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Bordeaux Flashcards

1
Q

In terms of both volume of wine produced and appellation size, Bordeaux is the:

smallest
largest

region in France.

A

Largest in terms of volume and appellation size.

The Bordeaux region makes approximately 900 million bottles of wine each year.
The production of AOC wine is 85% red, 10% dry white, 1% sweet white and 4% rosé.

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2
Q

What kind of wine is produced?

A

50% of wine produced is only entitled to the modest Bordeaux or Bordeaux Supérieur appellations and are inexpensive to mid-price.
Around 70% of all bottled wines are inexpensive or mid-priced and 30 % are premium or super-premium priced.
The production of AOC wine is 85% red, 10% dry white, 1% sweet white and 4% rosé.

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3
Q

What is the climate of Bordeaux?

A

Bordeaux has a moderate Maritime climate.

Bordeaux is known for its high levels of rainfall (950mm/year) and humidity, but it also benefits from the Gulf Stream which limits spring frosts and extends the growing season, alloings ripening to continue into October in certain years.

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4
Q

What are the three main rivers of the Bordeaux region?

A

Gironde
Dordogne
Garonne

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5
Q

What is the name of the man-made forest that separates the Bordeaux region from the Atlantic Ocean?

A

The Landes forest

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6
Q

To the west of Bordeaux are the Les Landes forest and coastal sand dunes. What do they do for the region?

A

Provide protection against storms off the Atlantic Ocean.

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7
Q

Because Bordeaux sees rainfall throughout the year, sometimes excessively, what are some effects that vignerons have to look out for in the vineyard?

A

Flower + fruit set disruption, if in the early spring
Rot + disease
Flavor dilution, especially if right before harvest

The hardy grape varieties planted across Bordeaux can resist extremes of temperature, but hot dry years such as 2003 can lead to wines, both red and white, with low acidity that lack balance. They can also lead to wines being more alcoholic than in the past as
growers wait for phenolic ripeness before picking.

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8
Q

Are the majority of wines from Bordeaux bottled as blends or single varietals?

A

Most red and white Bordeaux wines are blends.
13 varieties are permitted.

Because of the uncertainty of the weather (rain in particular, and potentially frost), the Bordelais rely on different grapes that flower and ripen at different times.

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9
Q

White Bordeaux wines are primarily blends of which 2 grapes?

What is the third grape that’s sometimes used?

A

Sauvignon Blanc (usually not blended, but adds acidity to a blend)
Sémillon (adds body)
Muscadelle (sometimes used and, when it is, only a small percent)

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10
Q

Red Bordeaux wines are typically blends of which 3 red grapes?

What is the fourth red grape that’s sometimes used in the blend?

A

Cabernet Sauvignon
Merlot
Cabernet Franc
Petit Verdot (sometimes used and, when it is, only a small percent)

90% of the plantings are black grapes

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11
Q

What is the most widely planted grape variety in Bordeaux?

A

Merlot

Merlot accounts for around 66% of the red grapes planted in Bordeaux.

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12
Q

What kind of Bordeaux soil does the Merlot grape thrive in?

A

Cooler clay soils of the Right Bank.

Merlot is able to grow in soils too cool for Cabernet Sauvignon, making it the most widely planted grape on Bordeaux’s Right Bank (eg St Emilion, Pomerol).

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13
Q

In what Bordeaux soils does Cabernet Sauvignon produce the best wines?
Why does Cabernet Sauvignon thrive in these soils?

A

Stone + gravel soils of the Left Bank.
The stony, gravelly soils of the Médoc and Graves are the only soils that can consistenly ripen Cabernet Sauvignon in Bordeaux. This is why the wines of the Left Bank are regularly associated with Cabernet Sauvignon (up to 3/4 of the blend in the finest wines).

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14
Q

Cabernet Franc prefers what type of soils in Bordeaux?

A

Gravel + limestone soils that are relatively warm + well drained.

Historically Cabernet Franc has done well in Saint-Émilion, and somewhat well in Médoc and Graves.

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15
Q

The Cabernet Franc grape variety is known for adding what characteristics to wines?

A

Has less body and tannins than CBSV.
When ripe, can contribute vibrant fruit and floral notes to a blend.

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16
Q

The Petit Verdot grape variety is known for adding what characteristics to wines?

A

Petit Verdot is known for adding tannin, color, and some spice flavors to the blend.

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17
Q

Why has Petit Verdot not played a larger part in Bordeaux wines as of late?

A

Petit Verdot has far fewer plantings than Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc because it is only able to ripen in very hot years.

While even a little Petit Verdot can have a noticeable impact on the wine, its late ripening means that it is the last grape harvested and it does not consistently ripen in Bordeaux.

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18
Q

What are the 2 principal appellations of the Right Bank?

A

Saint-Émilion
Pomerol

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19
Q

In Bordeaux, which red grape variety dominates the wines on the Right Bank?

A

Merlot

Cabernet Franc and, to a lesser extent, Cabernet Sauvignon, play supporting roles in Right Bank blends.

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20
Q

How do the wines of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol differ?

