Bordeaux Flashcards
Largest AOC in France
Bordeaux
What percentage of Bordeaux wine is red?
85%
Number of appellations in Bordeaux
65
Three rivers of Bordeaux
Garonne
Dordogne
Gironde Estuary
Wind influence of Bordeaux
Gulf Stream (warm)
Protective forests to the south and west of Bordeaux
Les Landes
The words mouton, lafite, & cos all derive from the French word for what?
Hill
In Bordeaux, “the best vineyards can see” what?
The river
Since clay retains water, it stays cool in the spring, delaying what?
Bud break
Because clay delays ripening, what do vines need in order to reach physiological maturity?
Warm weather throughout growing season
This Bordeaux variety has a slightly less tannic structure and tends to ripen early.
Merlot
As a result of climate-change, Bordeaux now tends to ripen grapes __ days earlier than 30 years ago
20
Petrus is planted to __% Merlot
100%
The two most expensive wines in Bordeaux
Petrus
Le Pin
What is smectite?
Dense blue clay of Pomerol
Soil of Pomerol
Smectite
Dense blue clay
Why is the left bank of Bordeaux better known than the right bank?
Bridges over the Gironde, Garonne, & Dordogne weren’t built until the mid-1800’s.
“First Growth” as in Bordeaux
Premier Cru
What vintage of St-Emilion was completely annulled?
2006
How many chateaux were classified in the 1855 Bordeaux classification?
61
What is the only change to the 1855 classification?
Mouton Rothschild - 1973
Three levels of classification to the Sauternes & Barsac classification of 1855
Premier Cru Superieur Classe (Yquem)
Premier Cru Classe
Deuxieme Cru Classe
What is the top level of the Sauternes & Barsac classification of 1855 and who is the sole holder of that title?
Premier Cru Superieur Classe (Chateau d’Yquem)
Years of the Graves (Pessac-Leognan) classifications
1953
1959
Levels of the Graves classification of 1953
Grand Cru Classe only (for both whites & reds)
Year of the St-Emilion classification
1953 (ratified in 1955)
What did the ratification to the classification system in St-Emilion declare?
That the classification be revisited every ten years or so
Levels of the St-Emilion classification
Premier Grand Cru Classe “A”
Premier Grand Cru Classe “B”
Grand Cru Classe
How many Premiers Grands Crus Classes “A” were declared in St-Emilion and who were they?
4;
Cheval Blanc
Ausone
Angelus
Pavie
In 2021 and 2022 three of the Premier Grand Cru Classe “A” chateaux in St-Emilion withdrew from the classification leaving which chateaux as the sole remaining Classe “A”?
Pavie
T/F: Pomerol, Fronsac, and Canon-Fronsac have never classified
True
Cru Bourgeois chateaux are ranked every _ years based on tasting _ past vintages.
5
Levels of Cru Bourgeois
Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel
Cru Bourgeois Superieur
Cru Bourgeois
Cru Bourgeois chateaux are limited to what area?
Medoc
The two sub-zones of the Medoc
Medoc
Haut-Medoc
The top communes of the Medoc are found in which sub-zone?
Haut-Medoc
Dutch engineers drained the marshlands of Bordeaux in what century?
17th
By 1718, Lafite Rothschild Latour, and Mouton were all owned by
The de Segur family
Which area has the most chateaux from the 1855 classification?
Margaux
How many classified properties are in Margaux?
21
These wines are often described as being like an ‘iron fist in a velvet glove.’
Margaux
Top two properties of Margaux
Chateau Margaux
Chateau Palmer (3rd growth)
This region has the highest percentage chateaux classified (95%) but no first growths.
St-Julien
Symbol of the Leoville-‘s
Lion (leo)
Who sent the 1855 classification to the Chamber of Commerce and on what date?
Charles-Henri-Georges Merman
April 18th, 1855
Who has revised the 1855 classification using the same parameters as the original and in what year did they start?
Liv-ex (2009)
This chateau famously stopped selling futures in what year.
Chateau Latour (2012)
What is meant by tranches?
