2. Bordeaux

Question 1

Where is Bordeaux?

Answer 1

wine region lies in south-west France, close to Atlantic Ocean

Question 2

How is the Gironde estuary formed?

Answer 2

the River Garonne and the River Dordogne merge to form the Gironde estuary

Question 3

The vineyards to the west of the Garonne and Gironde form what is collectively known as

Answer 3

the Left Bank

Question 4

The vineyards to the east of the Dordogne and Gironde form what is collectively known as

Answer 4

the Right Bank

Question 5

the majority of the vineyards between the two rivers is called

Answer 5

Entre-Deux-Mers, literally ‘between two seas’

Question 6

In Bordeaux, nearly —- per cent of the plantings are black grapes.

Answer 6

90

Question 7

The production of AOC wine in Bordeaux is — per cent red, per cent dry white, — per cent sweet white and — per cent rosé.

Answer 7

85
10
1
4

Question 8

What was the major development in the 17th and 18th centuries in Bordeaux?

Answer 8

the large Médoc peninsula north of the city, which had been marshy and unsuitable for agriculture, was drained by Dutch residents in the city of Bordeaux and planted.

Question 9

Name two properties that by the mid-18th their wines were widely appreciated across Europe and even in America.

Answer 9

Lafite and Margaux

Question 10

How was the international reputation of Bordeaux wines established?

Answer 10

1- The city of Bordeaux had long been a centre for wine exports from other regions such as Bergerac.
2- The Entrepreneurial class of merchants/brokers whose origins lay in Britain, Ireland, Germany, Holland distributed the wines of Bordeaux

Question 11

What commercial exhibition took place in 1855?

Answer 11

the Exposition Universelle de Paris

Question 12

Who compiled a classification of the Bordeaux wines for the the Exposition Universelle de Paris in 1855?

Answer 12

The Bordeaux chamber of commerce

Question 13

What is 1855 classification based on?

Answer 13

price

Question 14

What regions were classified in 1855?

Answer 14

The estates of the Médoc plus Haut-
Brion in Graves were classed into five bands.

Question 15

What is the appellation for modest, inexpensive, mid-price Bordeaux?

Answer 15

Bordeaux Supérieur

Question 16

The area under vine on the left bank is enormous, with some —— hectares planted.

Answer 16

111,000

Question 17

Around —- per cent of all bottled wines are inexpensive or mid-priced and — per cent are premium or super-premium priced.

Answer 17

70
30

Question 18

Pomerol occupies only — hectares.

Answer 18

800

Question 19

What is the climate of Bordeaux?

Answer 19

moderate maritime climate

Question 20

What is the cooling influence of Bordeaux?

Answer 20

Atlantic Ocean that lies just west of the
vineyards

Question 21

What conditions are considered a good year in Bordeaux?

Answer 21

1- Gentle heat throughout the growing
season,
2- Sufficient rainfall to promote growth and ripening,
3- Fine, relatively dry and warm
early autumns allow for steady and complete ripening

Question 22

What climate conditions contributes to a remarkable longevity of great vintages?

Answer 22

1- Gentle heat throughout the growing
season,
2- Sufficient rainfall to promote growth and ripening,
3- Fine, relatively dry and warm
early autumns allow for steady and complete ripening
These three result in excellent balance of tannins, sugar, and acidity which partly explain the remarkable longevity of great vintages.

Question 23

The Left Bank is partially protected from Atlantic storms by ——- .

Answer 23

pine forests, the Landes

Question 24

Name one estate that fringe the pine forest in Bordeaux.

Answer 24

Domaine de Chevalier in Léognan and many in Listrac in the Médoc - these are cooler than the ones in the east.

Question 25

How is the climate in the northern Médoc?

Answer 25

the forest is less of a feature and the landscape is more open to maritime
influence

Question 26

The climate in the northern Médoc is —– than than the southern Médoc and Graves.

Answer 26

cooler

Question 27

How is the rainfall condition in the left bank?

Answer 27

Rainfall is variable, an average of 950 mm a year but with marked variation from year to year and the times within the year when it falls.

Question 28

——– at key moments is an important factor in vintage variation.

