Bordeaux Flashcards
What are all the sweet wine appellations of Graves?
- Sauternes
- Barsac
- Cerons
- Graves Superieur
Bordeaux makes up what percentage of France’s total vine area?
14%
What are the 2 communes of production for Pomerol AOP?
- Pomerol
- Libourne
What are the 4 satellites of St-Emilion?
- St Georges
- Montagne
- Puisseguin
- Lussac
What style of wine is produced in Cadillac AOP?
blanc liquereux
What are the communes of production for Sauternes AOP?
- Sauternes
- Barsac
- Fargues
- Preignac
- Bommes
What are the 6 AOPs of Entre-deux-mers?
- Entre-deux-mers AOP
- Cadillac AOP
- Graves de Vayres AOP
- Loupiac AOP
- Cotes de Bordeaux Saint-Macaire AOP
- Saint-Croix-du-Mont AOP
What is the local name for malbec in Pomerol AOP?
pressac
Graves Superiuer AOP is used for what style of wine?
sweet white wine
What is the second label of Cht Pichon-Lalande?
Reserve de la Comtesse
What are the differences in soil type between Sauternes and Barsac?
Sauternes - clay, gravel, sand
Barsac - limestone
What are the 4 satellites of the Dordogne?
- Cahors
- Madiran
- Jurancon
- Gaillac
What 3 communes fall under the Premier Cotes de Bordeaux AOP?
- Cadillac
- Loupiac
- Saint-Croix-du-Mont
What is Cru Bourgeios?
a mark of quality dependent upon yearly blind tasting panel
What are the max yields in Haut Medoc?
57 hl/ha
What are the 8 AOPs of the Medoc region?
- Medoc
- Haut Medoc
- Saint Estephe
- Pauillac
- Saint Julien
- Listrac
- Moulis
- Margaux
In what year did estate bottling become mandatory for all classified growths?
1972
What are the 5 villages of Margaux AOP?
- Cantenac
- Labarde
- Arsac
- Margaux
- Soussons
(CLAMS)
What renowned chateau boasts the highest percentage of cab franc?
Chateau Cheval Blanc (40-50% in recent vintages)
What are the permitted grapes in Cotes de Bourg AOP?
white
- sauv blanc, sauv gris, semillon, muscadelle, colombard
red
- cab sauv, cab franc, cot, merlot
What accessory varieties are allowed in Bordeaux AOP blanc?
max 30% combined
- ugni blanc
- merlot blanc
- colombard
- alvarinho
- liliorila
What size is a Boredaux tonneau barrel?
900 L
What right bank AOP allows for sweet wine only?
Premier Cotes de Bordeaux
What 2 rivers border Sauternes AOP?
- Ciron
- Garonne
What is the name of Chateau Latour’s second label and what was its inaugural vintage?
Les Forts de Latour
1966
What are the classifications of Saint-Emilion?
Premier Grand Cru Classe A
Premier Grand Cru Classe B
Grand Cru Classe
What red grape is the most heavily planted in Bordeaux?
merlot (63%)
In what year was Graves first classified?
1953 (solidified 1959)
What is the age requirement in Haut Medoc AOP?
cannot be released prior to June 15, YFH
What styles of wine are allowed in Cotes de Bordeaux Castillon and Cadillac?
red only
What is the max yield in Barsac AOP?
25 hl/ha
What style of wine is made in Loupiac AOP?
blanc liq.
What are the 6 allowed grapes in Haut-MedoC AOP?
- cab sauv
- cab franc
- merlot
- petit verdot
- malbec
- carmenere
Which two now-closed chateaux in Graves still supply fruit to Chateau La Mission Haut Brion and when did these chateaux close?
Chateau LaTour Haut Brion (red)
closed 2005
Chateau Laville Haut Brion (white)
closed 2008
Where is the origin of the Garonne river?
Pyranees
What are the principal varieties allowed in Bordeaux AOP blanc?
min 70% combined
- semillon
- sauv blanc
- sauv gris
- muscadelle
What are the allowed grapes of Graves AOP blanc?
- semillon
- sauv blanc
- sauv gris
- muscadelle
What are the 6 AOPs of the Graves region?
- Graves AOP
- Graves Superier AOP
- Pessac Leognan AOP
- Barsac AOP
- Sauternes AOP
- Cerons AOP
What AOP is based in white blends of ugni blanc and colombard?