The different batches a wine is released in
Three of the five first-growths are located in this commune
Pauillac
Name the 3 first growths of Pauillac
Lafite
Mouton
Latour
Pauillac has __ of the 61 classified chateaux.
18
Soil of Lafite Rothschild
Bits of limestone scattered in gravel
In addition to the famous gravel, Ice Age glaciers deposited what in Graves, found in all the best vineyards?
Tiny white quartz pebbles
Most chateaux make both white and red in this Bordeaux commune.
Graves
This chateau has by far the most Merlot of any of the first growths.
Haut Brion
(often as much as 45%)
All white Graves are blends of:
Semillon
Sauv blanc
Classic pairing for white Pessac-Leognan wines
Oysters
Bordeaux’s five sweet wine communes
Sauternes
Barsac
Bommes
Fargues
Preignac
What percentage of Bordeaux wine is sweet?
1%
Two other terms for noble rot
Pourriture noble
Botrytis cinerea
Semillon is particularly susceptible to noble rot because of
It’s large, loose bunches of thin-skinned grapes
Temp. range for noble rot
59-77F
For noble rot to occur, humidity must hover above __% for more than __ hours, then the weather must turn ____________________.
90%
4 hours
Hot & dry
Too much rain or humidity and _____ rot will form.
Gray rot
River of Sauternes & Barsac
Ciron
Botrytis cinerea releases the enzyme __________, which helps degrade and rupture cell walls of the grapes’ skins.
Pectinase
Botrytis also alters the amount and type of acids in grapes, leading to the grapes gaining in _____, ______, & ______ acid.
Malic
Citric
Acetic
T/F: Chateau d’Yquem only makes sweet wine about 50% of the time (vintages).
True
Sauternes & Barsac wines usually have btw ____-____ g/l sugar.
100-150 g/l
Sauternes & Barsac must age for _ yrs in cask.
2
How many sweet wine chateaux were classified in 1855?
27:
Y’Quem
11 Premier Cru
15 Deuxieme Cru
Name of Chateau d’Yquem’s dry Sauternes
“Y”
Where is the Eglise Monolith?
St-Emilion
Brotherhood of ambassadors of the wines of St-Emilion
Jurade
Soils of St-Emilion
Limestone
Gravel
Clay
Sand
Quartz
Chalk
T/F: St-Emilion wines are red only.
True
This chateau has the highest % Cab Franc of any estate in Bordeaux.
Cheval Blanc
Cheval Blanc soil
Gravel
Soil of Pomerol
Clay & gravel
Top two estates of Pomerol
Petrus
Le Pin
Talented businessman who invested in Pomerol’s best chateaux in 1940’s and 1950’s.
Jean-Pierre Moueix
Napa Valley property owned by same owner as Petrus
Dominus (Moueix family)
Other than the four top chateaux, name some other top producers of St-Emilion
Cheval Blanc
Angelus
Ausone
Pavie
Figeac
Canon
La Gaffeliere
Canon-La-Gaffeliere
Valandraud
Troplong-Mondot
Name some top producers in Pomerol other than Petrus and Le Pin
Vieux Chateau Certan
Lafleur
La Conseillante
Clinet
L’Evangile
Entre-Deux-Mers applies to ______ only
Dry white wines
Reds from Entre-Deux-Mers must be labeled
Bordeaux or Bordeaux Superieur
Fronsac and Canon-Fronsac soils
Clay/sand
Limestone
T/F: Fronsac & Canon-Fronsac wines may be red or white.
