Bordeaux Flashcards
What group was created to enforce France’s wine appellation system?
Institut National des Appellations d’Origine (INAO)
What year was the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine (INAO) created?
- 1935
Bordeaux is France’s largest (blank)?
AOC/AOP Region
What styles of wine are produced in Bordeaux?
- white
- red
- rose
- sparkling
- sweet
Médoc’s eventual dominance by creating a complex series of drainage channels throughout the area, making it suitable for viticulture
Who did this and when?
The Dutch
mid -1600’s
What are negociants?
Traditionally, négociants acted as one type of intermediary, buying fruit or wine in barrel to age in their own cellars before selling the bottled wine.
What are Courtiers?
Courtiers—brokers of wine—became a powerful force in the Médoc, supplying the châteaux with financial backing while gaining total control over the actual trade of wine.
What is en primeur?
the yearly offering of Bordeaux wine as futures.
Who is in charge of the en primeur?
The Courtiers
What is the climate of Bordeaux?
Maritime
What are the bodies of water moderating the climate in Bordeaux?
The Atlantic
Gironde Estuary
Coastal (blanks) protect the Médoc vineyards from harsh west and northwesterly winds, but rain is a worry, especially at harvest.
pine forests
What are the viticultural threats?
Rain around harvest time
mold and rot during spring time its wet and humid
spring time frost
What is the Bordeaux mixture and why is it used?
a mix of lime, copper sulfate, and water—is applied throughout the region to avoid fungal problems.
What are the wine styles of Bordeaux AOP?
red
white
rosé
clairet—a darker, more aromatic style of rosé that evokes the original claret wines shipped to England in the Middle Ages.
What are dry whites usually labeled as?
Sec
Six grapes are allowed for Bordeaux AOP reds. What are they?
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Cabernet Franc
Petit Verdot
Malbec
Carmènere
What does assemblage mean?
blend
What is the most widely planted grape in Bordeaux?
Merlot
Which red grape is the earliest to ripen?
Merlot
Which grape prefers clay-based soils?
Merlot
Which grape prefers well-drained gravel soil?
Cabernet Sauvignon
Which grape has difficulty ripening in colder limestone and clay soils?
Cabernet Sauvignon
Which grape excels in limestone-based soils, which promote acidity and freshness in the wines?
Cabernet Franc
What is encépagement?
Once appropriate soils are identified, an overall encépagement of mixed grapes that flower and are harvested at different times gives the estate a form of insurance. Cabernet Sauvignon, for instance, may avoid late spring frosts that can spell disaster for Merlot as it buds later, but the grape may fall prey to heavy fall rains after the Merlot is safely harvested.
What does Cabernet Sauvignon give to the blend?
gives the wine structure, power, and longevity
What does Merlot give to the blend?
Merlot contributes a fleshy, juicy texture that can soften the austerity of Cabernet Sauvignon
What does Cabernet Franc give to the blend?
a more tannic grape than Merlot but less muscular or weighty than Cabernet Sauvignon, imparts herbal spice and red fruit aromatics
What is the main grape of the left bank?
- Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon comprises approximately two-thirds of the blend and Merlot, Cabernet Franc and the other varieties make up the remainder
What grape(s) dominate the right bank?
Merlot and Cabernet Franc typically dominate blends on the Right Bank, at three-quarters and one-quarter respectively
What is the last grape to ripen in Bordeaux?
Petite Verdot
When, where, and why is Petite Verdot added to a blend?
added on the Left Bank in minute quantities for color, depth and exotic perfume; it is essentially non-existent on the Right Bank.
Where and when is Malbec used and whats its synonym?
Malbec, known as Pressac on the Right Bank, performs similarly to Merlot in the blend and is infrequently encountered in Bordeaux.
True or False: Carmenère is virtually extinct in the region.
True
What are the main white grapes of Bordeaux AOP?
Sémillon
Sauvignon Blanc
Muscadelle dominate the basic Bordeaux AOP white blend
Sauvignon Gris is considered a principal grape as well though not as widely planted
while Ugni Blanc, Merlot Blanc, and Colombard are restricted to a maximum proportion of 30%.
What do Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon provide to a wine?
Sauvignon Blanc offers pungency, high acidity, and citrus flavors.
In Bordeaux, the sharpness of Sauvignon Blanc can be leavened with Sémillon and rounded with oak;
achieve creamy, waxy texture while emitting unique aromas of honey and beeswax.
What does Muscadelleo provide to a blend?
The fragile Muscadelle is added sparingly, as its lovely, intense floral character can quickly overtake the wine’s balance.
What is the size of barriques?
225 liters
What are the requirements of Cremant de Bordeaux AOP?
Traditional Method Secondary Fermentation
The wines must spend a min. 9 months on the lees prior to dégorgement, and may not be released for a min. 12 months after the date of tirage
Min. 3.5 atmospheres of pressure
What are the alcohol requirements for Bordeaux Supérieur AOP?
