Bordeaux Flashcards
What event forged ties with England in the 1152?
Marriage of Eleanor and Henry Plantagenet
True or false: Bordeaux wine trade was dominated by the church in the Middle Ages?
False - the trade was secular and commercial
Why didn’t the Napoleonic inheritance laws affect Bordeaux as much as other areas of France?
The Bordelaise focussed on selling shares in their estates rather than dividing the land
What did Joseph Capus introduce to the French wine industry
The AC system
Bordeaux is France’s largest AOC vineyard area - True or False?
True
What are petit Chateaux?
Unranked wine estates in Bordeaux
What was the first golden age of Bordeaux?
The period following the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry Plantagent and the commercial trade with England
When did the Dutch drain the Medoc?
1600s
What created the second golden age of Bordeaux wine?
The commercial trade with the Netherlands and England during the 1700s
What was the first recognised Bordeaux Chateau?
Haut-Brion
What created the third golden age for Bordeaux?
Robert Parker’s promotion and scoring of the wines in 1982
Who proposed the creation of second wines to the Bordeaux Chateaux?
Emile Peynaud
What caused the widespread replacement of Malbec with Merlot?
The winter freeze of 1956
What caused the shift from white wine production to red in Bordeaux?
The winter freeze of 1956
What is a grand vin?
The highest quality wine from a chateau
True or false. The majority of Bordeaux production is consumed in France?
True - 56%
What is the climate of Bordeaux?
Maritime
What factors moderate the climate in Bordeaux?
Gulf Stream
Landes Forest
What is the primary type of soil in Bordeaux
Sedimentary
What is the highest AC in Bordeaux
Sainte-Foy Côtes de Bordeaux
What are the new red grape varieties permitted in Bordeaux since 2021
Arinarnoa
Castets
Marsaelan
Touruga Nacional
What are the two new white varieties permitted in Bordeaux since 2021
Alvarino
Liliorila
The 2021 new white varieties can be planted anywhere in Bordeaux. True or False?
True
What is the most widely planted grape variety in Bordeaux?
Merlot
What is the most widely planted white grape variety in Bordeaux?
Equal between Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc
What areas of Bordeaux is Cot mostly found?
Bourg, Blaye Entre-deux-Mers
The 2021 new red varieties can be planted anywhere in Bordeaux. True or False?
True
What is Taille Medocaine?
A vine training method similar to double Guyot but with shorter canes
What are the primary training methods used in Bordeaux?
Single & Double Guyot
Taille Medocaine
What does the Haute Valeur Environmental award mean?
The estate follows high environmental practices such as biodiversity, judicious agrochemical use and careful water management
What is a tris?
Pass through the vineyard to pick botrytis affected grapes
The use of delestage is reducing in Bordeaux. True or False
True. Pigeage and Remontage is now more common
What wine is Bordeaux would be pink?
Rosé
What wine in Bordeaux is light red?
Clairet
How many regional ACs does Bordeaux have?
3
Bordeaux
Bordeaux Superior
Cremant de Bordeaux
What wine styles can be made using the Bordeaux AC designation?
Dry white
Rosé
Red
Light Red (Clairet)
Semi-Sweet white
What wine styles can be made under the Bordeaux Superior AC designation?
Red and semi-sweet white only
What white grape variety cannot be used in semi-sweet whites in Bordeaux AC?
Alvarinho
What distinguishes Bordeaux superior from Bordeaux AC
Tighter production standards
Lower maximum yields
high minimum alcohol level
Must be estate bottled
Cremant de Bordeaux can be white or rosé. True or false
True
If rosé it can only be made from red varieties
True or false. White wine can be made in all the Medoc ACs
False. No white wine can be labelled with any Medoc AC
What’s the predominant soil type in Medoc AC?
Clay and limestone
What is the predominant soil type in Haut-Medoc AC?
Gravel