2 - Bordeaux Flashcards
Name the main rivers in the region
River Garonne + River Dordogne = Gironde Estuary
Name the three largest sub-zones and describe their location relative to the main rivers of the region
Left Bank - west of Garonne and Gironde
Right Bank - east of Dordogne and Gironde
Entre-Deux-Mers - between Garonne and Dordogne
What are the seven most planted grapes and give the % of ha planted for each
Merlot 60%
Cabernet Sauvignon 20%
Cabernet Franc 7%
Other Black grapes (combined) >5%
Semillon 5%
Sauvignon Blanc 5%
Muscadelle >5%
Outline major historical developments in the region’s history (3)
c17/18th - Medoc peninsula drained by Dutch merchants
Mid-c18th - properties like Lafite and Margaux enjoy int’l reputation
1855 - formal classification of left bank properties
Outline how the 1855 classification was established (3)
Bordeaux chamber of commerce asks merchants to rank estates
Estates of Medoc, Graves and Sauternes placed into bands - five for Medoc and Graves, three for Sauternes
They did so based on price
How large is the area under vine?
110,000ha
Roughly breakdown the distribution of price brackets (2)
Inexpensive or mid-priced = 70%
Premium or super-premium = 30%
Describe the climate of Bordeaux and how it is changing (5)
- Moderate, maritime
- Atlantic provides a cooling influence and brings rainfall
- Rainfall is an average of 950m but varies
- Rivers provide a moderating influence on temperature –> frost
- Climate change has brought hotter, drier summers with low rainfall
Using the example of Medoc and nearby sub-regions, explain how the climate and wines vary within the left-bank (5).
Protection from Atlantic storms communes and Haut Medoc better protected than Medoc, Graves
Soil type most gravel found in the four communes and Haut Medoc, more clay in Medoc, Moulin Medoc etc.
Yields max yields vary very little (mid-high 50s) but actual yields lower in gravel soil
Proximity to river communes on the river, Listrac-Medoc further
Plantings more Cab is planted on the gravely communes, whereas as Merlot more popular in Medoc (50/50 Cab/Merlot)
Describe the weather conditions that characterise the best vintages in Bordeaux (4)
- Gentle heat throughout the growing season –> ripening
- Sufficient rainfall –> growth and ripening
- Relatively dry and warm autumn –> steady final ripening
- No excessive rain during flowering or veraison –> fruit set and ripeness
Outline the main climatic hazards and the impact they have in terms of yield/quality (4)
- Untimely and excessive rainfall - interrupts flowering, growing season, veraison and harvest –> yield and quality
- Hot / dry summers - slow ripening if severe or speed up impacting balance e.g. 2003/05 –> yield and quality
- Frost - yield
- Best sites in Medoc are protected by the moderating influence of Gironde
- 2017 saw 1/3 reduction cf 10-yr average –> financial implications - Hail - yield (+ quality via fungal disease) –> more widespread and destructive
Describe the soils and how they impact grape growing
- Gravel (5)
- Clay (3)
Mix of clay, sand and gravel
Gravel - mainly found in Medoc/Graves
- Drains extremely well –> wet climate –> ripening
- Hotter years (e.g. 2003/05) vines can be drought-stressed esp. with shallow soils e.g. Pomerol (soils 1m deep)
- Retains heat - absorbs and gradually releases warmth after a hot day –> ripening speed
- Ideal for ripening Cabernet Sauvignon
- Significant patches on Right Bank esp. on limestone and gravel section near Pomerol
Clay - mainly on Right Bank/Libournais
- Less well-drained, cooler, fertile
- Ideal for ripening Merlot
- Pockets on the Left Bank e.g. Saint Estephe but lower quality
Describe characteristics of Merlot incl the following:
- Budding and ripening
