Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM


Top Flashcards (Certified)
All Flashcards

Unit 3 > Bordeaux > Flashcards

Bordeaux Flashcards

(58 cards)

Start Studying
1
Q

Pauillac general

A

Grandest AC in Bordeaux—3 1st growths
LB aoc
Gravel
3 first growth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Pauillac top producers

A
  • Lafite, Latour, Mouton
    • Pichon-Longville, Pichon Lalande 2nd growth
    • Lynch-Bage, Potent-Canet (Biodynamic producer)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Pauillac Winemaking

A
  • No penny spared
    * Cutting edge wineries
    * New barrels
    * Oenologistts
    * Vineyard consultants
    • Needs lots of time to mature
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Pauillac Geography, climate and soil

A
  • Gravel mound, closest thing to a hill on Haut Medoc
    • Proximity to water makes late ripening and complex Cabernet
    • Top estates have huge holdings
      • 100 ha for Lafite—>lots of wine
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Cru Bourgeois

A
  • Not an AC classification
  • Red wine category for Medoc estates not classified
  • Opportunity for unclassified to gain some sort of distinction from generic AC label
  • Number varies every year, checkered past
    • Started in 1932, high stakes
    • Revised in 1978
    • then again in 2003, but so corrupt it was annulled
    • Because of that it s now assessed annually and awarded based on a blind tasting panel
  • Seen as Bordeaux’s best value
    • Many use oak, some new
    • Wines can age
    • CS dominant
    • Viticulture and winemaking often similar to cru classe wines
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

St Emilion general

A
  • Red wine AC producing more wine than any other Right Bank AC
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

St Emilion Geography and climate

A
  • Cooler than left bank
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

St Emilion Soil

A
  • NW corner on Pomerol border is a gravel plateau, Chateau Cheval Blanc and Figeac
    • Clay-limestone plateau around the town, Ausone
    • Clay-limestone south facing slopes leading up to town, Pavie
    • Sandy flatlands below town plateau, Angelus
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

St Emilion Grapes

A
  • Merlot is 60% of plantings

* Too cold for CS

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

St Emilion AC system

A
  • Unique in that it is revised every 10 years, last done in 2012
    • From top of pyramid to bottom
      • 1er GC Classe A—4 Chateaux
      • 1er GC Classe—18 (including 4 above)
      • GC Classe—82
      • GC—too many, leads to no distinction, more ha than generic SE AC
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

St Emilion Style

A
  • All styles from light and fruity to fine wines capable of aging
    • Because of Merlot dominance, wines are softer than Left Bank, mature quicker
    • Garagiste wines have modern style, extraction and new barrique
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Bordeaux AC

A
  • 90% red
  • Most important quantitatively
  • Can be from anywhere in the region
  • Includes high quality Pavillon blanc (Margaux dry white) and dry Sauternes
  • Wines designed to be consumed young
  • Wines can have astringent tannin an unripe flavors
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Bordeaux Superieur AC

A
  • Step up from generic Bordeaux AC
    • Max yields lower, longer aging requirements
  • Mostly in EDM
  • Mostly Merlot
  • Little or no wood used
  • Not much green harvesting or meticulous farming
  • Intended to be consumed young
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Haut Medoc AC

A
  • Red only
  • South of St. Estephe
  • Lower max yields than Medoc
  • Gravel soils
  • Some classified growths
  • Many Cru Bourgeois, great value
  • Deep color, concentration, ripe tannins—age worthy
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Medoc AC

A
  • Red only
  • North of St Estephe
  • Predominantly clay soil
  • No properties in 1855 classification
  • Expanded fast in the 90s, hit hard by Bordeaux market crash
  • Merlot mostly, sold in bulk
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Cotes de Bordeaux AC

A
  • Hillside vineyards along the Right Bank
  • Merlot dominant
  • Previously 4 separate AC, now banded together because of similar geography and climate
    • Blaye—can be white or red, in the North
    • Cote de Castillon—red only, in the South
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Bordeaux Geography and Climate

A
  • Vineyards stretch east of Goronde estuary
    • Along Garonne and Dordogne rivers
    • Rarely at elevation
    • Moderate maritime climate with long growing season
      • Mairtime effect decreases as you move inland
      • Weather unpredictable
      • Frost rarely a problem
    • Landes forest in South protests the area from strong winds and moderates temperature in the summer
    • Humidity is high, can cause rot
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Bordeaux Soil

A

3 Main types

* Alluvial on the riverbanks, lowest Acs
* Limestone and clay around St Emilion
* Free draining gravel in best parts of Left Bank
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Bordeaux Viticulture

A
  • Dense plantings, low vigor
    • Guy trained, low wire
    • Fungal disease a constant threat, spraying is common
    • harvesting often mechanical but at top Chateaux where densities are high, rows are too narrow to fit a tractor
    • Green harvesting at top chateaux to concentrate sugars
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Bordeaux Red Winemaking

A
  • Cabernet maceration very important, pump-overs and post-fermentation maceration
    • Aging in barrique common
    • MLF must happen before en primeur in the spring
    • Assemblage of different lots for desired wine style
    • Micro-ox prevalent especially for early samples
    • Lower AC will cut out oak and heavily filter
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Bordeaux Market and Trade