A

Saint-Émilion wines tend to be well structured yet soft with a plush mouthfeel and plummy, red berried-fruit, and layers of tobacco and cedar.

Pomerol tends to be even richer and spicier than Saint-Émilion, with a darker blue and blackberry fruit character.

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21
Q

Saint-Émilion can be loosely divided into 3 different groups of soils. What are they?

A
  • North + west of Saint-Émilion: warm, well-draining gravel and limestone plateau;
  • South + east of Saint-Émilion: clay and limestone escarpment;
  • Sandy soils at the base of the escarpment are found in St-Émilion.

The first two produce the finest wines of the appellation.

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22
Q

What is the difference between St.-Émilion Grand Cru and St.-Émilion Grand Cru Classé?

A

St.-Émilion Grand Cru is an AOP and only requires a producer to follow the AOP guidelines to label a wine as St.-Émilion Grand Cru.

St.-Émilion Grand Cru Classé is a classification system and only ranked properties may be labeled as St.-Émilion Grand Cru Classé.

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23
Q

How often are the wines of Saint-Émilion reclassified?

A

At least once every 10 years.

Unlike the Médoc and Graves classifications which have remained fairly consistent since their inception, the Saint-Émilion properties are subject to promotions and demotions at least once a decade. The last classification was completed in 2022.

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24
Q

Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé is subdivided into ___ and ___.

A

Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé is subdivided into Premier Grand Cru Classé A (the best) and Premier Grand Cru Classé B.

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25
Q

What does the term ‘garagiste’ refer to?

A

‘Garagiste’ refers to small châteaux or winemaker making red wines that are full-bodied, incredibly ripe and made in minute quantities from small plots of land, usually from the Right Bank of Bordeaux.

These wines typically spare no expense in the vineyard or the winery. They command extremely high prices.

La Mondotte is an example of a garagiste.

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26
Q

What are the areas included in the Left Bank of Bordeaux?

A

All of the Médoc
Graves
Sauternes

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27
Q

What kind of soils in Medoc?

A

Predominantly clay, but there are outcrops of gravel.

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28
Q

What kind of soil in Pessac Leognan?

A

gravelly

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29
Q

What are the 4 communes, or communal appellations, of the Médoc that have the highest reputation for their wines?

A

Pauillac
St Julien
Margaux
St Estèphe

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30
Q

Describe the 1855 Classification.

A

In1855, on the occasion of the Paris Universal Exhibition, the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce was approached to produce an official list of their best red wines from the Medoc and white wines from Sauternes. This is now known as the1855 Classification.
Over the intervening years, the classified chateaux have undergone numerous changes in their number, size and ownership, and in the quality of the wine made. Nevertheless, the classification still stands virtually intact.
Chateaux that are listed within this classification are referred to as Crus Classés. In the Medoc, the chateaux were divided into five ranks. The top rank consists of Chateaux Lafite Rothschild, Latour, Margaux and Mouton Rothschild, together with Chateau Haut-Brion from the Graves. In Sauternes there are three ranks, Chateau d’Yquem occupying the top rank.

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31
Q

Which commune in the Médoc is home to the most Premier Grand Cru Classé wines of the 1855 Classification?

A

PAUILLAC (Latour, Mouton R, Lafite R.)

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32
Q

Name the 5 First Growths in Bordeaux classified for their red wines and include their AOPs/AOCs.

A

Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac
Latour, Pauillac
Margaux, Margaux
Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac
Chateau Haut-Brion, Graves

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33
Q

Due to the small size of the 1855 Classification, what other classification was introduced to rank the other important properties of the Left Bank of Bordeaux?

A

Cru bourgeois
is only awarded to wines in a specific vintage, rather than to
the chateau itself, and therefore wines from new vintages must be
submitted each year to gain classification.

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34
Q

The wines of Sauternes were also classified in 1855 and were divided into three growths, with one château achieving the top rank of Premier Cru Supérieur.

Which châteaux achieved this top rank?

A

Chateau d’Yquem

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35
Q

What grape varieties are used to make the sweet wines of Sauternes AOP?

A

Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc

36
Q

Which of the three white grapes used in Sauternes and Barsac is always the most dominant in the blend?

A

Semillon dominates because of its thin skin and susceptibility to botrytis.

Sauvignon Blanc supplies refreshing acidity and fruity aromas, and
Muscadelle, where used, adds exotic perfume.

37
Q

Sauternes AOP is on the east or west bank of the Garonne?

A

West.

38
Q

What sweet wine AOP is situated within the Sauternes AOP?

A

Barsac

39
Q

Which two rivers provide the Sauternes region with the ideal climate for producing Noble Rot?

A

The top sweet wine appellations of Bordeaux are grouped on the banks of the Garonne and its tributary the Ciron.

The rivers create the ideal misty autumn conditions for noble rot to develop on fully ripened grapes. The level of noble rot in the vineyard varies from year to year.

40
Q

In Bordeaux vintages where there is little noble rot, what technique is used in the vineyards to help concentrate grape sugars?

A

Passerillage is needed to help concentrate
sugars in years when there is little noble rot.