- Vulnerabilities
- Favoured soils
- Ideal vintage conditions
- Flavour characteristics
- Structural characteristics
- Early budding and mid-ripening –> frost, autumn rain
- Coulure, drought, botrytis –> yields, sorting
- Clay soils –> temp, berry size
- Ripens well in cooler vintages, relatively fast sugar accumulation –> warmer years
- Med-pronounced intensity strawberry, red plum, herbaceous (cooler years), cooked blackberry, plum (warmer years)
- Med tannin and med-high alcohol
Describe characteristics of Cabernet Sauvignon incl the following:
- Budding and ripening
- Vulnerabilities
- Favoured soils
- Ideal vintage conditions
- Flavour characteristics
- Structural characteristics
- Late budding –> frost
- Late ripening
–> required warmth –> soils
–> autumn rain
- Vulnerable to fungal diseases esp. powdery mildew and trunk disease (Eutypa and Esca)
- Prefers warm and well drained soil –> ripening
- Warmer vintages –> tannin ripeness and balanced acidity
- Violet, blackcurrant, black cherry, menthol, herbaceous
- Med alcohol, high acid and high tannin (small berries)
Describe characteristics of Cabernet Franc incl the following:
- Budding and ripening
- Vulnerabilities
- Flavour characteristics
- Structural characteristics
- Early budding –> frost
- Mid ripening –> autumn rains
- Vulnerable to coulure
- Red fruit, leafy if picked early or canopy dense
- High acid, medium tannin
Describe characteristics of Malbec incl the following:
- Vulnerabilities
- Flavour characteristics
- Structural characteristics
When was it largely replaced, with what and why?
- Vigorousness, coulure
- Violet, plums
- Med acidity, med(+)-high tannin
NB Mainly replaced by Merlot after 1956 frost - easier to grow
Describe characteristics of Petit Verdot incl the following:
- Budding and ripening
- Vulnerabilities
- Ideal site / vintage conditions
- Flavour characteristics
- Structural characteristics
How is it used in blends?
Why may plantings increase?
- Early budding –> frost
- Late ripening (later than Cab S) –> tricky to ripen in cool years, autumn rain
- Best in warmer areas / vintages
- Spice notes
- Deep colour and high tannin
Usually <5% as to add colour and tannin
Warmer years mean it can be reliably ripened
Describe characteristics of Semillon incl the following:
- Ripening
- Vulnerabilities
- Yield
- Flavour characteristics
- Structural characteristics
How is it used in blends?
- Mid-ripening
- Vulnerable to coulure, botrytis, noble rot
- High yields
- Light intensity, apple, lemon, grass (if underripe). Works well with oak –> vanilla, sweet spice –> toast and honey with age
- Med(+) acid, med alcohol, med body
Blends
- Dry whites - softens Sav B’s high acid and intense flavour with lighter intensity flavour, more body and lower acid
- Sweet - susceptible to botrytis, adds honey, dried fruit and waxy texture
Describe characteristics of Savuignon Blanc incl the following:
- Ripening
- Vulnerabilities
- Yield
- Flavour characteristics
- Structural characteristics
Increasingly, how is it being used in blends and why?
- Late budding –> frost
- Early ripening –> autumn rain
- Vulnerable to vigourousness (canopy mngt, soils), powdery mildew, botrytis, trunk disease (Esca + Eutypa dieback (if cordon trained)
- Grass, gooseberry
- High acidity, med alcohol, med body
Dominant or single variety dry white wines due to the popularity of the grape variety
Describe the characteristics of Muscadelle including:
- Vulnerabilities
- Flavour characteristics
- Which wines it is usually used in
- Vulnerable to botrytis - well-exposed site
- Flower and grape
- Used in sweet wines with Semillon and Sav B
What are the typical vineyard densities seen in Bordeaux and why? What are the cost implications?
