Bordeaux Flashcards
Geographic of Bordeaux (where? water? Forrest?)
The Bordeaux wine region lies in southwest France, close tintje Atlantic Ocean. It is traversed by the River Garonne and the River Dordogne, which merge to form the Gironde estuary.
Key developments in history of Bordeaux
17th/18th centuries: Medoc peninsula north of the city (unsuitable for agriculture) was drained by Dutch residents.
Mid 18th: wines from Lafita and Margaux widely appreciated
City of Bordeaux was long a centre for wine exports
Merchants and brokers distributed the wines of Bordeaux.
1855! A major commercial exhibition (the Exposition Universelle de Paris) was to take place. The Bordeaux chamber of commerce asked the regions brokers to compile a classification for the wines. This was based on price. Estates of Medoc plus Haut-Brion in Graves were classified into 5 bands. Sauternes into 3 bands.
Climate of Bordeaux
Moderate Maritime Climate
Atlantic Ocean is a cooling influence
Left bank is partially protected from Atlantic storms by the Landes (pine forest).
Rainfall variable: average of 950 mm per year but with marked variation from year to year.
Excessive rainfall at key moments is an important factor in vintage variation. Describe the key moments.
- rain at flowering can result in poor fruit set
- rain throughout the growing season can result in increased disease pressure
- rain at and following veraison can lead to unripe fruit and fungal disease
- rain at harvest can dilute flavours
Frost in Bordeaux
From time to time large areas of vineyards are affected by frost. In 1956, 1991 and 2017 when the crop was decimated.
Soils of Bordeaux
Left Bank (Medoc to the North of the City and Graves in the South) >
Deposits of gravel and stony soils (carried to the region by floodwaters from the Pyrenees and the Massif Central many thousands years ago)
All top estates on the Left Bank are planted on gravel mounds also known as croupes.
Right bank: far more clay (plus significant patches of gravel in certain sectors of the Libournais) this is why dominant grape here is Merlot
Merlot (Bordeaux)
- Early budding variety (vulnerable to spring frost)
- mid ripening (advantage picking grapes before early autumn rain)
- susceptible to: coulure, drought, botrytis bunch rot.
Contributes: med/pronounced fruit flavors (strawberry, red plum with herbaceous flavours in cooler years and cooked blackberry, black plum in hot years), medium tannins and medium tot high alcohol
Cabernet Sauvignon (Bordeaux)
- late budding
- small-berried thick-skinned variety with high tannin content
- prone to fungal disease (especially powdery mildew and the trunk diseases Eutypa and Esca)
- late ripening (needs to grow on warmer soils) (vulnerable to early autumn rains)
- in Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon contributes pronounced violet, blackcurrent, black cherry and menthol or herbaceous flavors.
Cabernet Franc (Bordeaux)
In Bordeaux it contributes red fruit , high acidity and medium tannins
Malbec
After the hard frost of 1956 Malbec was mainly replaced with Merlot
Petit Verdot
- early budding
- late ripening (even later then cab.sauv)
- best in warmer parts
- often used in less then 5%
- contributes : powerful deeply clouded wines with spice notes and high tannins
- very few plantings , but increasingly valued (warmer climate more likely to ripen)
Semillon (Bordeaux)
- mid-ripening variety
- susceptible to: botrytis bunch rot and to noble Rot in the right conditions
- high yields
- low intensity apple and lemon
- underripe: grassy
Muscadelle (Bordeaux)
Needs to be planted on well-exposed sites , very prone to botrytis bunch rot. Contributes flowery and grapes notes. Not related to Muscat.
Vineyard planting in Bordeaux
Closely spaced vines
10.000 vines per hectare
One meter apart / one metre between the rows
Training in Bordeaux
Most common: head-trained replacement cane - pruned
Left bank: 2 canes are trained (Double Guyot)
Right bank: single cane
Second method:
What is soft pruning?
Is be treatment for Eutypa dieback and Esca. Making only small cuts , leaving some extra wood at the cut site to allow the wood to dry out.
Yields in Bordeaux
50 hectoliter per hectare
Red winemaking in Bordeaux
Fermentation takes place in closed bags with pump-overs as the usual practice. Most use cultured yeast for it reliability.
Fermentation vessels: concrete , stainless steel and wood.
Early drinking: mid range fermentation temperature and short period on the skins after fermentation.(5-7 days)
Longer aging: mid-range to warm fermentation and extended (14-30 days) on the skins.
Malolactic conversion in tanks or barrels. Barrels: better integration of wine and wood.
