Bordeaux Flashcards
Name the first growths of Bordeaux and their appellation
Château Lafite-Rotschild: Pauillac
Château Mouton Rothschild: Pauillac
Château Latour: Pauillac
Château Margaux: Margaux
Château Haut-Brion: Pessac-Léognan
Name the second growths of St-Estèphe.
Château Cos d’Estournel
Château Montrose
Name the second growths of Pauillac.
Château Pichon Baron
Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Name the second growths of St-Julien.
Château Léoville Las Cases
Château Léoville-Poyferré
Château Leoville Barton
Château Gruaud Larose
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
Name the second growths of Margaux.
Château Rauzan-Ségla
Château Rauzan-Gassies
Château Durfort-Vivens
Château Lascombes
Château Brane-Cantenac
Name the second growths of Pessac-Léognan.
There are none
Name the third growths of St-Estèphe.
Château Calon Ségur
Name the third growths of Pauillac.
There are none
Name the third growths of St-Julien.
Château Lagrange
Château Langoa Barton
Name the third growths of the Haut-Médoc.
Château Lalagune
Name the third growths of Margaux.
Château Kirwan
Château d’Issan
Château Giscours
Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry
Château Boyd-Cantenac
Château Cantenac Brown
Château Palmer
Château Desmirail
Château Ferrière
Château Marquis d’Alesme Becker
Name the third growths of Pessac-Léognan.
There are none
What cru and which appellation is Château Cos d’Estournel part of? What is their second wine?
Second growth of St-Estephe
Les Pagodes de Cos
What cru and which appellation is Château Montrose part of? What is their second label?
Second growth of St-Estephe
La Dame de Montrose
What cru and appellation is Château Pichon Baron part of?
Second growth of Pauillac
What cru and appellation is Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande part of?
Second growth of Pauillac
What cru and appellation is Château Léoville Las Cases part of?
Second growth of St-Julien
What cru and appellation is Château Léoville-Poyferré part of?
Second growth of St-Julien
What cru and appellation is Château Leoville Barton part of?
Second growth of St-Julien
What cru and appellation is Château Gruaud Larose part of?
Second growth of St-Julien
What cru and appellation is Château Ducru-Beaucaillou part of?
Second growth of St-Julien
What cru and appellation is Château Rauzan-Ségla part of?
Second growth of Margaux
What cru and appellation is Château Rauzan-Gassies part of?
Second growth of Margaux
What cru and appellation is Château Durfort-Vivens part of?
Second growth of Margaux
What cru and appellation is Château Lascombes part of?
Second growth of Margaux
What cru and appellation is Château Brane-Cantenac part of?
Second growth of Margaux
What cru and appellation is Château Calon Ségur part of? What is their second label?
Third growth of St-Estephe
Le Marquis de Calon-Ségur (used to be Marquis de Calon before 2013)
What cru and appellation is Château Lagrange part of?
Third growth of St-Julien
What cru and appellation is Château Langoa Barton part of?
Third growth of St-Julien
What cru and appellation is Château Lalagune part of?
Third growth of Haut-Medoc
What cru and appellation is Château Kirwan part of?
Third growth of Margaux
What cru and appellation is Château d’Issan part of?
Third growth of Margaux
What cru and appellation is Château Giscours part of?
Third growth of Margaux
What cru and appellation is Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry part of?
Third growth of Margaux
What cru and appellation is Château Boyd-Cantenac part of?
Third growth of Margaux
What cru and appellation is Château Cantenac Brown part of?
Third growth of Margaux
What cru and appellation is Château Palmer part of?
Third growth of Margaux
What cru and appellation is Château Desmirail part of?
Third growth of Margaux
What cru and appellation is Château Ferrière part of?
Third growth of Margaux
What cru and appellation is Château Marquis d’Alesme Becker part of?
Third growth of Margaux
What were négociants traditionally in Bordeaux?
An intermediary - buying fruit or wine in barrel to age in their own cellar before selling the bottled wine. Faded in influence after WW2 with estate bottling gaining popularity
What were courtiers traditionally in Bordeaux?
Brokers of wine - Supplying the châteaux with financial backing while gaining total control over the actual trade of wine. They are responsible for the current method of en primeur sales
What is the climate of Bordeaux?
Maritime
What influences the climate of Bordeaux?