High quality - 10,000 VPH with 1m x 1m spacing
- Infertile soils –> vigour –> canopy density limited
- Higher costs due to more vines purchased, trellising, specialist tractors and more time for training, ploughing and spraying BUT best use of £££ land
Lower quality Bordeaux AOC - 3000-4000 VPH
How are vines trained, pruned and trellised? (2)
1. Head trained, replacement cane pruned
- Left Bank - Double Guyot
- Right Bank - Single Guyot
2. Cordon trained, spur pruned
- Rare but used by prestigious estates –> reduces yield, bunch aeration
What role does canopy management have to play in improving yields and quality? (3)
- Fungal disease pressure - damp climate –> mildews and botrytis –> leaf removal during summer –> aeration
- Sunlight interception –> ripening
- Reduces need for sprays –> rainfall make it more difficult for tractors to enter vineyards, washes off sprays
Why may removing leaves be risky? How can this risk be mitigated?
Increases vulnerability to sunburn and heat - e.g. 2003 –> raisins
Removes leaves later in season after hottest months have passed
Describe how Eutypa dieback and Esca affect the vine and how growers mitigate the problem (3)
Eutypa - rots the wood, reduces yield and kills the vine
Esca - tiger stripes, yield and death
- Soft pruning - when pruning make small cuts, allow extra wood at the cut site, allowing it to dry out and maximising opportunity for sap to flow around the plant
Is green harvesting popular or unpopular and why?
Increasingly unpopular - removing bunches to correct yield can cause unbalanced growth, better to prune so the vine has fewer buds in winter
What is the typical yield in Bordeaux? How has this changed? What has the impact been on the wine?
50hl/hA today
Yields fell over past 20 years
Better concentration - although super concentrated Right Bank wines may be jammy and lack terroir
Describe harvesting in terms of timing, size of teams and hand/machine harvest
Timing
Previously - teams hired for short period which dictated picking, grapes picked at varying levels of ripeness
Now - teams hired for longer period and used when grapes are ready / conditions dry
Size
Larger estates have teams of over 100 people
Machine vs Hand
Machines used for quick harvesting (to avoid rain and disease), due to remoteness of vineyards (northern Medoc), the expense of workers etc –> high vol, inexpensive
High quality - hand-harvest due to quality control
Describe the options taken by winemakers during the initial stage of grape processing including how grapes are sorted and whether or not grapes are separated by plot
Sorting not used for inexpensive wines, HQ wines will see sorting by pickers during harvest, then via a conveyor belt and perhaps optical sorting if estate has £££
During best vintages HQ estates may not sort
Plot by plot winemaking for best quality producers –> extra care at harvesting and larger number of smaller vessels –> £££
Describe the winemaking of red wines including:
- Vessels
- Cap management
- Fermentation temp
- Extraction
- Pressing
- Press and free-run juice
- Malo
- Maturation (including oxygenation)
- Blending
Vessels: Closed vats incl wood, SS and concrete with temp control
Cap Mngt: Pump overs
Fermentation Temp: mid-range for early drinking, warmer temps for HQ wines intended for bottle age –> extraction
Extraction: 5-7 days of post-ferment maceration for early drinking, 14-30 days for HQ
Press vs free run- juice: usually aged separately and blended later
Malo: often in wood if used for maturation (integration), inoculated for speed and cellars heated
Maturation
- Inexpensive: SS, concrete, large vats –> 4-6mnths, oak chips
- HQ: 225L oak barrels, mix of ages up to 100% new oak with med or med(+) toast and different coopers –> use of new oak declining –> 18-24mnths (concentration and tannin)
- Oxygenation: racking every 3mnths or use micro-oxygenation
Blending
EP: wine blended over winter for presentation to merchants in spring –> inferior lots classified as 2nd or 3rd wine or sold to a merchant in bulk (most estates)
Wait until post-maturation to blend –> better able to assess evolution (small number of estates)