Cotes de Blaye AOP
What was the first vintage of Cht. d’Yquem’s Dry wine Y?
1959
What is cliquage?
controlled micro-oxygenation done during elevage
What are the most well-regarded hillside communes of Fronsac?
- Saillons
- La Riviere
White type of vine training system is preferred in Sauternes AOP?
cordon
What are the 5 communes of Cotes de Bordeuax AOP?
- Francs
- Cadillac
- Castillon
- Blaye
- Sainte Foy
What is Bordeaux’s largest first growth?
Lafite
List 2 villages, other than Pessac and Leognan, located within Pessac-Leognan
- Cadujac
- Martillac
- Talence
- Merignac
- Canejon
- Saint Medard d’Eyrnas
- Villenave d’Ornans
What are the communes of production in Cerons AOP?
- Cerons
- Illats
- Podensac
What is the min abv for Saint Emilion Grand Cru AOP?
11.5%
Blaye AOP must be a min 50% of which grapes?
- cab sauv
- Cab franc
- merlot
What are the 2 chateaux classified as St Emilion Grand Cru Classe A?
- Cht Figeac
- Chateau Pavie
At what Margaux chateau was Bordeaux mixture invented?
Cht. Dauzac (Ulysse Gayon)
What is the age requirement for St Emilion Grand Cru AOP?
Can’t be released until May 15, YFH
What are the 1855 classifications for Sauternes and Barsac?
- one chateau (yquem) was classed Premier Cru Superier Classe
- all the rest were classed Premiers Crus Classe or Deuxieme Crus Classes
What training system is most popular on the left bank?
double guyot
What is the age requirement for Sauternes AOP?
Can’t be release until June 30, YFH
What is the max yield for Haut Medoc AOP?
55 hl/ha
Where is Vieux Chateau Certan located?
Pomerol AOP
Where is Cht. La Conseillante located?
Pomerol AOP
How many chateau of each cru are there in Bordeaux?
1eme - 5
2eme - 14
3eme - 14
4eme - 10
5eme - 18
How many growing season sunlight hours does Bordeaux get?
1550
On what parallel is Bordeaux?
44th
What is the average growing season rainfall in Bordeaux?
18.4 in
What are the min must weights for Cotes de Bordeaux molleux and liquoreux?
molleux - 221 g/L
liq. - 238 g/L (255 in St Foy)
What styles of wine are allowed in Cotes de Bordeaux-Saint-Macaire AOP?
All white
- dry still
- molleux
- liquereux
What communes of Cotes de Bordeaux AOP allow for blanc liqeureux?
- Francs
- Sainte Foy
What are the 2 3eme crus of St Julien?
- Chateau Lagrange
- Chateau Langoa Barton
What are recent examples of years in which Yquem did not produce a wine?
- 1952
- 1972
- 1974
- 1992
What are the only 3rd, 4th, and 5th growths in St Estephe?
3eme - Cht Calon Segur
4eme - Cht Lafon Rochet
5eme - Cht Cos Labory
How many classified growths are in Margaux?
21
What is the name of Chateau Palmer’s second label?
Alter Ego
What is the max yield for Saint-Emilion Grand Cru AOP?
46 hl/ha
What is the max yield for the satellite AOPs of Saint-Emilion?
53 hl/ha
What is the min abv for the Haut-Medoc sub appellations?
11%
How many classified growths are in St Julien?
11 (83% of production is classified)
What are the 2 2eme crus of Pauillac?
- Cht Pichon Longueville Baron
- Cht Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
What leading second growths are in St Estephe?
- Cht Cos d’Estournel
- Cht Montrose
In what year was Chateau Mouton Rothschild elevated to 1eme cru?
1973
What is the min must weight and RS in Premieres Cotes de Bordeaux AOP?
must weight - 221 g/L
RS 34 g/L
What are the primary soils of Canon Fronsac AOP?
- sandstone and limestone with clay in higher elevation north
- alluvial clay near Dordogne
What vintage is generally regarded as one that Yquem put out a wine, but should not have?
1963
Where can crasse de fer soil be found?
Pomerol
What was the inaugural vintage of Echo de Lynch-Bages?
2008
How many classed growths are in St-Estephe?
5
What style of wine is allowed in Blaye AOP?
red only
What is the min abv in Pessac-Leognan?
11%
What grape is the last to ripen in Bordeaux?
petit verdot
What Medoc commune boasts the deepest croupes of gravel?