The Atlantic and the Gironde Estuary moderate
Coastal pine forests protect the Médoc from wind
What are the climate challenges of the Bordeaux
Rain –> grey rot
Wet/damp springs & autumns –> grey rot
Spring frosts –> couloure, millerandage
What is the Bordeaux mixture and what is it used for?
A mix of lime, copper sulfate and water
To avoid fungal disease
Name 9 vintages since 1995 to receive 95 points or higher by Wine Spectator on the Left Bank, ordered from best to least best
2010 (99)
2005 (98)
2009, 2016 (97)
2018 (96)
1995, 2000, 2003, 2022 (95)
Name the 4 best vintages since 2000 for Sauternes & Barsac
2001 (97)
2009 (96)
2011 (97)
2014 (96)
What are the famous recent 2 vintages where Château d’Yquem did not produce their first cuvée?
1992
2012
(also 1910, 1915, 1930, 1951, 1952, 1964, 1972, 1974)
Name 7 vintages since 1995 to receive 95 points or higher by Wine Spectator on the Right Bank, ordered from the best to least best
2010 (98)
2005, 2015 (97)
2009 (96)
1995, 1998, 2022 (95)
What wine may be produced under the Bordeaux AOP?
White, red, rosé, clairet
Describe Bordeaux Clairet
A darker, more aromatic style of rosé that evokes the original claret wines shipped to England in the Middle Ages.
What main grapes are permitted for Bordeaux (Supérieur) AOP red wines?
Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Cabernet Franc
Petit Verdot
Malbec
Carmenère
What “accessory” grapes (for blending) are permitted for Bordeaux (Supérieur) AOP red wines?
Arinarnoa
Castets
Marselan
Touriga Nacional
What soil does Merlot prefer?
Clay
It is early ripening, so the clay delays its natural vigor
What soil does Cabernet Sauvignon prefer?
Well-drained soils like gravel
Water stress adds concentration to the grapes
It has difficulty in limestone and clay
What soil does Cabernet Franc prefer?
Limestone-based soils, which promotes acidity and freshness in the wine
Why do Bordelaise plant and blend together multiple grapes?
Practicality: With all the climate dangers, there is insurance to always have harvest
Complimentary: The grapes are complimentary to each other
What two rivers are in the Bordeaux and into which estuary do they flow?
- Dordogne (north)
- Garonne (south)
Gironde estuary
Name the Médoc AOPs from north to south
(Bas-)Médoc AOP
{{Saint-Estèphe AOP
Pauillac AOP
Saint-Julien AOP
Listrac-Médoc AOP
Moulis AOP
Margaux AOP}} =Haut-Médoc AOP
What wines are permitted within the Médoc AOP?
Red only
What is the difference between the Bordeaux and Burgundy crus?
In Bordeaux the estate holds the cru; in Burgundy the vineyards hold the cru
What special thing happened in Bordeaux in 1973?
Château Mouton-Rothschild got promoted from second growth to first growth.
Influenced by the self-promotion Baron Philippe de Rothschild
What two “additional” designations mark quality châteaux in Bordeaux?
Cru Artisan
Cru Bourgeois
What is the Cru Artisan in Bordeaux?
A cru for exceptional stewards of the land and craft of winemaking, without the financing or apparatus of large-scale operations. The crus artisans work an average of six hectares each.
What is the Cru Bourgeois in Bordeaux?
Divides into three categories:
- Cru Bourgeois Exceptionel
- Cru Bourgeois Supérieur
- Cru Bourgeois
How many times is the Cru Bourgeois & Artisan revised?
Every 5 years
Describe the general Saint-Estèphe AOP style and why
Sturdy and full-bodied.
Higher percentage of Merlot due to the clay to gravel proportion
Describe the general Paulliac AOP style and why
Structured and long-lived.
Deep gravel topsoil, so Cabernet Sauvignon thrives
Describe the general St-Julien AOP style and why
Elegant style.
Produces less wine but more quality. 80% is cru classe
Describe the general Margaux AOP style and why
Often described as feminine: emphasis on floral bouquet, exotic character and finesse.
Thin sandy gravel over limestone, with clay on the outlying areas.
What is the soil of Graves called and what does it consist of?
Boulbenes
Sand, gravel, light clay