Consultant hired to assist process
Describe the winemaking for rosé wines (3)
Younger vine usually used - Merlot and Cab S
Clairet - deeper coloured, usually made with Saignee or short maceration as a by-product of red winemaking –> concentration of reds
Pale - via DP
Describe white winemaking including:
Pressing
Fermentation temp and vessel
Malo
Maturation
Pressing: Direct pressed or skin contact for >24hrs –> freshness vs aromatics and phenolics
- NB grapes must be fully healthy for skin-contact –> off-flavours extracted
Fermentation: inexpensive in SS at cool temp, HQ in barriques
Malo: often blocked to retain acid and freshness
Maturation
Inexpensive: few months in SS
Mid-priced: 6-12 months on fine lees in SS –> weight and complexity
Premium: barriques with % new oak
Fine sees may be stirred for texture but many avoid –> balance
Name the two individuals who helped promote innovation in white Bordeaux winemaking and outline the changes they advocated (3)
Denis Dubourdieu and André Lurton
- Sav B
- Skin-contact –> aromatics
- Less new oak
Describe the vineyard management needed to produce sweet wine including:
- Yields
- Management of diseased fruit
- Harvesting
- Low yields –> concentrate the sugar, via reduced buds per vine, 25 hL/ha max, 10 hL/ha typical for top estates
- Diseased fruit removed as too susceptible to grey rot
- Grey and black rot removed and noble rot selected by hand - pickers may make 10-12 passes over course of harvest
- Harvest from Sept - Nov
The extent of botrytis in a vineyard depends on what? (4)
- Climatic conditions for noble rot to develop (humid, misty mornings + warm, sunny, dry afternoons)
- Proximity of the vineyard to mist formation –> cold Ciron and warm Garonne meet
- Risk tolerance of vineyards to lose crop if conditions do not develop
- Willingness to pay harvesters for multiple passes to select botrytised fruit
Does sweet Bordeaux wine need to be made from Botrytised fruit?
No - levels of Bot to late harvest vary vintage to vintage
Describe the winemaking for sweet wines including:
- Fermentation
- Maturation
Similar to dry whites
Fermentation: SS, concrete or barrels, length of time varies –> top-quality barrel fermented (integration of oak and fruit flavour)
Maturation:
- Less prestigious appellations: unoaked, released 1 yr after harvest
- HQ wines in barrels for 18-36 months, 30-50% new oak up to 100% for d’Yquem
To what extent do appellations dictate permitted varieties/blends?
- Most lists permitted varieties with no specific requirements for min/max % of grapes
- One exception is latest changes which allow from some experimental varieties within Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superier (Marselan and Touriga Nacional for reds, and Alvarinho) which are max 5% of blend
Describe the wines of Bordeaux/Bordeaux Superieur AOC including structure, flavour, quality and price.
How much wine is produced in these appellations?
What are the max yields in these appellations?
Red
- Merlot-based
- Med intensity red fruit
- High acid, med(+) tannins, med alcohol med body
- Acceptable - good
- Inexpensive - mid-priced
White
- Sav B based
- Med intensity gooseberry, lemon
- High acid, med alcohol, med body
- Acceptable - good
- Inexpensive - mid-priced
Production
50% of regional production
Yields
Bordeaux - 67, 62, 60 (whites, rose, red)
Superier - 59 (reds)
Explain why style, price and quality vary across the left bank.
Medoc prices range considerably based on exact site, lack of uniform soil means style and quality vary considerably
Haut-Medoc contains the famous communes and has more gravel, generally better quality but still varies considerably
Listrac-Medoc and Moulis more clay and further from the river, more Merlot, can’t match top wines from Haut-Medoc
Communes best sites closest to river, often with more gravel, most prestigious estates producing premium-SP wines
Graves more exposed to Atlantic, red and white, acceptable-good
Pessac-Leognan close to Garonne, gravel soils for both reds (80%) and whites (20%), top quality including one 1st growth
With examples, explain the differences in style between the LB’s four communes.
