Bordeaux Flashcards
Bordeaux map
Bordeaux history - Eleanor of Aquitaine
- Eleanor of Aquitane “grandmother of Europe”
- Married 2x to King Luis VII then to King Henry.
- Was imprisoned by her ex-husband for 16 yrs
- Very powerful and spirited, lived til 82
- Inherited a lot of land and export ports in Bordeaux
- Taught the English to drink wine
Bordeaux history - Dutch draining of Gironde Estuary
- Medoc was drained in 17th century by the Duth to clear the land for agricultural use.
- Discovered soil was gravel and good for growing wine, vines were planted and roads were constructed for trade.
- Gradually surpassed Graves as most presitigious region for growing wine.
Changing perception of Bordeaux
- Largest region of AOP wine production in France
- Highly regarded ratings
- Global image evolition of market and style
- “Have always done it this way mentality”
- Need to adapt for climate change (planting new varietals) and consumer preferences/affordability.
- Introducing new styles of wine and marketing strategies
- Showcasing diversity and quality in mid range price wine
Bodies of water that impact Bordeaux
Atlantic Ocean
Gironde Estuary
Dordogne River
Garonne River (flows to Atlantic)
Impact of waterways in Bordeaux
Early years allowed English and Dutch merchants to commercialize wines
Make the climate fairly humid - this can also cause mold and rot (Gulf Stream helps with this becoming a problem)
Temper the potential volatility of the climate providing a more stable growing environment
Allows for better drainage of the land - which is important for growing grapes, especially if vineyards are on hills (increased drainage)
“Bordeaux’s best vineyards can see the river”
Atlantic Ocean
Hour drive west of Bordeaux
Gironde Estuary
Directly west (north to south):
* Medoc
* St. Estephe
* Pauiliac
* St. Julien
Directly east:
* Blaye & Bourg
Garonne River
Directly west (north to south):
* Margaux
* Haute Medoc
* City of Bordeaux
* Pessac
* Leogan
* Graves
Directly east:
* Entre Deux Mers
Dordogne River
Directly west:
* Entre Deux Mers
Directly east:
* Bourg
* Fronsac
* Canon Fronsac
* Pomerol
* Saint Emillion
1855 Classification History
- Established by Napoleon to display best Bordeaux wines to the world
- Map highlighting the most prestigious estates
- Used wine sales records to establish top chateaus based on price in marketplace
- Ranked wines into 5 growths: First Growth down to Fifth Growth
- 61 chateaux classified
- Chateau Mouton Rothschild added as First Growth in 1973 due to persistence of family asking to be added.
1855 Classification First Growths
Chateau Lafite Rothschild (Pauilliac)
Chateau Latour (Pauilliac)
Chateau Mouton Rothschild (Pauilliac)
Chateau Margaux (Margaux)
Chateau Haut Brion (Graves)
1855 Classification Second Growths
- Chateau Rauzan, Margaux
- Chateau Leoville, St-Julien
- Chateau Durfort-Vivens, Margaux
- Chateau Gruaud-Larose, St-Julien
- Chateau Lascombes, Margaux
- Chateau Brane-Cantenac, Margaux
- Chateau Pichon Longueville, Pauillac
- Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou, St-Julien
- Chateau Cos d’Estournel, St-Estèphe
- Chateau Montrose, St-Estèphe
Cru Bourgeois Classification
- Established in 1930, ranked every 5 yrs
- Medoc chateaux that did not make the cut for 1855
- Levels in decreasing quality:
- Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel
- Cru Bourgeois Superieur
- Cru Bourgeois
What areas make up the Left Bank?
Medoc
Graves
Medoc
Red wine only!
* Left bank
* Gravel
* Cab Sauv
Medoc Classifications/Top producers
- All First Growths in 1855 Classification
- Chateau Lafite Rothschild (Pauilliac)
- Chateau Latour (Pauilliac)
- Chateau Mouton Rothschild (Pauilliac)
- Chateau Margaux (Margaux)
What are the AOCs in the Medoc?