Answer 28

Excessive rain

Question 29

rain at flowering can result in

Answer 29

poor fruit set

Question 30

rain throughout the growing season can result in

Answer 30

increased disease pressure

Question 31

rain at and following véraison can lead to

Answer 31

unripe fruit and fungal diseases

Question 32

rain at harvest can

Answer 32

dilute flavours

Question 33

What is the effect of climate change in Bordeaux?

Answer 33

hot, dry summers with insufficient rainfall

Question 34

How was 2003 vintage in Bordeaux?

Answer 34

hot & dry - led to wines, both red and white, with low acidity that lack balance.

Question 35

Besides causing low acidity and imbalance, what other effects can hot, dry years have on wine?

Answer 35

They can also lead to wines being more alcoholic than in the past as growers wait for phenolic ripeness before picking

Question 36

What is Phenolic ripeness?

Answer 36

Phenolic ripeness refers to the stage of grape development when the phenolic compounds—primarily found in the skins, seeds, and stems—reach optimal maturity. These compounds include tannins, color pigments, and flavor components that are crucial for the quality of wine. Achieving phenolic ripeness is particularly important in red wine production because these compounds contribute to the wine’s structure, color, and taste profiles.

Question 37

How is the maritime influence in the easterly, Right Bank regions of Bordeaux such as the Libournais?

Answer 37

The maritime influence is less pronounced in Saint-Émilion, Pomerol and appellations that surround them, but remains a factor.

Question 38

What were the years that large areas of vineyards are affected by frost in Bordeaux and crop was decimated?

Answer 38

1956
1991
2017

Question 39

In the Médoc, the most prestigious wines tend to be close to

Answer 39

the Gironde estuary

Question 40

The prestigious wines of Medoc are made from vineyards that are protected from frost because….

Answer 40

the Gironde estuary moderating influence on the climate

Question 41

What climate factor in Bordeaux is always sporadic, has been more widespread and destructive over the past decade?

Answer 41

Hail

Question 42

How was wine production variation in 2017 in Bordeaux?

Answer 42

in frost-affected 2017, 33 per cent less wine was made than the 10-year average and 40 per cent less than in the large 2016 harvest. This level of variation of yield has significant financial implications for estates and for the wine business in the region as a whole.

Question 43

—- plays a major part in the quality of the wines of Bordeaux.

Answer 43

Soil

Question 44

What is the soil of the Left Bank – that is, the
Médoc to the north of the city and Graves to its south?

Answer 44

benefits from deposits of gravel and stony soils carried to the region by floodwaters from the Pyrenees and the Massif Central many thousands of years ago. Depending on their origin, the gravel is mixed with clay and
sand.

Question 45

All the top estates of the Left Bank are planted on gravel mounds known as —–

Answer 45

croupes

Question 46

The gravel mounds in Margaux

Answer 46

Is the highest at 32m

Question 47

Why Gravel is a good soil for vines?

Answer 47

Gravel, unlike clay, drains well, so even after the showers and storms, to which the Left Bank is prone, the roots of the vines soon dry out and the grapes can continue to ripen.

Question 48

Why Gravel is not an excellent soil for viticulture?

Answer 48

In extremely hot years, such as 2003 and 2005, the excellent drainage can put some vines at risk of drought stress. Specially when the soil is shallow.

Question 49

Two years with extreme hot temperatures in Bordeaux

Answer 49

2003 & 2005

Question 50

A dry vintage in Bordeaux

Answer 50

2016

Question 51

How is the soil in Pomerol?

Answer 51

soils are rarely more than a metre deep and as a result, the vines can suffer, as was seen in the very dry summer of 2016.

Question 52

Other than great drainage, what other contribution is made by gravel soils?

Answer 52

heat retention - After a warm summer day,
the pebbles and stones retain their warmth and continue gradually to release it upwards onto
the vines, facilitating their slow ripening.

Question 53

What is the major soil of Saint Estèphe?

Answer 53

clay

Question 54

How are the wines of Saint Estèphe?

Answer 54

while robust and characterful, have not achieved the same acclaim as those grown on gravel.