In general, style is…
Pronounced blackcurrant, green bell pepper (vintage), red plum, vanilla, cedar, high tannin, high alcohol, med(+) body, prem-SP and VG-outstanding
But exact style varies according to situation, soil type and plantings…
Saint-Estephe - closest to Atlantic –> tannin and acid structure
Margaux –> stoney, gravel and further south, harvests 7-10 days earlier, more Merlot –> silly tannins, perfumed
Describe the situation, soils, estates, yields and wines of Pessac-Leognan
Situation: sub-region within Graves, moderated by Garonne
Soil: Gravel –> drainage and warmth
Estates: One 1st growth, all CC within Graves
Yield: 54 (both red and white)
Wines: HQ, barrel-aged whites and HQ reds 20/80 split
Whites: pronounced gooseberry, lemon, grapefruit, vanilla, clove. Med(+) - high acid, med(+) body, med-high alc. VG-outstanding. Prem-SP.
Reds: similar style and quality to Medoc communes
What wines are produced in Entre-deux-Mers AOC? What is the max yield and typical quality and price level?
- 2nd largest appellation - but much smaller than Bordeaux AOC
- Only makes whites
- 65
- Light intensity, acceptable - good, inexpensive - mid-priced
With examples, explain how style and quality vary on the right-bank between and within appellations. (4)
In general, cool clay soils –> Merlot and Cab F, some Cab S planted
Situation S-E satellites e.g. Lussac S-E is further from Dordogne than SE proper
Soils mostly clay but less on Pomerol which has limestone and gravel as well
Yields max yield in Cotes de Bordeaux is 55, Pomerol is 49 but often much lower
Maturation length Saint Emilion AOC requires 6 months min, Saint Emilion Grand Cru is 20 months min
What feature of production structure distinguishes the right-bank from the left-bank?
Producers are much smaller - as small as 1ha, Pomerol ~12ha cf. to 1st growths 80-100ha
How does Cotes de Bourg differ from Cotes de Bordeaux appellations and rest of Libournais?
Situation: sites of RB of Gironde, underneath Blaye
Grapes: mainly Merlot but the highest % of Malbec planted in Bdx
Style and price: is closer to Medoc with more black fruit and tannic structure, price varies similarly
Which appellations produce sweet wine? How do the yields and quality vary?
Sauternes/Barsac AOC max 25 hL/ha but may be as low as 10 in top estates
Other appellations are 40-45 hL/ha using late-harvest or botrytised grapes, can offer much better value with quality good-VG inc. Graves Superieures, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, Premières Côtes de Bordeaux
Describe the plantings max yield, production size, style, quality and price of wines of Sauternes and Barsac AOC
Grapes: 80% Semillon, SB, small amounts of Muscadelle
Yield: 25 max, lower is typical –> ripeness before development of rot
Pronounced citrus peel, honey, mango, vanilla
- Med-med(+) acid, sweet, full-body
- VG-oustanding
- Mid-priced - SP
How have Sauternes producers responded to a lack of demand for their wines?
Producing dry wines
Briefly outline the four official classification systems used in Bordeaux
1855 - 61 estates in Medoc, red and sweet 1st-5th growth, estate-bottled
Graves - 1959, 16 estates in P-L, red and white, no ranking, based on pricing, fame and quality
S-E - 1955, applies within S-E Grand Cru, revised every decade, three tiers
Crus Bourgeois - 1932, awarded annually to individual wines, three tiers
Describe the 1855 classification including sub-region, basis, producers, ranking, quirks and revisions.
Sub-region: Medoc (+ Graves)
Based on: prices achieved by Chateau in 1855, wines must be estate bottled
Producers: 61 estates
Ranking: 1st to 5th growth for reds and 1st and 2nd growth for Sauternes
Quirks: d’Yquem has its own rank, Premier Cru Superieur, Haut-Brion is only Graves property included
Revisions: mostly unaltered apart from the promotion of Mouton Rothschild in 1973
Describe the S-E classification including which sub-region, basis, tiers and controversy.
