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Certified Revision > Bordeaux > Flashcards

Bordeaux Flashcards

1
Q

What are the major & minor red grapes of Bordeaux?

A

Major: Cab, cab franc, merlot
petit verdot, carmenere, malbec

Minor: Castets, Touriga Nacional, Marselan, Arinaroa

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2
Q

What are the major & minor white grapes of Bordeaux?

A

Major: Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Muscadelle, Sauvignon Gris

Minor: Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Merlot Blanc, lilorilla, alvarinho

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3
Q

What styles of wine are made in Bordeaux?

A

Dry red, dry rosé, claret, dry white, off dry white, sweet white, sparkling white & rosé

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4
Q

How is Bordeaux Supérior AOC more strict than Bordeaux AOC?

A

Higher minimum alcohol for dry red and off dry whites only!

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5
Q

What does merlot contribute to a blend?

A

lush, full body, juicy black fruit

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6
Q

What does cabernet contribute to a blend?

A

power, tannin, structure, color, ageability

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7
Q

What does cab franc contribute to a blend

A

fresh acid, bright red fruit, herbaceous aromatics

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8
Q

What does sauvignon blanc contribute to a blend?

A

Citrus fruit, lively acid.

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9
Q

What does semillon contribute to a blend?

A

Body & texture, tones down sauvignon blanc’s acid, interesting aromatics with age (beeswax, honey)

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10
Q

What does muscadelle contribute to a blend?

A

intense floral character

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11
Q

Why were 6 new varieties added to Bordeaux AOC’s list of allowed grapes? What % is allowed?

A

As a hedge against climate change

5% combined in red, rosé, & claret
10% in white

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12
Q

What do petit verdot, malbec, & carmenere contribute to blends?

A

pv adds intense color & exotic perfume

Carmenere & malbec add similar qualities as merlot but are rarely planted these days

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13
Q

What is the climate of Bordeaux?

A

Maritime, with the most rainfall in all of France

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14
Q

What moderates Bordeaux’s climate?

A

The bodies of water: atlantic ocean, gironde estuary, dordogne & garonne moderate temperature, protect agains winter freeze & spring frost

la landes man-made pine forest & coastal sand dunes keep the worst of the atlantic storms & westerly winds from damaging vines.

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15
Q

What are the important soils of the left bank, right bank, & graves?

A

Left bank is gravel dominant with clay outcroppings

Right bank is clay & limestone dominant

Graves has boulbenes, a unique mix of clay, gravel, & sand.

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16
Q

Who drained the swamps of the left bank? When?

A

The dutch in the 1600s

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17
Q

When did the English control Bordeaux? What was the affect of this control?

A

From 1152 to 1453; it created a market for bordeaux wines in england, and an age-old british affinity for claret. This wine-trade relationship helped give rise to the merchant class!

18
Q

What is a negociant vs a courtier in Bordeaux?

A

negociants historically bought fruit or wine and bottled and sold it under their own label. They were fully eclipsed by courtiers by WWII as estate bottling became the norm. Courtiers provide estates financial backing, control the wine trade, & sell wine en premeur

19
Q

What was the 1855 Classification?

A

Chateaux of the left bank were ranked ahead of the 1855 worlds fair, and resulted in the brand, not the vineyard, holding primacy in bordeaux. The original classification honored 4 estates and has held with the exception of 1 addition in 1973.

20
Q

Why is blending dominant in Bordeaux?

A

It’s a hedge agains a marginal climate with significant vintage variation (if early budding merlot’s wiped out by spring frost, there’s always the late budding cab, for instance), there’s a patchwork of soils where different varieties thrive in bordeaux, and, these varieties have a natural affinity for each other and increase complexity in a blend!

21
Q

Will reds always be a blend in Bordeaux?

A

Virtually yes, perhaps not in the case of Pétrus.

22
Q

Will reds always see oak in Bordeaux?

A

No, oak usage varies greatly in Bordeaux. While the best reds will often see up to 2 years in a large % new oak barrique, most chateaux don’t have the money; large neutral barrels & stainless steel are prevalent too.

