Bordeaux Flashcards
Left Bank Red Wines Appelations
- Médoc AOC
- Haut-Médoc AOC
- Saint-Estèphe AOC
- Pauillac AOC
- Saint-Julien AOC
- Margaux AOC
- Listrac-Médoc AOC
- Moulis AOC
Right Bank Red Wine Appellations
- Saint-Émilion
- Saint-Émilion Grand Cru AOC
- Montagne Saint-Émilion AOC
- Lussac-Saint-Émilion AOC
- Pomerol AOC
- Lalande-de-Pomerol AOC
Graves Appelations
- Graves Supérieures AOC
- Pessac-Léognan AOC
- Sauternes AOC
- Barsac AOC
Bordeaux soil types can be broadly split into two categories. Name them and where they are found
Gravel and stony soils on the Left Bank
Clay with some patches of gravel on the Right Bank
All of the top Left Bank estates are planted on gravel mounds. What are these mounds called?
Croupes
What type of climate does Bordeaux have?
Moderate Maritime
Principal Black Grape Varieties of Bordeaux
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Cabernet Franc
Malbec
Petit Verdot
Principal White Grape Varieties of Bordeaux
Sémillon
Sauvignon Blanc
Muscadelle
What is the name of the pine forest that partially protects the Left Bank from Atlantic storms?
The Landes
Name 3 of the often present hazards to grape growing in Bordeaux?
- excessive rainfall
- hail
- botrytis bunch rot
- downy mildew
- powdery mildew
- frost
- Eutypa dieback
- Esca
- Flavescence dorée
Rain and storms can often blow in from the Atlantic Ocean. How can excessive rain affect vintage variation?
Excessive rain is an annual threat in a maritime climate. Too much rain during the growing season encourages green growth which needs to be managed accordingly. Otherwise shading in the canopy can be an issue as this can lead to an increase in fungal diseases, decrease the temperature of the canopy microclimate and prevent optimal spray penetration. These factors will impact on the quality of the fruit which results 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.
Some vintages in Bordeaux are particularly notable for experiencing extreme weather. Name 2 years and the threat faced.
1956: severe frost
1991: severe frost
2003: extreme heat
2005: extreme heat
2017: severe frost
The tradition in Bordeaux for top quality vineyards is to plant closely spaced vines. How many vines are typically planted per hecatre?
10,000
What are the advantages of high density plantings in Bordeaux?
- Limits vine vigour
- Makes the best use of expensive vineyard land by increasing potential yields
- Water is often abundant so drought isn’t often a problem
What are the disadvantages of planting density of vines is high in Bordeaux?
- High cost as more vines must be bought and managed
- Added cost of trellising many vines
- Specialist tractors may have to be bought that fit between the tight rows
- More time is needed for vine training, ploughing and spraying
How are vines in Bordeaux usually pruned?
Cane Pruned
What trellising systems are most commonly used in Bordeaux.
Left Bank: Double Guyot
Right Bank: Single Guyot
Briefly describe the problems Bordeaux often experiences with harvesting grapes in relation to weather.
Due to the nature of a maritime climate, rainfall can happen at any time of year and rainfall at harvest time is not an exception in Bordeaux. This can cause various problems if the rain is very heavy just prior to harvest, the berries can swell by taking up too much water and then split. The splitting can lead to disease and the quality of the fruit is automatically jeopardised. Picking during wet weather is not ideal as water can accumulate in the picking crates or in the machine harvester, leading to dilution of the juice.
Cooler weather in the lead up to harvest is not uncommon in this climate and that impacts the potential ripening of the fruit. If temperatures are too low, sugars will accumulate very slowly, acids will remain high and flavour components will not fully develop leading to underripe fruit.
In what kinds of vessels might basic Bordeaux be matured in?
- Large oak vats
- Concrete vats
- Stainless steel
Identify and describe the two approaches to blending wines in Bordeaux.
Blending may be carried out in the winter post-harvest. For high quality wines this will be in time for the en primeur tastings in April. The process involves selecting the most appropriate wines from the different vats (tanks, oak vessels), different grape varieties to make up the final wine. This blend will be close to what the final wine will be at bottling.
The other approach to blending is when it is carried out closer to bottling leaving time for the different vats (oak vessels of different ages, sizes, etc) and different grape varieties to have gone through a period of maturation.
What is the name of the deeper coloured, traditional rosé wine made in Bordeaux?
Clairet
What four factors determine the level of botrytis in the final sweet wines of Bordeaux?
- Whether the environmental/weather conditions are correct for the spread of noble rot, which varies from year to year.
- The position of estates (proximity to areas where mist forms
most regularly versus other locations. - The willingness of estates to wait for the best times to harvest and risk losing all or part of the crop due to adverse weather.
- The willingness of estates to pay for multiple passes through the vineyard to select botrytis-affected fruit.
Name the Bordeaux regions has their own official classification system?
Graves
Médoc
Saint-Émilion
Which top-quality Bordeaux appellation does not have classification at all?
Pomerol