Pauillac
What 3eme cru in Margaux resembles a Scottish boarding school?
Cht Cantenac Brown
Where can boulbenes soil be found?
Graves
What is the max. percent of petit verdot allowed in Saint-Emilion AOP?
10%
How much earlier than cabernet sauv does merlot ripen?
2 weeks
What Bordeaux commune has the highest percent of classified growths but no 1ere crus?
St Julien
What are the 2 communes of production for Lalande-de-Pomerol?
- Lalande-de-Pomerol
- Neac
What is the primary soil type in Pauillac?
gravel
What are the aging requirements in Margaux AOP?
- aged until June 1, YFH
- not released until Sept 1, YFH
What is the min abv for Graves Superieur?
12%
What is a jalle?
canals used to drain Medoc lowlands
What is the only chateau outside of the Medoc to be included in the 1855 classification and what was it labeled?
Cht. d’Yquem
Premier Cru Superieur
What are the 3 Leovilles and in what commune are they?
- Leoville Las Cases
- Leoville Barton
- Leoville Poyferre
St Julien
What is the min potential and acquired alc in Sauternes AOP?
potential - 15%
acquired - 12%
What Bordeaux patriarch divvied up his holdings amongst his children in 1992?
Lucien Lurton
What is crasse de fer?
gravel beds with iron and clay
What 3 vintages in the 1940’s were declared phenomenal?
1945
1947
1949
What weather malady does Latour famously rarely suffer from?
frost
What vintages in the 1980’s are considered the best in Bordeaux?
1982
1985
1989
What is vers de la grappe?
burrowing larva of a small moth
- provokes grey rot
- cure is sexual confusion
In what year was Pessac-Leognan approved as an AOP?
1987
What Sauternes producer utilizes extended aging in epoxy-lines cement tanks as opposed to traditional wood?
Christian Medeville
- Chateau Gilette
- Chateau Les Justices
What is the name of Chateau Margaux’s second label?
Pavillon
In the last century, what decade was considered worst for Bordeaux?
1970’s
What is the most important parcel for Latour?
L’Enclos
What is the smallest AOC in Medoc?
Moulis
The Gironde Estuary is fed by what two tributaries? What region lies between the two?
- Dordogne River to the east (right bank)
- Garonne river to the west (left bank)
Entre-deux-mers
Where is Preignac?
Sauternes
What 3 tiered system controls the brokerage and sales for most of Bordeaux’s classified growths?
Place de Bordeaux
What are the primary varieties allowed in Bordeaux AOP rose and clairet?
- cab sauv
- cab franc
- malbec
- merlot
- petit verdot
- carmenere
What classic vintages of Bordeaux are considered legendary and historic?
1900
1921
1945
1961
1982
What sweet wine producer is run by the French Dept. of Agriculture as both a vineyard, winery, and school?
Chateau La Tour Blanche
How many 2eme crus are in St Julien?
5
What is the second label of Cht Ducru-Beaucaillou?
Criox de Beaucaillou
What are the 4 4eme crus of St Julien?
- Cht St Pierre
- Cht Talbot
- Cht Branaire Ducru
- Cht Beychevelle
In what year did the Duchy of Aquitaine pass into English hands? How long was Bordeaux under English rule?
1154
300 years
What battle ceded Bordeaux back to France?
Battle of Castillon, 1453
What is the name of Pomerol’s famous 20ha of deep blue clay (montmorillionite)?
Buttoniere (buttonhole)
What is the volume of a Bordeaux barrique?
225 L
What is Privelege de la Descente?
law prohibiting transport of non-Bordeaux wines by boat until Nov
- used to protect the wine trade in Bordeaux
What is the required aging for Pessac-Leognan?
- whites can be released after March 30, YFH
- reds can be released after Oct 1, YFH
What are the allowed accessory varieties for Bordeaux AOP clairet?
max 5% combined
- arinaroa
- castels
- marselan
- touriga nacional
What is the allowed RS range for Bordeaux AOP blanc ‘Haut Benauge?’
5-60 g/L
What is the min RS required to label as Bordeaux Superieur AOP blanc?
17 g/L
What is the only 4eme cru in Pauillac?
