Bordeaux Flashcards
What is the climate of Bordeaux?
Maritime
What did the 1953 Graves Classification rank?
The wines of 16 estates (not the estates themselves), both white and red
T or F: The Entre-deux-Mers AOC may produce dry and sweet white wine.
FALSE. Entre-deux-Mers AOC produces dry whites only.
Define “petit château”
An unofficial term for an unclassified property in the Bordeaux region
What estate is the only Premier Cru Supérieur within the 1855 classification?
Château d’Yquem
Define “cru artisan”
Boutique wineries of quality in Bordeaux
What is the difference between Saint-Émillion Grand Cru and Saint-Émillion Grand Cru Classé?
The former is an AOC; the latter reflects a ranking within the Saint-Émillion classification system.
The Garonne and Dordogne flow into what estuary?
The Gironde
T or F: Only dry red wines may be produced in the Médoc AOC.
TRUE. However, some white wine is produced. It is just not bottled under the Médoc appelation.
Who drained the Médoc Peninsula in the 17th century?
The Dutch
T or F: The Bordeaux Classification of 1855 was based on the size and prestige of the estates.
FALSE. The document reflected the price points (by tiers) at which the top wines were selling in 1855.
What Bordeaux soils are considered “warm”?
Gravel and sand
What Bordeaux soils are considered “cold”?
Clay and limestone
T or F: Bordeaux is France’s largest AOC vineyard area.
TRUE
The Classification System of 1855 divides red wine into how many tiers?
Five
What is the main soil type of Bordeaux’s Left Bank?
Gravel
T or F: Irrigation is illegal in Bordeaux
TRUE
Who championed the “second label” concept as a way to improve the quality of the “grand vin”?
Émile Peynaud
T or F: Barsac may bottle its wine as Sauternes if so desired.
TRUE. Barsac is included in Sauternes’ zone of production.
What river separates Sauternes from Barsac?
The Ciron
What river separates Fronsac and Canon Fronsace from the rest of the Libournais?
The Isle
T or F: Bordeaux reds are typically less fruit-driven and less overtly oaked than their New World counterparts.
TRUE
Define a wine purchased “en primeur”
A wine purchased before it is released
What are the three primary white grapes in Bordeaux?
Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle
Which Bordeaux sub-region lies between the Dordogne and Garonne rivers?
Entre-deux-Mers
What are the main soil types of Bordeaux’s Right Bank?
Clay and limestone
What is the most widely planted grape in Bordeaux?
Merlot
What grape variety suffered the most damage after the Winter Freeze of 1956?
Malbec
Define “Les Landes”?
A man-made pine forest
Which Bordeaux estate was elevated to First Growth status in 1973?
Mouton Rothschild
What are the three tiers of the Cru Bourgeois Classification?
Crus Bourgeois, Crus Bourgeois Supérieurs, Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels
What Right Bank sub-region has a classification system?
Saint-Émilion
Bordeaux’s first vineyards were planted in what sub-region?
Graves
T or F: Crémant de Bordeaux may be white or rosé.
TRUE
T or F: The Côtes de Bordeaux AOC makes dry red wine only.
TRUE
Before becoming its own AOC, Péssac-Leognan was once a part of what Bordeaux sub-region?
Graves
Define “clairet”
A semi-red wine made by the saignée method.
What are the four satellites of Saint-Émilion?
Lussac, Montagne, Puisseguin,
Saint-Georges
T or F: Graves Supérieures AOC produces dry, semi-sweet and sweet white wines.
FALSE. Graves Supérieures AOC produces semi-sweet wine only.
