Bordeaux Flashcards by Kathryn Aldrich

Topography of Bordeaux:

Gironde Estuary
Garonne River (to South)
Dordogne River (to East)
Extensive pine forests “Landes” (West)

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What is Exposition Universelle de Paris?

The commercial exhibition that led to the 1855 classification of Bordeaux

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Price points of Bordeaux?

70% inexpensive/mid-priced
30% premium/super-premium

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Climate of Bordeaux?

Moderate maritime
Sufficient rainfall (varied)
- Climate change is leading to insufficient rainfall
Hail
Significant vintage variation

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Soil of Bordeaux:

Left bank: Gravel (heat retention, free draining)
Right bank: Clay (water retaining) - less maritime influence

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Describe Merlot:

Early budding (spring frost issue)
Mid-ripening
Large berries
Higher sugar/potential alc
Can fully ripen in cool years

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Describe Cab Sauv:

Late budding
Late ripening
Small berries/thick skins
Prone to powdery mildew, Eutypa, Esca

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Describe Petit Verdot:

Early budding
Very late ripening
Increasing in popularity with warmer temperatures

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Describe Semillon:

Mid ripening
High yielding
Strong affinity to oak
Highly age-worthy
Med body
Med Alc
Med/Med+ Acid
Low flavor intensity - apple, lemon, grass

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Describe Muscadelle:

Very prone to botrytis
Needs well-exposed site

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Viticulture in Bordeaux:

Head-trained
Replacement cane pruned
Double Guyot on Left, Single Guyot on Right
AOC: 3K-4K vines/hectare
Yields: 50hL/hA
Top quality: 10K vines/hectare
Soft pruning (small cuts in wood to dry it out)
Mostly machine harvest out of necessity

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Red winemaking in Bordeaux?

Closed vat fermentation
Pump over
Cultured yeast
Temp controlled
Maceration 5-30 days depending on style/quality
Inoculate for rapid MLF (en primeur tastings)
New oak decreasing

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White winemaking in Bordeaux?

Tank fermentation
Some high quality in oak
Mid-priced and higher aged on lees
MLF blocked

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Rose winemaking in Bordeaux?

Some traditional style - claret; short maceration/bleeding
Some “newer” style - light from direct press

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Sweet wine in Bordeaux:

Low yields - 1/3 of still wine
25hL/hA max, but top wines below 10hL/hA
Harvest lasts Sept-Nov
Barrel fermentation for top quality

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Describe Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux Superior?

50% of total production
67hL white, 62hL rose, 60hL red, 59hL red Superior
Reds: Merlot-based
Med int red fruit
High acidity
Med+ tannins
Med body
Med alc

Left bank AOCs?

Medoc/Haut Medoc
Saint-Estephe
Pauillac
Saint-Julien
Margaux
Listrac-Medoc
Moulis

Describe Medoc wines?

Red wine only, max 55hL/hA
Pronounced intensity
Black currant/green bell pepper/red plum/vanilla/cedar
Med/High alc
High tannins
Med+ body

Describe St Estephe?

Most Merlot of left bank (40%)
Rustic wines, benefit from age

Describe Pauillac?

High proportion of Cab Sauv
3 first growths
Highest production of cru classe
Most structured - high concentration, high tannin/acid

Describe Saint-Julien?

Midway stylistically between Pauillac/Margeaux
5 second-growths, no first

Describe Margaux:

One first growth
Perfumed wines with silky tannins

Describe Graves:

85% red wine, average yields
Graves Superieures AOC is late harvest and/or botrytis wines only
- 40hL/ha (higher than Sauternes)

Describe Pessac-Leognan:

80% red
One First growth
Best white wines of Bordeaux
54hL

Describe Entre-deux-Mers:

2nd largest appellation Only white wines

Right bank AOCs?

Saint-Emilion Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Pomerol Cotes de Bordeaux Cotes de Bourg

Describe Saint-Emilion:

Red wine only Grand Cru has lower yields and min. 20 months maturation Red/black plum, vanilla/clove Full body High alcohol Med+/High acid Med+/High tannin Satellites: Montagne Saint-Emilion AOC and Lussac-Saint-Emilion AOC

Describe Pomerol:

Small, high quality production 49hL/hA Red/black plum, vanilla/clove Full body High alcohol Med+/high acid Med+/high tannin Satellite: Lalande-de-Pomerol AOC

Describe Cotes de Bordeaux:

Established in 2009 Includes Blaye, Castillon, Cadillac, Francs

Describe Cotes de Bourg:

Highest Malbec % in Bordeaux (10%)

Describe Sauternes/Barsac:

Semillon 80% Mists burnt off in afternoon to prevent grey rot Started producing dry wines due to dwindling demand for sweet

Describe 1855 Classification:

60 properties ranked in 5 tiers Chateau d'Yquem awarded Premier Cru Superior 25% of wines classified Cru Classe

First Growths (Premier Cru Classe)?

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac) Chateau Latour (Pauillac) Chateau Margaux (Margaux) Chateau Haut-Brion (Pessac, Graves) Chateau Mouton Rothschild (Pauillac) - promoted in 1973

Graves classification:

1959 16 classified estates, all in Pessac Leognan

Saint-Emilion classification:

1955 Revised at 10yr intervals Premier Grand Cru A, Premier Grand Cru B, Grand Cru Classe

Define Cru Bourgeois:

Classification established in 1932 for Medoc wines that didnt quality for 1855 Includes Cru Bourgeois, Cru Bourgeois Superieur, and Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel - Recertify every 5 years

Wine Business in Bordeaux?

800+ million bottles/year Over 7000 estates Coops responsible for 25% Production costs: 0.57 - Bordeaux AOC 2.35 - Medoc 16.00 - classified growth - increased density, harvest cost, viticultural cost, lower yield, grape selection, barrel aging

Export of Bordeaux:

44% by volume, 52% by value Hong Kong, China, USA, UK

What is La Place de Bordeaux?

Commercial system Wine is sold to a merchant/negociant (take 15%) Courtier (broker) handles relationship between producers and merchant (take 2%)