Bordeaux Flashcards
Red Varietals Allowed in Bordeaux (6)
Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Franc
Petit Verdot
Malbec
Carmenere
White Varietals Allowed in Bordeaux (7)
Semillon
Sauvignon Blanc
Muscadelle
Ugni Blanc
Colombard
Merlot Blanc
Sauvignon Gris
What is the climate of Bordeaux
Moderate Maritime
The Atlantic Ocean and Gironde Estuary moderate temperatures
Rainfall year-round
More continental inland toward St. Emilion and Pomerol
What is the most widely planted grape in Bordeaux
Merlot
What is a “Chateau” in Bordeaux
Estate under single ownership
What is a “Courtier” in Bordeaux
A broker of wine
Acts as a middleman between the Chateaux and merchants
What are En Primeur Sales in Bordeaux
Futures
What is a Negociant in Bordeaux
Intermediary that purchases fruit or wine in barrel to age and bottle under their own label
Influence faded after WWII
What is the soil in Medoc and Northern Graves
Gravel
What is the soil type in St. Emilion
Gravel over limestone
What is the soil type in Pomerol
Iron pan under sand/gravel and clay
Chateau Petrus is located on a button of clay
What are the rivers of Bordeaux
Gironde Estuary
Garonne (left bank)
Dordogne (right bank)
What are the grapes of the left bank blends
Cabernet Sauvignon (70%)
Merlot (30%)
Minor (Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Carmenere)
What are the grapes of the right bank blends
Merlot (70%)
Cabernet Franc (25%)
Cabernet Sauvignon/others (5%)
Explain aging in Bordeaux
Top Chateaux will often age red wines for up to two years in barriques (225L)
A large % of new oak is used each new vintage
What are the generic Bordeaux appellations (3)
Bordeaux AOC
Bordeaux Superieur AOC
Cremant de Bordeaux AOC
1855 Classification First Growths (5)
Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac)
Chateau Mouton-Rothschild (Pauillac)
Chateau Latour (Pauillac)
Chateau Margaux (Margaux)
Chateau Haut-Brion (Graves)
What is the 1855 Classification
Created in 1855 and still stands today
61 chateaux ranked with 5 growths
Only the left bank was rated
Based on historical marketplace prices and demand, not on quality
Pomerol major Chateaux (5)
Petrus
Vieux Chateau Certan
Chateau Lefleur
Chateau Latour a Pomerol
Chateau Trotanoy
What are the primary varietals in Listrac and Moulis
Cabernet Sauvignon (majority)
Merlot
Cabernet Franc
What is Medoc AOC
Bas-Medoc
Upper 3rd of region
Used by Chateaux that do not qualify for precise appellation
Merlot is dominant
What is Haut-Medoc AOC
Left bank
Well drained gravel soils
Cabernet Sauvignon dominates the blends
Haut-Medoc major communes (6)
St. Estephe
Pauillac
St. Julien
Margaux
Listrac-Medoc
Moulis-en-Medoc
St. Estephe
Left bank
Larger percentage of Merlot in blends due to more clay amongst gravel
No 1st growths
Super 2nd - Cos d’Estournel
Pauillac
Left bank
Power and finesse
Gravel topsoil is at its deepest
3 of the 5 1st growths
St. Julien
Left bank
Elegant wines
80% is Cru Classe
No 1st growths
5 2nd growths
2 super 2nds: Chateau Leoville Las Cases and Chateaux Ducru-Beaucaillou
Margaux
Left bank
Largest in Haut-Medoc
5 villages
21 classified growths
1 first growth
Wines said to be feminine with floral and exotic characteristics
What are Listrac-Medoc and Moulis-en-Medoc
Lesser left bank appellations without classified growths
Medoc highly rated vintages (11)
1945, 1961, 1982, 1989, 1990, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010
Soil type in Graves
Gravel
Boulbenes (mixture of sand, gravel, and clay) in the south
Graves wine styles
Red and white
Graves classifications
13 estates classified as cru classe for red
9 estates classified as cru classe for white
Chateau Haut-Brion retains 1st growth status
Pessac-Leognan
Prestigious appellation for both red and white
Explain the sweet white wines of Graves
All sweet wines can be labeled Graves Superieur
3 smaller appellations (Cerons, Barsac, Sauternes)
Wines produced with Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle
Botrytis affected
What is the geography of Sauternes
Located at conflux of Ciron and Garonne rivers
Cool morning mists from Ciron and warmer waters of Garonne creates humidity for development of Botrytis
Classification system in Sauternes
Created in 1855
3 levels:
Second growths, first growths, and one Premier Cru Superieur (Chateau d’Yquem)
Right bank appellations (2)
Pomerol
St. Emilion
St. Emilion
Right bank
Merlot and Cabernet Franc dominated blends
St. Emilion Classification
Created in 1955
Split into 3 levels:
Premier Grand Cru Classe A
Premier Grand Cru Classe B
Grand Cru Classe
Reassessed every 10 years (most recently in 2022)
Satellite appellations for St. Emilion (4)
Lussac
St. Georges
Montagne
Puisseguin
Describe Pomerol
No classification
Merlot does well in clay based soil
Chateau Petrus is most famous
Neighboring red wine districts of Pomerol (3)
Fronsac
Canon-Fronsac
Lalande-de-Pomerol