Bordeaux Flashcards
What forest separates graves from the sea. What type of trees?
Landes forest
Pine
What regulates the climate of Bordeaux?
Gironde estuary- regulate temp
Atlantic Ocean- regulate temp
Girone/dordogne- regulate temp
Landes forest- shield from n/nw wind
Pyrenees mtns- shield west weather
How much rainfall does Bordeaux experience?
Moderate rainfall
Evenly spread through year
How is Bordeaux’s climate classified?
Maritime
Becomes more continental inland toward st emillion/pomerol
Describe Bordeaux’s seasons
Short winter
Damp spring
Hot summer
What is Bordeaux mixture?
What is it used for?
A mixture of lime, copper sulfate and water.
Used to combat fungal problems
Does Bordeaux have a consistent climate?
Bordeaux has a variable climate
Causing Significant vintage variation
How much rain does the medoc receive?
~950mm/year more than any other French region
How is Bordeaux classified on the winkler scale
Region II
How much land is under vine in Bordeaux?
~111,500 hectares
(As of 2017)
Down from 117,500 in 2011
T/F Bordeaux is expanding vineyard plantings
False,
Bordeaux went from 117,500 ha in 2011 to 111,500 in 2017
T/F Bordeaux has more acreage under vine than any other French wine growing region
True, ~111,500 ha
What % of French vineyard land is located in Bordeaux?
~14%
How much wine is produced annually in Bordeaux?
5-6 million hectolitres
How many winegrowers are there in Bordeaux?
Over 8000
What latitude is Bordeaux
Located just south of the 45th parallel
What % of Bordeaux vineyard plantings are red?
~ 89%
(mostly merlot, cab sauv, cab franc)
What is the most planted grape in Bordeaux?
Merlot
What is the most planted white grape in Bordeaux?
Semillon
What type of soil does Merlot prefer?
Clay based soils
What type of soil does Cabernet Sauvignon prefer? Why?
Gravel soils
Favorable drainage
Heat retention to extend growing hours
T/f Merlot and Malbec are half siblings
True
From Magdelaine noir des cherentes
What % of Bordeaux vineyard plantings are Merlot?
63%
What % of Bordeaux plantings are Cabernet Sauvignon?
~25%
T/f Merlot is more susceptible to rot than Cabernet
True, Merlot has thinner skins increasing risk for rot
What % of Bordeaux plantings are Cabernet franc?
11%
What qualities does Cabernet franc bring to blends?
Adds acidity and aromatics to Merlot based wines
Blank
Blank
What is Malbecs historic name?
Pressac noir
How much petite Verdot is found in blends?
Rarely more than 5% of a wine
What does Petit Verdot add to blends?
Color, exotic spice, floral perfume and tannin.
Common in Cabernet Sauvignon blends
T/f petit Verdot is mostly found on left bank
True, it as almost nonexistent in right bank
What % of white plantings are semillon?
~45%
What % of white plantings are Sauvignon blanc?
~43%
T/f Sauvignon gris is genetically identical to Sauvignon Blanc
True, but it is listed as seperate variety in cahiers de charges
What does muscadelle bring to blends?
Flowery, grapey intense aromatics
A tiny amount can add a huge impact
What % of white plantings are muscadelle
~5%
What new varieties are approved in Bordeaux? What year were they approved?
Arinarnoa
Castets
Marselan
Touriga nacional
Alvarinho
Liliorila
Approved in 2021
How many grape varieties are allowed in the general Bordeaux region
19
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon,
Cabernet franc, Malbec, petit Verdot, semillon, Sauvignon Blanc,
Sauvignon gris, muscadelle, carmenere, ugni blanc, Merlot blanc, colombard, arinarnoa, castets, marseland, touriga nacional, alvarinho, liliorila
How many aops are in Bordeaux?
39
What three appellations cover the entire Bordeaux region?
Bordeaux AOP
Bordeaux Superieur AOP
Cremant de Bordeaux AOP
What styles of wine are allowed in Bordeaux AOP
Still white, rose, red and clairete wines
Sec, off dry and medium sweet
What styles of wine are allowed in Bordeaux superieur AOP?
What year was it established?
Still Dry red and medium sweet white wines
1936
How many single vineyard and single estate AOPs are there in Bordeaux?
None
What styles of wine are made in the cremant de Bordeaux AOP?
What are the allowed methods of production?
What are the aging requirements?
Sparkling white and rose wines
Traditional method
Minimum 9 months on lees
What IGP covers the Bordeaux region?
Atlantique IGP
What are the classification types under the cru bourgeois system?
Cru bourgeois
Cru bourgeois superieur
Cru bourgeois exceptionnel
What year was cru bourgeois banned?
What year was it reinstated?
2007
2018
How many estates are classified under the cru bourgeois system?
When will the next classification be?
How often is it reclassified?