Chateau Duhart-Milon
What is the elevage for Pomerol?
wines not released until Nov 15th, YFH
What is the min aging for Bordeaux Superieur AOP blanc and rouge?
blanc - can be released after Dec 31, harvest year
rouge - can be released after June 15, YFH
What is the RS range allowed for Cotes de Bordeaux blanc, rouge , molleux, and liquereux?
rouge - max 3 g/L
blanc sec - max 4 g/L
molleux - 17-45 g/L
liq - min 51 g/L
What is the largest commune in Margaux?
Cantenac
What is the required aging for Cremant de Bordeaux AOP?
- 9 months on lees
- not released before 12 months after tirage
What was Bordeaux’s breakout vintage after a string of terrible vintages in the 1970’s?
1982
Who is the producer of Creme de Tete?
Chateau Gilette
Who was the first person to independently classify the growths of the Medoc?
Thomas Jefferson
What is the coastal pine forest in western Medoc?
Les Landes
What 2 rivers encircle Pomerol?
- Isle
- Barbanne
Where is Chateau Cantemerle located?
Macau, Haut-Medoc
Where are Chateau Poujeaux and Chateau Chasse-Spleen located?
Moulis
What 2 Haut-Medoc communes lie between St Julien and Margaux?
- Listrac
- Moulis
What is bouchet?
a synonym for cab franc on the right bank
What of the standard 6 red Bordeaux grapes is not allowed in Pomerol AOP?
carmenere
What varieties must make up at least 50% of the blend in Fronsac AOP?
- cab sauv
- cab franc
- merlot
What is the only classed growth to remove themselves from the En Primeur system and in what year?
Latour, 2012
What is the min planting density in Medoc AOP?
min 5000 vines/ ha
What is the most important parcel for Lafite-Rothschild?
Les Carruades
What training system is most popular on the right bank?
guyot
What IGP encompasses Bordeaux and nearby regions?
IGP Atlantique
What is the second label of Chateau Desmirail?
Chateau Fontarney
Where is Chateau l’Evangile located and what is its second label?
Pomerol
Blason de l’Evangile
What are the 2 second labels of Chateau Haut Brion?
- Clarence de Haut Brion (red)
- Le Clarte ( White)
What is the second label of Chateau Lafleur (Pomerol)?
Pensees de Lafleur
Who is the man on the Petrus bottle?
St Peter (Petros in Greek)
What is the makeup of Chateau Petrus?
100% merlot
In what year did Chateau Petrus not make a vintage?
1991
What is Bordeaux Haut Benauge?
- subzone of the Bordeaux AOP
- Entre-Deux-Mers
- produces dry and moelleux white: Semilon, SB, Sauvignon Gris and Muscadel
What are Sauternes’s first Growth chateaux located in Bommes?
- Ch Lafaurie-Peyraguey (La Chapelle de Lafaurie)
- Ch Clos Haut Peyraguey (Symphonie de Haut Peyraguey)
- Ch Rayne Vigneau (Madame de Rayne)
- Ch Rabaud-Promi (Promesse de Rabaut-Promis)
- Ch Sigalas Rabaud (Lieutnant de Sigalas)
- Ch La Tour Blanche (Les Charmilles de la Tour Blanche)
What is the second label of Chateau Pape-Clement?
Les Clés de Pape-Clément
Give some of the 1er GCC of Sauternes
Ch Guiraud - Sauternes
Ch Lafaurie-Peyraguey - Bommes
Ch Clos de Haut Peyraguey - Bommes
Ch Rayne Vigneau - Bommes
Ch Rabaud Promis - Bommes
Ch Sigalas Rabaud - Bommes
Ch Suduiraut - Preignac
Ch Rieussec - Fargues/Sauternes
Ch La Tour Blanche - Bommes
Ch Climens - Barsac
Ch Coutet - Barsac
When was Chateau Angelus withdrawn from St Emilion classification?
2022
What is the second label of Chateau L’Eglise Clinet (Pomerol)?
La Petite Eglise
What is the new three tier classification of the Cru bourgeois?
Cru Bourgeois
Cru Bourgeois Superieur
Cru Bourgeois Exeptionel
– Chateau must be located in the Left bank, in the Medoc area
What is the second label of Chateau Climens (Sauternes)?
Cypres de Climens
What is the main viticultural advantage of the Ciron river?
creates perfect fog condition for botrytis in Sauternes AOP
What is the min must weight and RS of Sauternes?
- min 221 g/L
- RS 45 g/L
*Cannot be released prior June 30th, YFH
What is the second label of Chateau Lafite Rothschild?
Carruades de Lafite
When was the Cotes de Bordeaux AOP established?