Sub-region: S-E Grand Cru AOC
Basis: 10-yearly review looking at terroir, methods of production, reputation, ‘commercial considerations’, blinding tasting of >10 vintages
Tiers: Premier Grand Cru A, Premier Grand Cru B and Grand Cru Classé
Controversy: lawsuits have damaged reputation, use of term ‘Cru’ criticised as misleading
Describe the Crus Bourgeois du Médoc classification including which sub-region, basis, tiers
Sub-region: Medoc
Basis: awarded on wine, rather than producer basis; year-by-year based on production method and tasting
Revisions: since 2018 producers will be ranked Cru Bourgeois, Cru Bourgeois Supérieur and Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel for five years
How many producers are there and what is the average property size? How has this changed?
How much many bottles are produced annually?
What proportion of production do co-ops account for?
7000 ‘Chateaux’ –> falling
Average size 19ha –> rising
800m –> fluctuates by vintage
Co-ops: 25% of production in 2018
Outline the % of ha accounted for by:
Bordeaux AOC
Medoc and Graves
Cotes de Bordeaux
S-E, Pomerol, Fronsac
Dry whites
Rose
Sweet
Cremant
What is the average cost of production of a bottle of Bordeaux AOC, Medoc, and classed growth? What accounts for the difference in cost?
Bordeaux AOC - €0.57
Medoc - €2.35
Classed growth - €16.00
Does not include land costs or interest on loans
Differences due to…
- increased vine density
- harvest cost
- lower yield
- rigorous grape selection
- barrel ageing
What has become an important tool in marketing wines from this region?
100-point rating system e.g. Robert Parker
What is the value of Bordeaux production and where is it sold (country, business type)? (4)
€4,000m (‘18)
56/44 Domestic/Export
Domestic - 48% in supermarkets (average price €5.80)
Export - HK, China, US, UK (higher average price)
Describe the La Place de Bordeaux (4 plus diagram)
Merchants (la place) account for 70% of sales
Brokers (la place) handle relationships between producers and merchants
Each producer sells to as many as 40 different negociants who cover a total of 170 countries
Amount of wine available to each negociant based on allocation
Describe the market for Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur
Majority of production
About €1/L in bulk
Lower demand from France - supermarkets
Competition from Chile, Australia in export
Produced by co-ops and small producers and sold wine/grapes to large wine companies
Briefly give an overview of the EP system (5)
Used to sell classed growth and other HQ wines
Futures: wine sold in spring following harvest, 12-18mnths before bottling
Campaign starts in April - barrel samples tasted by buyers and journos
May/June - reviews released and prices
Tranches released and prices adjusted (usually upwards) finishing with individual customers through fine wine merchants
What are the pros and cons of the EP system?
2011 - relatively poor vintage saw prices little changed, eventually prices corrected meaning EP buyers lost money
Ch Latour has withdrew from EP system in 2012, several other Chateaux have reduced volumes via EP –> these producers can afford to sell their wine at ageing
2017 campaign saw much lower volumes due to relatively poor quality without similar price adjustment
Describe the process of tasting, pricing and tranches used in the EP system (4)
April journos and buyers taste barrel samples
May-June Chateaux release first tranche, price determined by rep and reviews, used to gauge market’s appetite
Subsequent tranches available for trade buyers, price adjusted based on demand but usually increases
Final tranche available for private buyers via fine wine merchants
Describe the relationship between vintage, price and quantity (3). What happened during the 2011 EP campaign? (2)
Lesser vintages should lead to lower-priced wines
But top estates have allocated wines to which buyers are eager to preserve their access –> they may continue to pay similar prices to better vintages
This can result in unsold wine for years following the EP campaign - hit to profit
2011 - relatively poor vintage saw prices little changed, eventually prices corrected meaning EP buyers lost money