249 estates total
56 cru bourgeois superieur
14 cru bourgeois exceptionnel
Next classification in 2025
Reclassified every 5 years
When was cru artisan officially recognized?
2002
What area does the cru bourgeois classification cover?
The medoc
What area does the cru artisan classification cover?
The medoc
What does the cru artisan classification categorize?
Producers that are “stewards of the land and craft of winemaking”
How many cru artisan producers are classified?
What is their average vineyard area?
44 original small producers
Currently 33 due to ownership change
Average of 6 ha per producer
How often is the cru artisan classification reclassified?
Every 5 years
What was the original name of Bordeaux?
What civilization founded it?
Burdigala
Bituriques vivisci- a Celtic tribe
Under whose rule did Bordeaux gain its name?
Clovis, king of francs
Changed name from burdigala to Bordeaux
507 AD
True/false Bordeaux was part of the English kingdom for 3 centuries?
True, England ruled Bordeaux from 1154 to 1435
What event caused Bordeaux to originally become a part of France?
In what year?
The marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Lois xii
1137
Whose marriage brought Bordeaux under English control? When did this occur?
Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II
1152
Became king and queen 1154
What event brought Bordeaux back under French control?
When did this occur?
The end of the 100 years war
1337-1453
Concluded at the battle of Castillon
How did English and Dutch tastes differ?
English preferred light red clairete
Dutch preferred sweet whites and bold reds
What aging technique did the Dutch introduce
Burning sulfur candles in barrel prior to aging
What infrastructure did the Dutch introduce to Bordeaux?
What effect did this have?
When?
A series of canals called jalles
This drained the marshy lowlands of the medoc creating viable vineyard land.
Mid 17th century
What event occurred between 1679 and 1683 that increased demand of port
The English banned import of French wine, England turned to Portugal. Increasing demand of dry and sweet wines of Portugal.
What are the three forests near Bordeaux?
What is their benefit?
What caused these forests to be created?
All three are man made forests
Landes- pine Forrest, prevent erosion
Limousin- oak originally for ships
Toncais- oak originally for ships
What lasting impacts did napoleon have on Bordeaux?
1855 classification
Napoleons laws of descent
How many chateaux were included in the classification of 1855
57 original dry wine estates
21 Sauternes estates
Due to division there are now
61 classified red wine estates
27 classified estates for white
Have there been any changes to the rankings in the classification of 1855?
If so when and what estates?
Yes
Mouton Rothschild upgraded from 2nd to 1st growth
1973
Who was the first to estate bottle all for heir wine in Bordeaux?
Mouton Rothschild
What is sur souches?
What is a rough translation?
Sir souches was a system where negociants would purchase wine at a value based off of previous vintages.
Translates to “on the stumps”
What global market impacted Bordeaux in the early 2000s
Increased demand in China caused Bordeaux prices to skyrocket
What is place en Bordeaux?
A three tier network in Bordeaux?
production- chateaux
Sales- negociant
Broker- courtier
What is the en premier system?
What was the original?
A system that sells wine futures to merchants and delivering product at a later time.
To mitigate risk and recoup production costs.
Who was the first Bordeaux estate to step away from selling en premier?
In what year?
Chateau Latour
2012
What is a societe civile?
What is its function in Bordeaux?
A non business, non government company. (Non profit, trust equivalent)
Avoid transfer of land and resulting taxes while conforming with the napoleons laws of inheritance
What vine training system(s) are used in Bordeaux?
Vertical trellises in guyot systems;
- double guyot on left bank
- single guyot on right bank
Cordon training common in sweet wine producing areas (produces smaller Berries)
T/f Bordeaux mixture is allowed in organic production
True
T/f filter treatments are allowed in organic production?
True
T/F chaptilization is allowed in Bordeaux
True, but often not necessary
What methods are used to concentrate red wines in Bordeaux? Often in colder/wetter vintages?
Vacuum distillation
Reverse osmosis
Saignage
What is the preferred cap management technique in Bordeaux?
Why?
Remontage- pumping over
Less extraction than pigeage (preferred in burgundy) although some producers do use it. It risks overly extracted tannic wines.
How long is typical elevage in Bordeaux?
18-24 months
What is the preferred barrel type in Bordeaux? What size is that?
Barrique 225L
What is micro oxygenation?
What is its purpose?
Where did the technique originate?
Controlled addition of small amounts of oxygen.
Promotes color stability, softens green rustic tannins.
Originated from Madiran
What is cliquage?
What is its purpose
What is its drawback
Oxygen dosing
Combats reductive qualities
Some say it sacrifices aging potential
T/f cork closure Is mandated by law in Bordeaux
False, it is used in tradition
What is the famous soil of the medoc
Gravel mounds called croups
How many aops are there in the medoc
8 AOPs
Medoc AOP
Haut Medoc AOP
Saint Estephe AOP
Pauillac AOP
Saint Julien AOP
Margaux AOP
Listrac-Medoc AOP
Moulis AOP
