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Bordeaux Flashcards

1
Q

What is the largest producing AOP region in France?

A

Bordeaux, 5 times the size of Napa Valley

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2
Q

What did the Dutch do to what is now left bank Bordeaux? When?

A

They drained the marshland and grew the port city of Bordeaux in the mid 1600s

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3
Q

T/F - A famous Bordeaux Château can purchase the land next door to
its property, and still legally label the wines from that
property under the Château’s name.

A

True

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4
Q

Major Bordeaux grape varieties (5)

A

Merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc
semillon, sauvignon blanc

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5
Q

Minor Bordeaux grape varieties (8+)

A

Petit Verdot, Malbec, Carmenere
Sauvignon Gris, Muscadelle, Ugni Blanc, Merlot Blanc, Colombard;

Newly approved varieties are Arinarnoa, Castets, Marselan, and Touriga Nacional (red); and Alvarinho and Liliorila (white)

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6
Q

Bordeaux wine styles

A

Nearly all styles of wine

Dry red, dry white, off-dry white, sweet white, moelleux (sweet wines which contain less natural residual sugar), liquoreux (rich and sweet wine), rosé, clairet (full-bodied and deep-coloured type of rosé), sparkling white, sparkling rosé (Cremant de Bordeaux)

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7
Q

Describe what Bordeaux Merlot adds to the wine

A

Most planted in Bordeaux because it ripens first

Softer than cabernet sauvignon, friendlier on the palate
Med acid and tannin, friendly plum flavors

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8
Q

Describe what Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon adds to the wine

A

Muscle, strength, black fruit

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9
Q

Describe what Bordeaux Cabernet Franc adds to the wine

A

Elegance, violets and herbal and vegetal, graphite
Limestone and sand grown

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10
Q

Describe what Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc adds to the wine

A

Main dry white wine

High acid and herbal

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11
Q

Describe what Bordeaux Semillon adds to the wine

A

Rounder and more exotic

Good mold, botrytis, noble rot, sweet wines

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12
Q

Describe what Bordeaux Muscadelle adds to the wine

A

Aromatic

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13
Q

Bordeaux Rosé and Rosé Cremant de Bordeaux are mainly what two grapes?

A

Merlot with Cabernet Franc

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14
Q

White Crémant de Bordeaux are mainly what two grapes?

A

Semillon and sauvignon blanc

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15
Q

Bordeaux clairet (full-bodied and deep-coloured type of rosé) are mainly what three grapes?

A

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc

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16
Q

Where is Bordeaux located geographically?

A

West coast of France

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17
Q

Major Bordeaux rivers and bodies of water

A

Gironde Estuary splits into:

Dordogne River, to the north, passes St. Emilion and Pomerol

Garonne River, to the south, passes Pessac-Leognan, Graves, and Sauternes

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18
Q

Medoc Peninsula and the Landes of Gascony

A

Man made peninsula and forest (to mitigate climate variations)

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19
Q

Bordeaux climate

A

Maritime

Receives the most annual rainfall in France and can receive frost

Short winters, damp springs, warm humid summers (causes rot)

No drastic temperature changes

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20
Q

General Bordeaux soil types (left bank and right bank)

A

Gravel with clay on the left bank
Sand, gravel, clay in Graves

Clay and iron on the right bank

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21
Q

Why there is such a strong trade arrangement between Bordeaux and England today?

A

1152-1453 Bordeaux was under English rule, this is why clairet became popular

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22
Q

T/F - As the merchant class was rising and trade between England and Bordeaux increased, demand for wine decreased.

A

False - Demand for wine increased

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23
Q

Negociant

A

Merchants who buy grapes and/or finished wine for blending and bottling under their own label

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24
Q

Courtiers

A

Provided financial support to Chateau and other estates and became the authority
over the wine trade

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25
Q

Chateau concept

A

Estate under single ownership
Size of estate varies and can change

Individual winery, like a brand

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26
Q

1855 Classification

A

Napoleon III, emperor of France, threw a world fair

Ranking of Bordeaux’s top chateaux (growths), brought acclaim to single estates

61 properties or chateaux

It is the name in Bordeaux that is important, not the vineyard
An estate can purchase new vineyards, not attached to the original property and still bottle it under their name

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27
Q

Bordeaux First Growths (4 original + 1 elevated)

A

Château Lafite Rothschild - Pauillac
Château Latour - Pauillac
Château Margaux - Margaux
Château Haut-Brion - Pessac, Graves (since 1986, Pessac-Léognan)

Château Mouton-Rothschild (elevated to first-growth in 1973) - Pauillac

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28
Q

General Bordeaux winemaking preferences

A

Mainy blends due to instability of weather, different varieties ripen at different times

All reds will be a blend aged in either stainless steel, neutral oak, or new French oak for 2 years
White wines can be a single varietal or a blend, dry or off-dry aged in stainless steel or French oak

Small family farms to large wealthy estates

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29
Q

New French oak barrels (size and add what to wine)

A

225 liters, reds and whites aged for about 2 years, adds flavor and aroma

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30
Q

Left Bank Bordeaux AOPs (3 major)

A

Medoc
Haut-Medoc
Graves

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31
Q

Typical Left Bank red blend % (2 grapes)

A

70% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot

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32
Q

Typical Left Bank white blends % (2 grapes, 2 styles)

