Bordeaux Flashcards
What is the climate of Bordeaux?
Maritime
What was ranked in the 1953 Graves Classification?
The wines of the 16 estates
(not the estates themselves)
Includes both red and white wine
What does petit chateau mean?
Unofficial term for an unclassified property in the Bordeaux region
Which estate is the only Premier Cru Superieur of the 1855 classification?
Chateau d’Yquem
What is the Cru Artisan classification?
Small estates that are entirely responsible for their own red wine production, from vineyard to bottle
“Boutique” wineries of quality
What is the difference between Saint-Emilion Grand Cru and Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe?
Saint-Emilion Grand Cru is an AOC
Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classe is a ranking in the Saint-Emilion classification system
The Garonne and Dordogne flow into which estuary?
The Gironde
What kind of wine can Medoc AOC produce?
Only dry red wine
Some white wine is produced in the region but it cannot be labelled as Medoc AOC
How was the 1855 Classification in Bordeaux decided?
Price point (by tiers) at which the top wines were selling in 1855
Not by size and prestige of the estates
Which Bordeaux soils are considered “warm”?
Gravel
Sand
Which Bordeaux soils are considered “cold”?
Clay
Limestone
What is France’s largest AOC vineyard area?
Bordeaux AOC
The 1855 Classification is divided into how many tiers/rankings?
5
What is the main soil type of Bordeaux’s left bank?
Gravel
Who championed the “second label” concept as a way to improve the quality of grand vin?
Emile Peynaud
Can wine from Barsac be labeled as Sauternes?
Yes
Barsac is included in Sauternes AOC
What is a wine sold “en primeur”?
A wine sold before it is physically released
What are the three primary white grapes in Bordeaux?
Semillon
Sauvignon Blanc
Muscadelle
Which Bordeaux sub-region sits between the Dordogne and Garonne rivers?
Entre-deux-Mers
What are the main soil types of Bordeaux’s right bank?
Clay
Limestone
What is the most widely planted grape variety in Bordeaux?
Merlot
What grape variety suffered the most damage after the winter freeze of 1956?
Malbec (aka Cot)
What is Les Landes?
A man-made pine forest to the west of Bordeaux
Which Bordeaux estate was promoted to First Growth status in 1973?
Chateau Mouton Rothschild
What is the Cru Bourgeois classification?
Classification of Medoc chateaux that are reviewed every 5 years
Crus Bourgeois
Crus Bourgeois Superieurs
Crus Bourgeois Exceptionnels
(lowest to highest)
Which right bank sub-region has a classification system?
Saint-Emilion
Bordeaux’s first vineyards were planted in which sub-region?
Graves
What style of wine can Cremant de Bordeaux be?
White or rose
Before becoming it’s own AOC, which sub-region was Pessac-Leognan part of?
Graves
What kind of wine can Cotes de Bordeaux AOC make?
Only dry red wine