13. Bordeaux Flashcards
Describe the climate of Boreaux.
- moderate, maritime
- benefits from the warming effects of the Gulf Stream
- long growing season (low risk of spring frost, ripening into October)
- high levels of rainfall and humidity (some protection from the Landes forest and the coastal sand dunes)
- large vintage variation
Name the top three white varieties of Bordeaux.
- Sémillion
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Muscadelle
What is the most important variety for sweet wines in Bordeaux? Why?
Sémillion
-thin skin, affinity for noble rot
Describe Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux.
- citrus, green fruit aromas (dry varietal wines)
- provides high acidity (in blends)
Describe Muscadelle from Bordeaux.
- pronounced grapey, floral flavor
- small percentage in both sweet and dry blends
Describe lower end white Bordeaux.
- freshy and fruity
- fermented in temperature controlled, inert vessels with minimal further aging
- some show toasty hints of oak
Describe premium dry white wine from Pessac-Leognan.
- fermented and matured in new oak
- richness
- concentrated nutty flavors overlay fruit
- toasty oak
- may be eligible for grand cru classé status
- tend to be blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon
Describe wines from Entre-Deux-Mers. Where is this region located?
- between the rivers Garonne and Dordogne
- can only produce white wines
- red wines are labelled with generic appellation name
- typically unoaked Sauvignon Blanc
Describe white wine from Graves.
-typically unoaked Sauvignon Blanc
What is the largest wine region in France in terms of volume and value?
Bordeaux
Why do the majority of winemakers in Bordeaux produce only blends?
- high variability in weather, rainfall
- very risky to rely too heavily on one variety
- varieties permitted in Bordeaux flower and ripen at different times
- 13 grape varieties permitted
Name the four predominant black grape varieties or Bordeaux.
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Cabernet Franc
- Merlot
- Petit Verdot
Where is Cabernet Sauvignon grown? Why?
- Haut Medoc
- Bas Medoc
- Graves
- high stone/gravel content raises the temp
Where is Cabernet Franc grown? Describe the wines.
- Saint-Emillion
- Medoc, Graves (lesser)
- less body/tannin than CS
- herbaceous, stalky flavors when unripe
- vibrant fruit and floral when rip
- prefers well-drained soils
What is the most widely planted variety in Bordeaux? Why? Where is it grown?
Merlot
- Saint Emillon
- Pomerol
- can successfully grow in cooler clay soils
- predominant grape in high volume, inexpensive wines
What is Petit Verdot?
- ripens only in very hot years
- deeply colored
- tannic
- ages slowly
- minor role in blend (adds tannin, color, spicy notes)
What are the two types of typical fermentation vessels used in Bordeaux?
- traditional oak vats
2. steel or concrete vats
When are wines typically blended in Bordeaux?
The Spring after the vintage
-Note: some wait til end of maturation
What is top quality Bordeaux aged in?
225 liter small, oak barriques
For what two reasons is Bordeaux classification system unique?
- With the exception of St Emillion, the classification system is completely outside of the appellation system
- Classification do not rank vineyards; they rank estates (“chateaux”), which are more like brands than specific vineyards
What is the 1855 Classification? What are the chateaux listed in this classification referred to?
- Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce named the best red wines from the Medoc and white wines from Sauternes
- “Cru Classés”
Name the top rank of cru classé in the Medoc and Graves.
- Chateaux Lafite Rothschild
- Latour
- Margaux
- Mouton Rothschild
- Chateau-Haut Brion (Graves)
Into how many ranks are the cru classé divided in the Medoc? In Sauternes?
Medoc - 5
Sauternes 3
Which chateau occupies the top rank of Sauternes?
Chateau d’Yquem
What is cru bourgeois? How is it different from cru classe?
- Introduced later for other chateaux not in the 1855 classifications
- only awarded to wines in a specific vintage, rather than to the chateau itself
- wines from new vintages must be approved each year for this status
How is the classification system different in Graves?
- no ranking
- all listed wines (red list and white list) can call themselves cru classe
- all cru classe are within Pessac Leognan
How is the classification system different in Saint Emilion?
-it’s integrated into the appellation system
-within Saint Emilion, there is a subregion Saint Emilion Grand Cru
-within SEGC, the best chateaux are classified:
1. Saint-Emillion Premier Grand Cru Classe
1A. Premier Grand Cru Classe A (best)
1B. Premier Grand Cru Classe B
2. Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe
Which rivers combine to form the estuary that splits Bordeaux in three? What’s the Estuary?
- Dodogne & Garonne Rivers
- Gironde Estuary
Describe Bordeaux and Bordeaux Supérieur wines.
- generic appellation
- BS: stricter rules, higher alcohol
- early drinking
- medium body
- ripe red and black fruit
- some cedar notes from oak
- cheaper: lighter body, astringent tannins
Describe Bordeaux Rose and Bordeaux Clairet.
BR:
- fresh fruity
- some high quality
BC:
- popular on French market
- longer maceration
- deeper color
- fuller body
What are the two main subregions of the Left Bank?
- Medoc
- Graves
What are the wines from the Bas Medoc labelled?
Medoc
What is the soil of the Bas Medoc? Thus, what grows here and dominates the blends?
- predominantly clay
- outcrops of gravel
- Merlot
- early drinking
What are the 4 subregions of the Haut Medoc from north to south? What are these wines like?
- Saint-Estephe
- Pauillac
- Saint-Julien
- Margaux
- soil = gravelly
- high % of Cabernet Sauvignon in blend
- blackcurrent
- cedar
- grippy tannins when young
- long aging potential
- more highly rated
What is the most highly rated region of Graves? What is the soil like?
Pessac-Leognan
- gravelly
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- lighter, more fragrant than Haut Medoc
From what grape are red wines from Graves typically made?
Merlot
What grape(s) dominant the blend on the Right Bank?
- Merlot
- Sometimes Cabernet Franc
What are the main subregions of the right bank?
Saint-Emilion
Pomerol
Describe the best wine from Saint-Emilion.
- medium to high tannins
- soft, rich mouthfeel
- complex red berry fruit, plum
- tobacco and cedar notes with age
What are the three sub-areas of Saint-Emilion?
- plateau to the north and west of town (warm, gravelly soils = Cabernet Sauvignon)
- escarpment to the south and east of town (clay, limestone soils)
- sandy soils at the foot of the escarpment (lighter bodied, less prestigious)
Describe the wines of Pomerol.
- richer
- spicy blackberry
- high reputation
What are vins de garage?
- right bank appellations
- full body
- incredibly ripe
- tiny quantities
- winemaker = ‘garagiste’
- now many are too famous and just follow the classification system instead
Which appellations are included in Cotes de Bordeaux? Describe the wine.
- Blaye
- Cadillac
- Castillon
- Francs
- Merlot based
- early drinking
- can be great value
