes from weeks to several months
47
Chateau Doisy-Daene Barsac AOC 2012
GV: Semillon Varietal Characteristics - Candied peach, floral, mushrooms Technical information: 82% Semillon/ 17% Sauvignon blanc/ 1% Muscadelle - 3 to 6 successfive pickings - Aged for 10 months in French oak
48
Chateau Bonnet Entre Deux Mers AOC 2015
``` Sight: pale gold Smell: grapefruit, herbaceous Taste: great boyd Grape Variety: Sauvignon Blanc Region: Entre Deux Mers ``` Price: $14
49
Chateau Puy-Blanquet Saint-Emilion Grand Cru AOC 2014
GV: Merlot Taste: softer tanins Smell: Black raspberry, black fruit Sight: dark red
50
Left bank variety Right bank variety Hint: Do two c's with hand
Left bank - Cabernet Sauvignon | Right bank - Merlot

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