BORDEAUX Flashcards
What factors affect the climate of Bordeaux?
Atlantic Ocean gives a maritime climate
Pineforest and
Great sanddunes along the coast create some rainshadow
Rivers of Garonne and Dordogne converge into Gironde river, all moderating Bordeaux´climate
Threats can be
warm summers and
rainfall during flowering and harvest.
What soil types do you find in Bordeaux?
Gravel based soil on the left bank of bordeaux
Clay and limestone based soils on the right bank of Bordeaux
What production and aging techniques are common in Bordeaux?
Usually, 6 months of aging in-barrel is required,
Some chateaux barrel-age for as much as 20 months.
After aging, the winemaker try to blend the best vintage, released as “Grand vin” of the Château.
Inferior quality (or leftovers) will be classified as second-wine, and in some cases there will even be a third wine.
Where and what varietals are used in sweet wine production in Bordeaux?
Sweet wine are made in the regions of Sauternes, Barsac, and Cadillac.
A blend of Sémillon, Sauvignon blanc, and Muscadelle are used.
New oak is used by most prestigous wines.
Flavours of honey, dried apricot, saffron. Pairs with cheese, hazelnuts, etc.
How do they barrique ferment and age their wines in Bordeaux?
Aging wine in 225L oak barrels - barriques - is a routine practice in Bordeaux
Larger proportions of new barrels are typically used for more prestigious wines (red, whites, dry, sweet) giving them aromas of vanilla, toasted cedar and spice.
What principal districts do you find in Bordeaux?
The entire region is called Bordeaux AOC.
Main Regions are
Left Bank (Mèdoc, Graves)
Right Bank (Pomerol, Saint-Èmilion)
Entre-Deux-Mers
Côtes de Bordeaux (Bourg)
What sub-districts do you find in Bordeaux?
Médoc, north of Bordeaux: Saint-Estéphe AOP, Pauillac AOP, Saint-Julien AOP, Margaux AOP
Graves, south of Bordeaux: Pessac-Léognan AOP
Côtes de Bordeaux: Francs, Cadillac, Blaye
Summarize the 1855 Classification system
Napoleon III commisioned a ranking ahead of the world exhibition in Paris in 1855. Based on prices, a group of merchants assembled the ranking giving birth to four first growth:
Château Latour
Château Lafite
Château Häut-Brion
Margaux
Château Mouton-Rotschild entered the first growth in 1973
There are over- and underperformers in most crus
A “super second” is a overperforming Château at lower tiers, and it is great sport among wine writers to debate the rigid classification.
Mention top Médoc chateaux and their location
Palmer in Margaux. est. 1844
Margaux in Margaux. est. 16th century
Cos d´Estournel in Saint-Estéphe. est. 1811
Léoville-Las-Cases in Saint-Julien, est. 1638.
Ducru-Beaucaillou in Saint-julien, est. 17th century
Latour in Pauillac, est. 1331
Summarize the St. Èmilion classification
Based on INAO scoring criteria, such as
tasting of several vintages
topography and soil
viticulture and winemaking
reputation
Hierarchy:
Premiers Grands Crus Classés A
Premiers Grands Crus Classés B
Grand Crus Classés
Withdraw from 2022 classification fx
Château Angélus
Château Ausone
Château Cheval Blanc
Mention top Pomerol Châteaux
Petrus, est. 18th century
Vieux Château Certan, est. 18th century
Lafleur, est. 1872
Le Pin, est. 1979
La Conseillante, est. 18th century
What grape varietals are used in Bordeaux?
Red grapes = the “green family”, since
Cabernet Franc is the father of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Carmenére are related
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Cabernet Franc
Petite Verdot
Malbec
Carmenére
CBF + SVB is the parents of CBS; CBF is father of Merlot, MAL and CAR are siblings. Green notes (bell pepper (paprika), grass, sage (salvie)) are the common thread in this family-tree!
White grapes:
Sauvignon Blanc
Sémillon
Muscadelle
Why do they blend in Bordeaux and what grapes are dominant?
To balance out the different winestyles.
Left bank blend
Cabernet Sauvignon dominated, with lesser amounts of MER and/or CBF
Right bank blend
Merlot and Cabernet Franc are dominant grapes, they ripen more securely in the colder clay soil than Cabernet Sauvignon
White Bordeaux blend
Sémillon is dominant in sweet wines and
Sauvignon blanc in dry wines.
Muscadelle may be used for its aromatics
What wine styles define the principal districts of Bordeaux?
Médoc (reds):
Cabernet sauvignon based and can be
tannic, powerful, long-lived reds.
Graves (red, white):
Lighter and less tannic than top wines of Médoc.
Whites on Sauvignon Blanc have more body than SVB from Loire
Pomerol AOP: (red)
Merlot wines, lavishly oaked with flavours of plum and chocolate.
A rich, plump winestyle.
Saint-Èmillion AOP (red):
wines of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
More rigid and less fatty than reds from Pomerol, but till more mellow and round than Left Bank wines. Between Left Bank and Pomerol…
Côtes de Bordeaux (red, white):
Merlotbased, dont require much cellaring, some ambitious producers
What quality system do you find in Bordeaux?
1855 Classification of Bordeaux, last modified 1973
1855 Classification of Sauternes, never modified since
1955 Classification of St. Èmilion, last modified 2022
1959 Classification of Graves, never modified since
2002 Cru Artisan Classification, last modified 2016
2003 Cru Bourgeois Classification, last modified 2020