A
  • 50 Appellations—Bordeaux AC largest
    • Last year exports fell by 14 percent to 1.9 million hectoliters, according to press reports. China, Bordeaux’s biggest market, dropped an incredible 33 percent to 436,000 hectoliters.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Cab Franc

A
  • Used mostly on the Right Bank
  • Higher yielding than CS
  • Matures rapidly but can display vegetal aromas
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

CAbernet Sauvignon

A
  • Accounts for 75% of best Left Bank blends
  • Tannic and full bodied
  • late ripening—susceptible to harvest troubles
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Merlot

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Most planted grape, 3x as much as CS
  • Dominates the right bank, where the damper and cooler climate is hard for CS to grow
  • earlier ripening than CS
  • Adds softness and body to CS blends
25
Sauternes Geography and climate
* Mesoclimate perfect for noble root * Two rivers, one cooler (Lirou), one warmer (Garonne) run into each other * Mist is created at night, burned off by late AM * Barsac within appellation, wines can use either AC * Generally lighter than Sauternes, more sand and limestone, flatter * Closer to the river
26
Sauternes Soil
* Mix of chalk, limestone, gravel and alluvial
27
Sauternes Grapes
* Mostly Semillon—thin skin makes botrytis more likely * SB for aromatic support and acidity * Muscadelle for aromatics
28
Sauternes Production
* Only sweet wines permitted * Dedication to sweet wines is the appellation’s distinction, even in Germany and Alsace where sweet wine is prized it is the exception and not the rule * Costly to make * Risky waiting until bortrytis emerges * Protracted and hand harvesting required * Tiny yield restrictions * Fermentations and elevage in barrel
29
Sauternes Style
* High alcohol (13% min) and sweetness balanced by acidity * Apricot, honey and vanilla * Dry whites are produced, must use generic Bordeaux Blanc AC
30
Chateau d'Yquem
* Highest part of Sauternes
31
Pessac-Leognan
* Home to all classified Graves Chateaux, established in 1987
32
Pessac-Leognan Soils
* Particularly well draining gravel | * Whites grown on lighter, sandier soils
33
Pessac-Leognan Grapes
* Similar to Medoc, CS with Merlot and CF | * Sauvignon Blanc and Gris, Semillon, Muscadelle
34
Pessac-Leognan Producers
* Haut Brion * La-Mission-Haut Brion, 2nd label * Pape Clement
35
Pessac-Leognan style
* Though same grapes, reds much earthier than in the Haut Medoc
36
Graves Geography and climate
* Large region Southeast of Bordeaux
37
Graves soil
* Gravel for reds | * Sand for whites
38
Graves style
* Lighter bodied and earlier maturing than Haut Medoc | * only Bordeaux region famous for whites and reds
39
Pomeral Geogrpahy and climate
* Tiny region, 800 ha under vine * Le Pin - 750 cases * Lafleur - 1,000 cases * Pétrus - 2,500 cases * Finest wines made on highest part of plateau
40
Pomeral Viticulture
* Tiny estates, everything done by hand
41
Pomeral Soil
* Gravel with clay in East towards Saint Emilion, where Petrus is * Gravel with sand in West towards Libourne
42
Pomeral Grapes
* 80% Merlot—> soft and velvety wines
43
Pomeral Winemaking
* No expense spared
44
Pomeral style
* Soft, velvety, rich and instantly appealing * Ready early, helps market appeal * Spicy, blackberry richer than Saint Emilion
45
Pomeral market
* Tiny supply, high priced
46
Petrus
* Crasse de Fer soils—iron rich bands of sand * Strictly old vines * Creates voluptuous and richly fruity wines * Consume young or age for decades * 80% Merlot
47
Margaux Geogrpahy and climate
* Two main communes, Margaux and Cantenac | * More isolated than in the north
48
Margaux Viticulture
* More parcellated than other communes | * More expensive to farm
49
Margaux Soil
* thin topsoils here—>perfumed and delicate wines
50
Margaux style
* Red * Perfumed * Delicate * Silkier than in the North but still loads of concentration * Thin wines produced in bad years
51
Margaux producers
* Most Cru-classe chateaux * Palmer, Brane-Cantenac, Rauzans, Prieure-Lichine * Lurton family based here * Lots of outside money being invested in revival * Chanel and Bass brewing
52
St Julien Geography, climate and soil
in between Margaux and St Pauillac | * Mounds of gravel, not as deep as Pauillac
53
St Julien Producers
* Highest proportion of total vineyard designated Cru-Classe, 80% * Riverside estates — all Leoville * Las Cases has the most vineyard land * Wines are dense, austere and long lived * South Facing estates * Ducru-Beaucaillou and Beycheville * Around the town of Beycheville * More finessed than Leoville, more Margaux
54
St Julien style
* style can be described as a transition from the dark dense wines of the North and the red, finessed wines of Margaux
55
St Estephe Soil
* Gravel with clay sub soils | * More clay than upstream—>Drains slower, cooler—>good in hot years, higher acid
56
St Estephe Grapes
* Effort to soften wines in last 40 years has led to more Merlot plantings
57
St Estephe style
* Structured * Hi acid * Dark and less perfume * Mouth filling * Long lived
58
St Estephe producers
* Cos d’Estournel * top producer, 2nd growth * In the South near Pauillac * High proportion of Merlot * Montrose * On gravel outgropping, similar to Pauillac * Best source of Cru Bourgeois here

Unit 3 (7 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions