Bordeaux Flashcards
Bordeaux
Moderate Maritime Climate
Prolonged Growing Season
Landes Forest
Left Bank
Medoc to the North, Graves to the South, gravel soils (croupes) give superior drainage and heat retention, Cabernet Sauvignon
Right Bank
Pomerol, Saint Emilion, more clay in soil but significant patches of gravel in certain sectors, Merlot dominant
Merlot
Early ripening, prefers cold soils (clay), medium tannin, moderate color, low acid, high alcohol
Cabernet Sauvignon
Late ripening, prefers warm soils (gravels and sand), high acid, high tannin, high color, moderate alcohol
Cabernet Franc
Cold soil (limestone), medium tannin, medium acid, moderate color
Malbec
Devastated by freeze of 1956 so replanted with Merlot, likes limestone, low acidity, blackberry notes,
Petit Verdot
Buds early ripens late so fell out of favor. Climate change bringing it back into favor. Deep color, high tannin, spicy notes, gravel and sandy soils
Semillon
Waxy texture, subdued aroma, medium acid, fuller bodies
Dry: pear, citrus, mineral.
Sweet: tropical fruit, honey, apricot, peach, citrus, nectarine
More succeptible to botrytis and ages well
Sauvignon Blanc
High acid, aromatic white, grassy, gooseberry, pineapple
Muscadelle
Intensely aromatic
Grapey with slight musk overtones, flowers
Double Goyet
Head trained, replacement cane VSP (2 canes trained)
Left Bank
Simgle Guyot
head trained, replacement cane VSP (1 cane trained)
Right bank
Soft Pruning
Making small cuts, leaving some extra wood at cut site
Allow wood to dry out and maximizing sap flow around plant
1855 Classification
Established by request of Napoleon for the Exposotion Universelle de Paris
Based on price of Medoc and Haut Brion in Graves
Remains ulaltered today
Still affects price
Graves Classification
Drawn up in 1953 (completed in 1959)
13 wines entitled to use Cru Classe
500 hectares in Pessac-Leognan appellation
Saint-Emilion Classification
1954 (revised every 10 years)
Overseen by INAO
Premier Cru Classe
Grabd Cru Classe
Cru Bourgeois du Medoc Classification
2003 made official in 2016
Renewed every September
All Medoc wines, 2 years after harvest
Annual blind tasting
Châteaux
Over 7,000 estates
Now shrinking from acquisitions
Average size 19 hectares
Annual production 800 bottles
Le Place de Bordeaux
The roles of growers, courtier, negociants
Growers utilize brokers (courtiers) who sell to merchants (negociants) who sell to wholesalers then to retail then to consumer
Courtiers mark up 2% and negociants 15%
En Primeur
Futures sold while wine is still in barrel
Year to 18 months before being bottled
Gives producer money up front
Gives consumer/negociants ability to buy at lower price (usually) then when it hits stores
Also has become only way to get some wines and you have to buy every year to keep your allocation