23
Q

Will whites always be blends in Bordeaux? Will they always be dry? Will they always see oak?

A

Whites can be varietal or blends
They can see oak or not, and they can be dry or off dry and still be considered table wine.

24
Q

What are the important rules of Bordeaux AOC?

A

Can be red, dry white, rosé, claret.
Has one subzone for whites: Haute Benauge, which is allowed to run the rs gamut.

25
Q

What are the most important rules of Bordeaux Supérior AOC?

A

Higher alcohol dry reds and off-dry to sweet whites

26
Q

What are the most important rules of the Crémant de Bordeaux AOC?

A

rosé uses only big 6 red grapes, white uses mostly red grapes but allows whites too (6+4)

second fermentation must take place in-bottle & spend at least 9 months on the lees

27
Q

What are the most important rules for Côtes de Bordeaux AOC?

A

Includes Francs, Castillon, Cadillac, & Blaye. Mainly for dry reds based on Merlot. Blaye also allows dry whites, Francs also allows dry to sweet whites.

28
Q

What rules govern Premières cotes de Bordeaux?

A

sweet white wines only

29
Q

What are the big 5 first growths from the 1855 classification?

A

Latour
Lafite
Mouton
Margaux
Haut Brion

30
Q

What are the second growths of the 1855 classification?

A

Cht Cos d’estournel
Cht Montrose

Cht Pichon-Longueville Baron
Cht Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande

Cht Léoville Las Cases
Cht Léoville Poyferré
Cht Léoville Barton
Cht Gruaud-Larose
Cht Ducru Beaucaillou

Cht Rauzan-Ségla
Cht Rauzan-Gassies
Cht Dufort-Vivens
Cht Lascombes
Cht Brane-Cantenac

31
Q

What are the current
Premier Grand Cru Classé A of St Emillion?

A

Cht Pavie & Figeac

but all have opted out of classification except Pavie

32
Q

What is the only superior first growth of sweet wine from the 1855 classification?

A

Chateau D’Yquem

33
Q

How does the graves classification differ from the rest?

A

It ranks properties for white wines as well as reds

34
Q

How does the St. Emillion Classification differ from the rest?

A

It’s built into the appellation system and anyone who meets the higher viticultural standards there can be grand cru, but only the best estates are premier* grand cru classé, and of that there’s the A & B team. It’s also reclassified about every 10 years.

35
Q

How many estates were classifed in 1855 for dry reds? How many categories? How? Is it fixed?

A

61 chateaux were ranked by price into 5 growths (premier cru to cinquiem cru). There’s only been 1 change.

36
Q

How many levels are there to the Sauternes & Barsac classification of 1855?

A

3: Supérior premier cru, premier cru, deuxieme cru.

37
Q

What was the graves classification?

A

Chateaux in graves (all of which ended up being in Pessac-Leognan) were ranked in 1953 and again in 1959 for red & white wines. There’s only 1 level: grand cru classé. Haut Brion has this honor as well as 1er cru of 1855.

38
Q

What’s the cru bourgois classification?

A

The chateaux in the Médoc left out of the 1855 classification came up with their own. It reevaluates every 5 years, has 3 levels: cb exceptionelle, cb supérieur, and cb. Currently includes 249 estates.

39
Q

What’s the St. Emilion classification?

A

Of 1952, ratified in 1955, to be reevaluated every 10 years or so, built into the appellation system, there’s a grand cru status classé if you meet superior viticultural standards, then a premier grand cru classé for exceptional estates, and a subdivision of A or B.

40
Q

Can you name any Premier Grand Cru Classé Bs?

A

Chateau Canon
Chateau Canon-le-gafliere,
Chateau Beauséjour

41
Q

Can you recommend & describe 2 good bordeaux vintages?

A

If you like strong, powerful, complex, bordeaux, you’ll love a left bank from 2010, which is just now starting to come into its own. If you prefer a plush & oppulent right bank, I love how the 2015s are expressing right now. Rich, velveteen fruit profiles with soft cedar & dark chocolate notes. Yum.

42
Q
A

Certified Revision (26 decks)

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