Bordeaux Flashcards
Black or white grapes in Bordeaux?
nearly 90 per cent of the plantings are black grapes.
AOC wine production % by style
The production of AOC wine is
- 85% red,
- 9% dry white,
- less than 1% sweet white and
- 5% rosé
1855 classification
In 1855, for the Exposition Universelle de Paris,the Bordeaux chamber of commerce asked the region’s brokers to compile a classification of the wines:
- This was based on price, and the estates of the Médoc plus Haut Brion in Graves were classed into five bands, those of Sauternes into three.
- The 1855 classification had official status and remains essentially unaltered to this day.
- It also still influences prices today.
Area under vine in Bordeaux:
- 108,000 hectares planted (2021 CIVB or Bordeaux Wine Council)
- 72% of AOC wine produced is only entitled to the Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur, Médoc and Cộtes appellations and are inexpensive to mid-price.
- A prestigious appellation such as Pomerol occupies only 800 hectares (0,7%)
- Cru classés about 5%
Bordeaux Climate
Moderate maritime climate.
The warm Gulf Stream, originating in the Gulf of Mexico, is a warming influence across Bordeaux and beyond.
Influence of climate on Bordeaux wine (in general)
In the best years, warmth throughout the growing season, plentiful rainfall to promote growth and ripening, and a relatively dry and warm first month of autumn allow for steady and complete ripening.
In those best years, such a climate can result in
- an excellent balance of tannins, sugar and acidity,
which partly explains the remarkable longevity of great vintages here.
Estates
- Domaine de Chevalier in Léognan and many in Listrac in the Médoc, are cooler and thus more marginal than their neighbours to the east.
Influence of climate on Bordeaux in Left Bank
The maritime influence is less pronounced in the easterly, Right Bank regions of Bordeaux such as the Libournais (Saint-Émilion, Pomerol and appellations that surround them), but remains a factor.
Influence of climate on Bordeaux in Left Bank
The Left Bank is partially protected from Atlantic storms by extensive pine forests, the Landes.
Estates that fringe these forests, such as Domaine de Chevalier in Léognan and many in Listrac in the Médoc, are cooler and thus more marginal than their neighbours to the east.
In the northern Médoc, the forest is less of a feature and the landscape is more open to maritime influence. As a result, its climate is cooler than the southern Médoc and Graves.
In the Médoc, the most prestigious wines tend to be close to the Gironde estuary, which has a moderating influence on the climate and often protects those vines from frost, while those located a short distance to the west can be devastated.
Bordeaux climate threats
- Hail: which is always sporadic, has been more widespread and destructive over the past decade.
- Frost: from time to time affects large areas of vineyards, as in 1956, 1991 and 2017 when the crop was decimated.
Vintage variation in terms of volume is marked:
in frost-affected 2017, 33% less wine was made than the 10-year average and 40% less than in the large 2016 harvest
This level of variation of yield has significant financial implications for estates and for the wine business in the region as a whole.
Bordeaux rainfall and rain related problems
Rainfall is variable, an average of 950 mm a year but with marked variation from year to year and the times within the year when it falls.
Excessive rain at key moments is an important factor in vintage variation:
- Rain at flowering can result in poor fruit set.
- Rain throughout the growing season can result in increased disease pressure.
- Rain at and following véraison can lead to unripe fruit and fungal diseases.
- Rain at harvest can dilute flavours.
Bordeaux climate change and influence on wine
Climate change has led to hot, dry summers with insufficient rainfall.
The hardy grape varieties planted across Bordeaux can resist extremes of temperature, but hot dry years such as 2003 can lead to wines, both red and white, with low acidity that lack balance.
They can also lead to wines being more alcoholic than in the past as growers wait for phenolic ripeness before picking.
In extremely hot years, such as 2003 and 2005, the excellent drainage can put some vines at risk of drought stress. This is particularly the case where soils are shallow. For example, in Pomerol soils are rarely more than a metre deep and, as a result, the vines can suffer, as was seen in the very dry summer of 2016.