False: red only
The two appellations just west of Pomerol
Fronsac
Canon-Fronsac
Four top -Cotes de Bordeaux
Blaye
Bourg
Castillon
Francs
Leading grape variety of the -Cotes de Bordeaux
Merlot
T/F: Mouton Cadet is the second wine of Ch Mouton Rothschild
FALSE
Second wine of Ch Angelus
Le Carillon de l’Angelus
Second wine of Lafite Rothschild
Carruades de Lafite
Second wine of Haut Brion
Le Clarence de Haut-Brion
Second wine of Ducru-Beaucaillou
La Croix de Beaucaillou
Second wine of Lynch-Bages
Echo de Lynch-Bages
Second wine of Ch Latour
Les Forts de Latour
Second wine of Cos d’Estournel
Les Pagodes de Cos
Second wine of Ch Margaux
Pavillon Rouge du Ch Margaux
Second wine of Cheval Blanc
Le Petit Cheval
Second wine of Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Reserve de la Comtesse
Second wine of Ch Leoville-Las Cases
Le Petit Lion de Las Cases
Name three top Bordeaux blancs
Dme de Chevalier
Ch Pape Clemant
Malartic-Lagraviere
T/F: In Bordeaux’ maritime climate, rainfall is somewhat evenly dispersed throughout the year.
True
__________ experiences more rainfall than any other major wine region of France.
The Medoc
The ___th parallel runs just north of Bordeaux.
45th
This Atlantic current is a (warming/cooling) influence on Bordeaux
Gulf Stream (warming)
T/F: Bordeaux does not experience much of a diurnal shift.
True
Six main Bordeaux rouge varieties
Merlot
Cab
Cab Franc
Petit Verdot
Malbec
Carmenere
Four main Bordeaux blanc varieties
Semillon
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Gris
Muscadelle
Bordeaux blanc accessory varieties
Ugni Blanc
Merlot Blanc
Colombard
Most planted grape variety in Bordeaux (and in France)
Merlot
Most planted white grape variety in Bordeaux
Semillon
Merlot & Malbec’s common genetic parent
Magdeleine Noire des Charentes
Pyrazine long form
2-methoxy-3-isobutylpyrazine
This Bordeaux variety does not commonly express pyrazine character
Malbec
White and red Bordeaux grapes with no direct genetic relationship to the others.
Muscadelle
Petit Verdot
T/F: Merlot is often more dominant in second wines of Bordeaux
True
Eutypa dieback and Esca are two types of ________ diseases
Wood-rotting
T/F: Merlot has thinner skins than Cab Sauv
True
Merlot vines can reach ___ yrs of age which both Cabs only make it around __.
100; 60
A grower named Malbec originally brought the grape from the right bank to the left in the 18th century, then known as
Pressac Noir
T/F: Muscadelle is a mutation of Muscat
False: no relation
Three regional appellations of Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux Superieur
Cremant de Bordeaux
T/F: There are no single vineyard or single estate appellations in Bordeaux
True
Which Bordeaux producer is petitioning to grant it AOP status?
Chateau le Puy (right bank)
What six styles of wine are permitted under Bordeaux AOP?
Red
White (sec)
White (off-dry)
White (sweet)
Rose
Clairet
Bordeaux Superieur is limited to what styles of wine within the same area as Bordeaux AOP?
Red
Medium-sweet
Barrique volume
225-liter
T/F: For rose in Bordeaux, white and red wine may be blended.
False; though white grapes may be blended in before fermentation.
T/F: Making rose in saignee style may improve the quality of the red made from same fruit
True
IGP of Bordeaux
Atlantique IGP
Name for Bordeaux under Roman rule
Burdigala
Eleanor of Aquitaine first married
King Louis VII
Eleanor of Aquitaine second marriage to
Henri II
Code of regulations that governed the export of wine from Bordeaux in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Police des Vins
This man ordered the planting of new forests in Troncais & Limousin
Jean-Baptiste Colbert
First wine in Bordeaux sold by a brand name rather than a generic category
Haut Brion (Ho Bryen)
What are croupes?
Gravel mounds of Bordeaux
In the early 18th century all three Leoville domaines and Chateau Palmer belonged to whom?
Alexander de Gasq
Sole owner of Lafite, Latour, and Calon in the early 1700’s
Nicolas-Alexandre de Segur
This medieval measure prohibited wines other than Bordeaux to pass through the port until Nov 11 of each year.
Privilege de la descente
This measure prohibited wines other than Bordeaux to be stored and shipped in oak barrels.