Blanc: 12%
Rouge: 11%
What are minimum aging requirements for Bordeaux Supérieur AOP?
Blanc: Released no sooner than December 31st of the year of harvest (6 months minimum)
Rouge: Released no sooner than June 15st of the year following harvest (9 months minimum)
What does jalles mean?
drainage channels
True or False: The Medoc AOP wines must be red.
True
What is the soil type of the Bas Medoc?
for clay based soils so better for Merlot
What is the soil type of the Haut Medoc?
well drained gravelly soil
perfect for cabernet sauvignon
What are croupes?
Gravel mounds
What is the 1855 classification?
Commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III and carried out by the region’s courtiers, this classification ranked the top properties of Bordeaux by price prior to international exposure at the Universal Exposition in Paris later that year. All of the properties classified for red wine—with the exception of Château Haut-Brion in Graves—were Médoc châteaux, categorized by price into first through fifth growths.
Name the first growths?
Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac
Château Latour, Pauillac
Château Margaux, Margaux (Margaux)
Château Haut-Brion, Graves
Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac: Originally classified as a second growth, the estate was elevated in 1973.
Name some second growths?
Second Growths (Deuxièmes Crus)
Château Cos d’Estournel, Saint-Estèphe
Château Montrose, Saint-Estèphe
Château Pichon Longueville Baron, Pauillac
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac
Château Léoville-Las Cases, Saint-Julien
Château Léoville-Poyferré, Saint-Julien
Château Léoville Barton, Saint-Julien
Château Gruaud-Larose, Saint-Julien
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, Saint-Julien
Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux (Margaux)
Château Rauzan-Gassies, Margaux (Margaux)
Château Durfort-Vivens, Margaux (Margaux)
Château Lascombes, Margaux (Margaux)
Château Brane-Cantenac, Margaux (Cantenac)
Name some third growths?
Third Growths (Troisièmes Crus)
Château Calon-Ségur, Saint-Estèphe
Château Lagrange, Saint-Julien
Château Langoa Barton, Saint-Julien
Château Malescot-Saint-Exupéry, Margaux (Margaux)
Château Desmirail, Margaux (Cantenac)
Château Ferrière, Margaux (Margaux)
Château Marquis d’Alesme Becker, Margaux (Margaux)
Château Kirwan, Margaux (Cantenac)
Château d’Issan, Margaux (Cantenac)
Château Boyd-Cantenac, Margaux (Cantenac)
Château Cantenac-Brown, Margaux (Cantenac)
Château Palmer, Margaux (Cantenac)
Château Giscours, Margaux (Labarde)
Château La Lagune, Haut-Medoc (Ludon)
Name some fourth growths?
Fourth Growths (Quatrièmes Crus)
Château Lafon-Rochet, Saint-Estèphe
Château Duhart-Milon-Rothschild, Pauillac
Château Saint-Pierre, Saint-Julien
Château Talbot, Saint-Julien
Château Branaire-Ducru, Saint-Julien
Château Beychevelle, Saint-Julien
Château Marquis de Terme, Margaux (Margaux)
Château Pouget, Margaux (Cantenac)
Château Prieuré-Lichine, Margaux (Cantenac)
Château La Tour Carnet, Haut-Médoc (Saint-Laurent)
Name some fifth growths?
Fifth Growths (Cinquièmes Crus)
Château Cos Labory, Saint-Estèphe
Château Pontet-Canet, Pauillac
Château Batailley, Pauillac
Château Haut-Batailley, Pauillac
Château Haut-Bages-Libéral, Pauillac
Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac
Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse, Pauillac
Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac
Château Lynch-Moussas, Pauillac
Château d’Armailhac, Pauillac: This estate was known as Mouton-Baronne-Philippe from 1933-1988.
Château Pédesclaux, Pauillac
Château Clerc-Milon, Pauillac
Château Croizet Bages, Pauillac
Château Dauzac, Margaux (Labarde)
Château du Tertre, Margaux (Arsac)
Château Belgrave, Haut-Médoc (Saint-Laurent)
Château de Camensac, Haut-Médoc (Saint-Laurent)
Château Cantemerle, Haut-Médoc (Macau)
What is the Cru Artisan designation?
Médoc’s eight appellations had the right to use the designation, denoting their place as exceptional stewards of the land and craft of winemaking, without the financing or apparatus of large-scale operations.
There are now 36 and will be updated every 5 years
What is the Cru Bourgeois classification?
Three levels:
Bourgeois Exceptionnel
Cru Bourgeois Supérieur
Cru Bourgeois
has been removed and added back and forth
in 2020 it was reinstated and will be updated every 5 years
249 châteaux were given Cru Bourgeois status, including 14 crus bourgeois exceptionnels and 56 crus bourgeois supérieurs