Describe the 2 styles of rose made in Bordeaux
The deeper coloured traditional style of Clairet and the lighter coloured rose
White wine making in Bordeaux
- Presses directly on arrival (maximum freshness) or
- Left on skin for 24 hours (more aromatic and phenolic complexity) (important: grapes are fully healthy, otherwise off-flavours could be extracted)
- Fermentation
Early drinking: cool fermentation in RVS
Inexpensive: left in tank few months and then clarified and bolted
Mid-price: lees 6-12 months
Higher quality: fermented and aged in Barriques (varying proportion of new oak)
- Many producers block malolactic conversion to retain freshness and acidity
- Batonnage used to be widely practiced (stirring the lees), but in hot years this can give the wines excessive body in relation to their levels of accidity so many producers are wary of this technique.
Contemporary Style of white Bordeaux
Professor Denis Dubourdieu and Andre Lurton.
Advocated increased focus on Sauvignon blanc
Skin contact for the extraction of aromatics
Reduction of the proportion new oak used
Sweet wine grape growing and making in Bordeaux
Yield low (1/3 of still wines) 25 hl/ha is maximum (10 Hl/ha is common for the top estates)
Pruning to low number of buds
Removal of fruits that shows any sign of disease or damage. (Otherwise prone to grey mould)
Harvesters must be well trained : capable of identifying noble rot in contrast to grey or black rot.
Harvest can last from September to November. Some vintages 10-12 times go through the vineyard.
Winemaking : same as white
Top quality barrel fermented (for the best integration of the oak) , 18-36 month for top wines, high proportion of new oak (up to 100% at ch. d’Yquem)
Bordeaux AOC
Bordeaux Supérieur AOC
Maximum yield: 67 hL/ha white
62 hL/ha rosé
60 hL/ha red
Supérieur yield: 59 hL/ha red
These 2 appellations 50% of all wine produced in Bordeaux
Red mainly merlot
White mainly Sauvignon blanc
Médoc AOC
Haut-Médoc AOC
Red wine
Maximum yield 55 hL/ha
Sold from mid-June of the year after harvest
Medoc: north
Haut-medoc : south
Is the location for the four famous single commune appellations
Are adjacent to Gironde estuary and it’s moderating influence and have high proportion of warm gravelly soil (enabling cab. Sauvignon to ripen)
Saint-Estèphe AOC
Most northern
Coolest
Most of the 4 (40%) Merlot
50% Cabernet Sauvignon (best on gravel banks close to the estuary)
Reputation of rustic wines which need many years in the bottle to soften the tannins
However some are softer (more Merlot in blends or from warmer gravel soils)
Water retaining capacity of the clay soils have proven to be advantageous in recent dry, hot summers.
Pauillac AOC
High proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon (62%) planted (top estates 70-80 %)
Wines of high concentration and longevity.
Regarded as the most structured wine of the Left Bank with high tannins and high acidity. (Capacity of long aging)
Highest production of cru classé wines (85% ) (3 of the 5 1st growths)
Saint-Julien AOC
Like Pauillac high proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon and high proportion of grand cru classé wines.
Homogenous gravel soils
Stylistically it is regarded as a mid-way point between the powerful structure of Pauillac and the finesse of Margaux.
Margaux AOC
High proportion of grand cru classé
Slightly less Cabernet Sauvignon planted
Stony gravelly soils
Grapes ripen earlier (due to more south)
Reputation perfumed wines with silky tannins
Listrac-Médoc AOC
Moulins AOC
Same requirements as the 4 commune (can release wines slightly sooner)
Have less gravel in soil
Less moderating influence of the estuary (situated further south)
Graves AOC
Large appellation for white and red
85% red
58 hl/ha white / 55 hl/ha red
Graves Supérieur AOC
Late picked and/or botrytis affected sweet wines
Higher yield 40 hl/ha than Sauternes
Pessac-Léognan AOC
Sub-region within Graves
Gravel soils & moderating influence from Garonne (like the top communes of the Médoc
White: 80 % high quality, often barrel fermented and aged
Red: 20 % high quality
Yield 54 hl/ha
Haut-Brion 1ste growth
Entre-deur-mers AOC
White wines
(Red is being produced in the area but bottles as Bordeaux (Supérieur))
65 hl/ha
Saint-Émillion AOC
Saint-Émillion Grand Cru AOC
Red wine only
53 hl / ha versus 45 hl/ha
Min. Maturation 6 months versus 20 months
60% Merlot
Next Cabernet Franc
Pronounced red and black plum, vanilla and Clive
Full body
High alcohol
Medium + / high acid and tannins
Because of the intense fruit concentration, high acidity and tannins they can age for many years
Saint-Émillion satellites
Lussac
Montagne
Puisseguin
St. Georges
Pomerol AOC
Small but very prestigious
80% Merlot
49 hl/ha
No classification system
Small size estates (petrus 12 ha versus left bank 1ste growths 80-100 ha)
Lalande-de-Pomerol
Larger satellite allows slightly higher yield than Pomerol
Côtes de Bordeaux
Red and white
Created in 2009 for group of appellations on the right bank
Number of communes can append their name before the AOC name: e.g. Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux
Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux
Castillon …..
