Bordeaux Flashcards
1
Q
Climate
A
Moderate maritime
2
Q
Climate effects
A
- Gulf Stream: warming effect > extends growing season
- Atlantic Ocean: rainfall and humidity > disrupt flowering/fruit set, mildew/rot, dilute flavors
- Variable weather: blends and vintage variation
- sand dunes/Landes Pine Forest: protects from Atlantic
3
Q
Soil/varietal match
A
- gravel: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc (absorb heat, extend ripening)
- clay: Merlot (coolness and water retention balance out vigorous growth and excess ripening)
4
Q
Cabernet Sauvignon dominant regions
A
- Left Bank
- Haut Medoc
5
Q
Merlot/Cabernet Franc dominant regions
A
- Medoc
- Pessac Leognan
- Graves
- Right Bank
- Pomerol
- Saint Emilion
6
Q
1855 Classification
A
- Chataux Lafite Rothschild
- Latour
- Margaux
- Mouton Rothschild
- Chateau Haut Brion
- Chateau Y’qeum
7
Q
Saint Emilion’s appellation classification system
A
- Saint Emilion ========================== - Grand Cru - Grand Cru Classe - Premier Grand Cru Classe B - Premier Grand Cru Classe A
8
Q
Rivers
A
- Gironde
- Dordogne
- Garonne
9
Q
Haut Medoc communes
A
- Saint Estephe
- Pauillac
- Saint Julien
- Margaux
10
Q
Vins de garage
A
- Right Bank
- Small plots of land
- No expense sparred
- F body, ripe style
11
Q
Cotes de Bordeaux
A
- Right Bank
- Blaye
- Francs
- Castillon
- Cadillac
12
Q
Entre Deux Mers whites
A
- whites only
- Sauvignon Blanc
- unoaked
13
Q
Graves whites
A
- Sauvignon Blanc
- unoaked
14
Q
Pessac Leognan whites
A
- Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon blend
- some new oak
- full body
- toasty
15
Q
Noble rot conditions
A
- Garonne
- ideal misty autumn
- varies by year
- passerillage when little noble rot
16
Q
Sweet wines
A
- Sauternes
- Barsac (village in Sauternes)
- Semillon (thin skin > noble rot)
- Sauvignon Blanc (high acid, fruity aromas)
- Muscadelle (exotic perfume)
- high alcohol
- noble rot (apricot, citrus peel)
- oak (toast, vanilla)
17
Q
Cabernet Sauvignon
A
- high acid
- high tannin
- medium alcohol
- late ripener
- thick skin
- black fruit, blackcurrant, cassis, mint, green pepper, eucalyptus
- oak: cedar, tobacco
18
Q
Bordeaux mixture
A
copper, sulfur, lime
19
Q
Merlot
A
- medium to high acid
- medium to high tannin
- red and black fruit, red cherry, plum
- oak
- mid ripener (earlier than CS)
- herbaceous/stalky if not fully ripe
- International Style (New World/Pomerol): grapes left on vine longer > higher alcohol/tannin/deeper color, black berry
- Bordeaux Style: earlier harvest > lighter color, red fruit
20
Q
Cabernet Franc
A
- less body and tannin than CS
- vibrant red fruit, floral
- herbaceous/stalky if not fully ripe