Privilege de barrique
Count Louis Amedee de Lur-Saluces property in Sauturnes
Chateau d’Yquem
Who commissioned the 1855 classification?
Napoleon III
What was the 1855 classification set up for?
Universal Exposition in Paris
The 1855 classification applies to 61 reds from Medoc and __ whites from _________.
27; Sauternes
Liv-Ex stands for
London International Vintners Exchange
What three American diseases attacked Bordeaux in late 19th century?
Oidium
Phylloxera
Peronospora
Oidium is managed with the application of
Sulphur
Peronospora: _______ mildew
Downey
Oidium: ________ mildew
Powdery
Peronospora is managed with the application of
Copper sulphate-lime
Three vintages of the 1940’s in Bordeaux that are some of the all-time best:
1945*
1947
1949
What does it mean that a negociant might agree on sales sur souches
Based on price of a previous vintage prior to harvest
First Bordeaux property to begin estate bottling (and elevage) for its entire production
Mouton-Rothschild - 1924
“Vintages of the Century”
In Bordeaux:
2000
2005
2009
2010
The 1. production, 2. sales, and 3. broker tiers of the Place de Bordeaux
- chateau
- negociant
- courtier
What do courtiers do?
Source wines and negotiate prices btw buyer and seller - for a commission
Chateau _______ opted out of en primeur in the _____ vintage onward.
Chateau Latour; 2012
Vine training system of Bordeaux
Guyot
Why does Sauternes utilize Cordon training?
Produces smaller berries that attract botrytis (larger berries tend to develop grey rot instead)
Planting density in Medoc
7,000 v/ha
St-Emilion & Pomerol vine planting density
5,500 v/ha
Why are canopies higher on the right bank?
More frost-prone
What is a density sorter?
Grapes are passed through a water & sugar solution; those that sink are accepted and those that float, rejected.
T/F: Destemming is routine in Bordeaux
True
T/F: Chaptalization is permitted in Bordeaux
True, but often not necessary
T/F: Both dry and sweet whites in Bordeaux often undergo fermentation in barrique
True
T/F: White wines of Bordeaux usually undergo MLF
False
Bordeaux reds usually age in barrel for ___-___ mos
18-24
Bordeaux whites usually age in barrel for ___-___ mos
12-15
Barrique liters
225
Micro-oxygenation was originally utilized in
Madiran
What is cliquage?
A form of micro-oxygenation where oxygen is introduced to the finished wine in barrel.
T/F: Cork enclosure is mandated by Bordeaux AOC laws
False
T/F: Second-wines of the Medoc tend to have a greater percentage of Merlot.
True
Manmade forest of Medoc
Landes
This leading-unclassified estate of Bordeaux lies on the strip of the Haut-Medoc just north of St-Estephe.
Ch Sociando Mallet
This stream separates St-Estephe from Pauillac
Jalle de Breuil
Southernmost chateau in St-Estephe
Cos d’Estournel
Top two estates of St-Estephe and their 1855 classification
Cos d’Estournel (2eme cru)
Ch Montrose (2eme cru)
Three first growths of Pauillac
Lafite
Latour
Mouton
Pauillac’s northern boundary is marked by Ch ________ while Ch __________ is at its southern end.
Lafite
Latour
Which commune of Bordeaux has the highest % of classed growths
St-Julien
How many classified estates are in St-Julien
11
How many first growths are in St-Julien
0
How many classified chateaux of Margaux?
21
Ch Palmer classification and commune
Margaux (3eme cru)
The boundaries of Moulis and St-Julien share the western edge of what croupe?
Grand Poujeaux
Top producers of Moulis
Chasse-Spleen
Ch Poujeaux
Cru Artisan was formally recognized in what year?
2002
Rankings for Cru Artisan are updated every ___ years
5
Three tiers of Cru Bourgeois
CB Exceptionnel
CB Superieur
Cru Bourgeois
Cru Bourgeois classification is revisited every __ years
5
Commune at the southern end of Graves
Langon
Sauternes and Barsac are enclaves within
Graves