Franc …..
Red : 55 hl/ha commune 52 hl/ ha
Côtes de Bourg AOC
Similar appellation to Côtes de Bordeaux
Merlot dominant
But 10% Cabernet franc (is higher percentage of Bordeaux)
Wine similar in style and price to Medoc
Sauternes AOC
Barsac AOC
Southern part of Graves
Sweet, botrytis affected wines
80% Sémillon, Sauvignon and tiny amount of Muscadelle
Conditions to produce noble rot: the meeting of the cold Ciron river with the warmer Garonne river, promoting morning mist. (Ideal is mist in morning and burnt of by sun during the day)
Sauternes is largest appellation for sweet wine.
Commune Barsac may be labeled as Barsac or Sauternes
Yield: maximum 25 hl/ha
In reality much lower yields are required
Last 30 years crisis: lack of demand
Properties also produce dry wines now
Other sweet wine appellations in Bordeaux
Number of appellations on both banks of the Garonne
Saints-Croix-du-Mont AOC
Loupiac AOC both 40 hl/ha
Prémiere Côtes de Bordeaux 45 hl/ha
May be botrytis affected or simply late harvest
Classification systems in Bordeaux
In addition to its appellations Bordeaux had quality hierarchies for nearly all of its high-quality wine.
The 1855 classification
The 1855 classification of grand cru classé is based in prices then being achieved for the wines of the Médoc (plus Ch. Haut-Briton in the Graves) and Sauternes.
Médoc wines were ranked into first to fifth growth
Sauternes into first and second (ch. d’Yquem has a special category: Prémier Cru Supérieur.
Graves classification
1959 the Graves established a list bases on pricing, fame and quality as judged by tasting.
16 classified châteaux (red, white or both) all located in sub region of Pessac Léognan.
Premier Cru Classé
Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac
Château Latour, Pauillac
Château Margaux, Margaux
Château Haut-Brion, Pessac, Graves
Château Mouton-Rothschild, Pauillac (promoted in 1973)
The Saint-Émilion classification
The classification dates back to 1955
Has been revised approximately every 10 year
Châteaux are judged on: terroir, methods of production, reputation, commercial consideration, blind tasting of at least 10 vintages.
Three tiers:
Premier Grand Cru A
Premier Grand Cru B
Grand Cru Classé
Only applies to some wines within the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru AOC, the name of the appellation.
Most recent revision is 2012
The Crus Bourgeois du Médoc classification
Created in 1932
Cru Bourgeois is a level below Cru Classé but still of superior quality
In 2010 it was revised with the cru Bourgeois label awarded annually to individual wines rather than to châteux
quality based production method + product
2018 chateaux will be classified as one of three tiers of quality:
Cru Bourgeois
Cru Bourgeois Supérieur
Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel
This classification wil last for 5 years
What is controversial about some of the classification systems in Bordeaux
Some find the use of Saint-Émilion Grand Cru in the name of the Saint-Emillion appellation as misleading
Wine Business in Bordeaux
7000 estates , shrinking, larger companies, more volume, more commercial viable.
800 million bottles
Co-operatives important , 25% of production
Production cost of
Bordeaux AOC 0,57
Médoc 2,35
Classed growth 16
The main extra costs for classes growth: increased vine density, harvest costs, hugely higher viticultural costs, lower yield , rigorous grape selection and barrel ageing (cost of new barrels, extended time in barrel)
Markets of Bordeaux
Wine sales 2018 > 4 billion
56% France (mainly supermarket / 5,80 value)
44 % export
Top export markets: Hong Kong, China, USA and UK
La place de Bordeaux
Unique commercial system
Few producers sell wine directly
Merchant (négociant) sell 70 % of the wine to wholesalers and retailers
The relationship between producers and merchants is handled by a broker
(Courtier)
Do producers sell their wine to 1 or several negociant?
Bordeaux wine are distributed to 170 countries around the globe
Producers sell to many negiociant (up to 40) on allocation
What is the en primeur systeem in Bordeaux?
The wine is sold 12 to 18 months before it is bottled
Advantages of en primeur system? For buyers? For producers?
Buyer: can secure hard-to-buy wines and at a lower price
Estate: early payment