Medoc
St.Estephe
Paulliac
St. Julien
Haut Medoc
Margaux
Top vintages of Medoc
2005, 2009, 2010, 2015
Graves AOC
Dry red/white + sweet
- Left bank
- South of Medoc
- West of Garonne River
- Gravel
- White & Red wines
- Sauv Blanc/Semillon
- Cab Sauv, Merlot, Cab Franc
Graves Classification/Top producer
1855 Classification
Chateau Haut Brion
Pessac-Leognan
- Left bank
- Subregion of Graves
- Northern most region
- Dry white wines
- Dry red wines
Sauternes
- Left bank
- Southern most region of Graves
- Between Garonne and Ciron Rivers
- Botrytis affected sweet wines (benefits from humidity!)
- Semillon primary grape
- Oak aged in barriques
- Sauternes food: cocolate covered raisins
Sauternes Classification/Top producer
- Classification: Superior First Growth (Premier Cru Superieur)
- Chateau d’Yquem
- 1855
Barsac
- Small AOP within Sauternes
- Northeast of Sauternes
- Sweet wines from Botrytis & Semillon
- Cheateau Climens
Entre Deux Mers
- In between banks
- Located between Garonne & Dordogne Rivers
- Very fertile silt
- White wines only (lighter body)
- Sauv blanc, Semillon, Muscalle
- Little to no oak
Saint-Emillon
Tiny & red wines!
- Right bank
- Just southwest of Pomerol
- Tiny!
- Silt, Clay, Gravel
- Dry red wines only
- Merlot, Cab Franc
- Additional .5% alcohol, additional aging
- Has classification system, revised every 10yrs
Saint-Emillon Classification System
- Started in 1959, revised every 10yrs
- Most recent 2022
- Levels in order of decreasing quality:
- Grand Cru Class A
- Grand Cru Classe B
- Grand Cru
- Grand Cru Classe A: Chateau Pavie & Chateau Figeac
Saint-Emillon Top Producers
- Chateau Angelus
- Chateau Ausone
- Chateau Cheval-Blanc
- Chateau Pavie
- Chateau Figeac
Montagne-St-Emillon
- Right bank
- North of Saint-Emillon
- Clay, limestone
- Red wines
Pomerol
- Right bank
- North of Dordogne River
- Northwest of Saint-Emillon
- Big!
- Sand, Clay, Gravel, with subsoil of iron pan and rich clay
- Red wines only
- Merlot, Cab Franc
Pomerol Classification/Top producer
NO classification!
Top producers:
* Chateau Petrus
* Chateau Lafleur
* Le Pin
* Clos L’Eglise
Lalande-de-Pomerol
- Right bank
- Directly north of Pomerol
- Clay, gravel, sand
- Red wines
- Cab Franc, Merlot
Bordeaux service of beverage
- Decant young Bordeaux for aeration
- Decant aged Bordeaux for sediment
- Serve at 61-64 for red
- Serve at 43-47 for white
- Serve at 50 for Sauternes
Bordeaux food pairings
Left bank - Braised lamb with fennel & potatoes fried in duck fat (heavy tannins cut through fat, lamb is a richer meat, fennel helps accentuate the minerality, orange brings out some sweetness)
Right bank - Pulled pork sandwhiches or asian style pork chops with chili sauce (Merlot dominant wines blue and purple fruit flavors go well with anything BBQ)
Sauternes - Foie gras or creme brulee/panna cotta (sauternes stands up well to rich/creamy textures) or roast quail with an apple & quince puree (sweetness of sauternes helps enhance and elongate food and wine flavors)
Cost effective options (“second wines”)
Le Petit Cheval (Chateau Cheval-Blanc)
Pavillon Rouge Du Chateau Margaux (Cheateau Margeaux)
Le Clarence de Haut Brion (Cheateau Haut Brion)
Best vintages
- 2016 – Widely considered an outstanding vintage across the region. Balanced, complex wines with medium alcohol.
- 2015 – A juicy, velvety, fruity vintage with a dominance of red fruit notes. Successful year for Right Bank wines with Merlot reaching good levels of ripeness.
- 2010 – An ideal vintage.
Bordeaux wine labels (1st Growths)