A

Dry white wines
80% sauvignon blanc, 20% semillon

Sweet white wines
80% semillon, 20% sauvignon blanc

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33
Q

Medoc & Haut-Medoc soil

A

thick gravel on heavy clay

34
Q

Medoc & Haut-Medoc location

A

North of the city of Bordeaux along the Gironde Estuary

35
Q

Medoc & Haut-Medoc main grape and vinification

A

Cabernet sauvignon based blends
Red wine only

36
Q

Medoc & Haut-Medoc sub AOPs (4)

A

Saint-Estèphe AOP
Pauillac AOP
Saint-Julien AOP
Margaux AOP

(from north to south)

37
Q

Graves soil

A

gravel, sand, clay

38
Q

Graves location

A

south of Medoc and the city of Bordeaux

39
Q

Graves vinification

A

dry red, dry white, sweet white

40
Q

Graves grapes (3 red, 2 white)

A

Red: Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc

White: Sauvignon blanc, Semillon

41
Q

Graves sub AOPs (2)

A

Pessac-Leognan AOP
Sauternes AOP

42
Q

Pessac-Leognan location and vinification

A

Northernmost part of Graves
Dry red and dry white wines aged in new French oak

43
Q

Sauternes location and climate

A

Southern Graves
Humid

44
Q

Sauternes grapes (3)

A

Semillon (attracts botrytis), sauvignon blanc, muscadelle

45
Q

Sauternes vinification

A

Sweet white wine, does well in humidity

Botrytis-affected sweet white wines
Water evaporates, concentrating flavor

Often aged in new French oak barriques

46
Q

Right Bank Bordeaux AOPs (2 major)

A

Saint-Emilion
Pomerol

47
Q

Right Bank Bordeaux grape varieties and vinification (2 main grapes)

A

Merlot and cabernet franc

Red wines only
Rich merlot based blends

48
Q

Saint-Emilion soil

A

silt, clay, gravel
limestone plateau
sand

all location dependant

49
Q

Saint-Emilion location

A

Along the Dordogne River (north) near the town of Libourne

50
Q

Saint-Emilion grapes (2)

A

Merlot and cabernet franc

51
Q

Saint-Emilion sub AOPs (2)

A

St-Emilion AOP
St-Emilion Grand Cru AOP (appellation not a place)

52
Q

Right Bank Classification System (3 classification tiers)

A

Premier Grand Cru Classe A (4 named chateau wines)
Premier Grand Cru Classe B (14 named chateau wines)
Grand Cru Classe (64 named chateau, most wines from region)

53
Q

Premier Grand Cru Classe A (4 named chateaus)

A

Chateau: Ausone, Angelus, Pavie, Cheval-Blanc

54
Q

Premier Grand Cru Classe B (name 2)

A

Chateau Canon, Chateau Figeac, Chateau Fortet

55
Q

Pomerol soil

A

Sand, clay, gravel

Sub-soil of iron pan and clay

56
Q

Pomerol location

A

Along the Dordogne River (north), very small appellation only 3 square miles

57
Q

Pomerol grapes

A

Merlot and cabernet franc based blends
Almost exclusively merlot
Exotic and complex flavors

58
Q

Pomerol vinification and classification system

A

Red wines only
No classification system

59
Q

Pomerol typical blend % (2 grapes)

A

70% merlot, 30% cabernet franc

60
Q

Entre-Deux-Mers location

A

Between the two rivers

61
Q

Entre-Deux-Mers vinification (and oak usage?)

A

Dry, off-dry, and sweet white wines

Stainless steel, little to no oak

62
Q

Entre-Deux-Mers grapes (3)

A

Sauvignon blanc, semillon, muscadelle

63
Q

Fronsac and Canon Fronsac location

A

right bank Bordeaux, west of Pomerol

64
Q

Fronsac and Canon Fronsac vinification

A

dry red wines

65
Q

Fronsac and Canon Fronsac grapes (2)

A

Merlot and cabernet franc

66
Q

Fronsac and Canon Fronsac soil

A

rocky clay and chalky limestone

67
Q

Cotes de Bordeaux location

A

farthest east on the right bank

68
Q

Cotes de Bordeaux vinification

69
Q

Cotes de Bordeaux grapes (5)

A

Main 5 bordeaux reds with Carmenere instead of Merlot

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Carménère, Malbec, Petit Verdot

70
Q

Cotes de Bordeaux soil

A

clay and limestone on bedrock

71
Q

Blaye and Côtes de Blaye location

A

northernmost on right bank Bordeaux, across from Medoc

72
Q

Blaye vinification

73
Q

Blaye grapes (5)

A

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot

74
Q

Blaye and Côtes de Blaye soil

A

clay and limestone

75
Q

Côtes de Blaye vinification

76
Q

Côtes de Blaye grapes (5)

A

Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon

77
Q

Bourg and Cotes du Bourg location

A

right bank Bordeaux, right across from Margeaux

78
Q

Bourg and Cotes du Bourg vinification

A

dry red and dry white

79
Q

Bourg and Cotes du Bourg grapes (4 red, 3 white)

A

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot

Colombard, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon

80
Q

Cadillac, Loupiac, and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont location

A

Entre-Deux-Mers west along the river Garonne

81
Q

Cadillac, Loupiac, and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont vinification

A

sweet white wine

82
Q

Cadillac, Loupiac, and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont grapes (3)

A

Muscadelle, sauvignon blanc, semillon

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