2009
When was Crémant de Bordeaux AOP established?
1990
What is the second label of Ch. Pichon Longueville Baron?
Les Griffons de Pichon Baron
What are the Sauternes chateaux based on 100% Semillon?
- Ch Climens
- Ch Doisy-Dubroca
What is the second label of Chateau Ausone (St Emilion)?
Chapelle d’Ausone
What is the second label of Chateau d’Issan?
Blason d’Issan
What is the second label of Chateau Leoville Poyferre?
Chateau Moulin Riche
What is the second label of Chateau Pavie?
Aromes de Pavie
What is the second label of Chateau Mouton Rothschild?
Petit Mouton
What is the second label of Chateau Giscours?
La Sirène de Giscours
What is the second label of Chateau Calon Segur?
Le Marquis de Calon
What is the second label of Chateau Trotanoy (Pomerol)?
Esperance de Trotanoy (est 2009)
What is the classification of Chateau Chasse-Spleen and what it its second label?
Cru Bourgeois Exeptionnel
L’Oratoire de Chasse Spleen
What St Emilion winery was elevated to Premier Grand Cru Classe A status in 2022?
Chateau Figeac
What is unique about Chateau Vaulandraud?
It cultivates and uses all the Bordeaux grapes in its blend
What new grapes were added to the approved list of grapes in 2019?
White
Alvarinho
Liliorila (Baroque x Chardonnay)
Red
- Marselan (Cab Sauv Grenache)
- Touriga Nacional
- Castets
- Arinarnoa (Tannat x Cab sauv)
What is Liv-Ex?
London International Vintners Exchange
- global marketplace for the trade of fine wine
What is sur souches?
pricing based on a previous vintage
What was the first château to begin estate-bottling its entire production?
Mouton-Rothschild (1924)
What type of vine training is traditionally used to make dry table wines in Bordeaux? Sauternes and sweet wines? Why?
Guyot is used to produce most dry table wines
Cordon-training is rare throughout Bordeaux, save for those vines intended to produce sweet wines. Traditional in Sauternes, cordon-training produces smaller berries that attract botrytis; Guyot cane-training produces slightly larger berries that tend to develop grey rot instead.
Why do estates in Saint-Emilion and Pomerol have a lower required planting density than the Haut-Medoc AOPs?
Right bank soils are generally shallower; roots cannot penetrate the limestone bedrock and therefore spread outward rather than dig down. The canopy is higher, too, in this more frost-prone inland region. It is a main reason density is lower as they simply cannot plant more vines due to how the vines grow.
What can Bordeaux producers do to ward off rot in lieu of using chemicals or spraying?
de-leafing, by machine or manually. After véraison, many vineyards in Bordeaux are stripped of greenery in the fruit zone, giving the fruit needed ventilation into the humid late summer and early fall.
What two types of sorters are used in Bordeaux?
- density
- optical
What estate was known as Mouton-Baronne-Philippe until 1988?
Château d’Armailhac
What two AOPs share the Grand Poujeaux croupe?
The Moulis appellation, granted in 1938, shares the western edge of the Grand Poujeaux croupe with Saint-Julien and maintains access to some good gravel soils. There are no classified producers here; however, historically the commune has produced plenty of Cru Bourgeois wine, led by Château Chasse-Spleen and Château Poujeaux.
In what year was Cru Artisan launched and how often is it updated?
2005, updated every 5 years
What three things does botrytis intensify?
- sugar
- acid
- glycerol
Traditionally, how many tries will be done at a modern Sauternes estate?
3-4
What Sauternes commune is the largest in terms of volume of production?
Barsac
What is the AOP of Ygrec?
Bordeaux AOP or Bordeaux Superieur AOP depending on RS levels
What percent of the plantings in the right bank are merlot?
70%
What are the only two chateau that have been family owned for their entire history?
- Leoville-Barton
- Mouton Rothschild
Why are the cellars in Bordeaux almost all above ground?
the water table in Bordeaux is too high to dig them under ground
Why was green harvesting extensively practiced in 2022?
drought vintage (irrigation was actually approved) and green harvesting lets the plant work less hard to ripen a smaller crop of fruit
Who owns Pichon Lalande
Louis Roderer
Where would you find calcaire asteries?
St. Emilion
‘Initial’ is the second label of what producer?
Chateau Desmirail
What is the second label of Vieux Chateau Certan?
La Gravette de Certan