41
Q

Wines from Sauternes + Barsac AOPs are:

fermented or matured in oak
not fermented or matured in oak
A

The best wines tend to be high in alcohol, sweet yet balanced
by high acidity, and display the apricot and citrus peel
aromas of noble rot, along with notes of toast and vanilla
from oak fermentation and/or maturation.

42
Q

If a producer in Sauternes AOP makes a still, dry, white wine, what appellation does it take?

A

Some producers in (Medoc and) Sauternes produce premium dry whites. However, these wines cannot be sold using these
appellations and instead they are sold using the generic
BORDEAUX appellation.

43
Q

Where is Entre-Deux-Mers located in Bordeaux?

A

It is located between the Rivers Garonne and Dordogne

44
Q

What is the style of wine produced in the Entre-Deux-Mers AOP?

A

It can only produce dry white wines.
As the Graves’, they tend to be made from Sauvignon Blanc in an unoaked style.

45
Q

What are the styles of wine permitted in Graves and Pessac-Léognan AOPs?

A

Graves and Pessac-Leognan are permitted to produce white wines as well as reds.

46
Q

Red wines that come from the large Entre-Deux-Mers region must be labelled with these more generic AOPs.

A

Red wines from this area must be labelled with a generic appellation name.

47
Q

List general points of how the white wines of Entre-Deux-Mers differ from those of Pessac-Léognan.

A

Entre-Deux-Mers tend to be made from Sauvignon Blanc in an unoaked style.
Pessac-Leognanis the home of many of the very best dry whites, and here the whites may be eligible for cru classé status.They tend to be blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon and have usually been fermented and/or matured at least partly in new oak, giving a medium to full body and toasty oak flavours.

48
Q

Entre-Deux-Mers white wines are typically made just with this grape.

Pessac-Léognan white wines are typically made with these two grapes.

A

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon

49
Q

What vessels are commonly used to age top-quality red Bordeaux wines?

A

Top-quality red Bordeaux is aged in small oak barrique.
In the finest chateaux, all the wine may be put into new casks.
Lesser properties may use a smaller proportion of new casks.

50
Q

How many liters (or gallons) of wine does the famous Bordeaux barrique barrel hold?

A

225 litres

51
Q

Cabernet Sauvignon is a cross created from what other two famous Bordeaux varieties?

A

Cabernet Franc & Sauvignon Blanc

52
Q

What important contribution to the region of Bordeaux did the Dutch make in the 1600s?

A

In the 17th and 18th centuries the large Médoc peninsula north of the city, which had been marshy and unsuitable for agriculture, was drained by Dutch residents in the city of Bordeaux and planted

53
Q

What appellations are able to put their names before the more generic appellation of Côtes de Bordeaux?

A

The appellations of Blaye,Cadillac, Castillon and Francs
are able to put their names in front of Cotes de Bordeaux

54
Q

Which grape tends to dominate the red blends from Côtes de Bordeaux?

A

Merlot

55
Q

Which lesser-known red wine appellation chose not to put its name in front of Côtes de Bordeaux?

A

Cotes de Bourg

56
Q

What style of wine is made in the Premières Côtes de Bordeaux AOP?

A

sweet wine

57
Q

What famous solution to downy mildew, powdery mildew, and other fungal infections was developed in the vineyards of Bordeaux?

A

Bouillie bordelaise (Bordeaux Mixture)

58
Q

How many different appellations are approved for the Bordeaux region?

A

65

59
Q

What is the dominant grape in wines labeled Médoc AOP?

A

Médoc AOC covers the northern end of the area and is mainly planted with nearly equal proportions of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon

60
Q

Wines that carry the Haut-Médoc appellation come from what area of the Médoc?

A

Haut-Médoc AOC covers the area closest to Bordeaux city and the area includes the famous Left Bank individual communes.

61
Q

Which appellation is larger: Pomerol or Saint-Émilion?

A

St Emilion

62
Q

As of 2018 and onward, Médoc wines will be classified as 1 of 3 tiers of quality.

Q: What are the 3 tiers?

Q: How long is the classification good for?

A

Cru bourgeois
CB superieur
CB exceptionnel

5 years

63
Q

The first vineyards in Bordeaux were planted where and by whom?

A

Romans first planted grapes in an area most likely near Saint-Emilion in the first century B.C.

64
Q

Why was the 12th century marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II especially important for the Bordeaux region?

A

Eleanor of Aquitaine’s dowry included the region of Bordeaux, giving the English control of the region and making the wines of Bordeaux especially accessible to English wine drinkers.

This marriage established England as an important market for Bordeaux wines.

65
Q

Where does the term Bordeaux come from?

A

Bordeaux gets its name from two French words, “bord” meaning border and “eau” meaning water. The region of Bordeaux does exactly that: borders the water of the Atlantic Ocean.

66
Q

Where does the grape Merlot get its name from?

A

Merlot gets its name from the French word for blackbird,“Merle”.

The Bordelais named the grape after the blackbird because it is the number one pest at harvest for most of Bordeaux.

67
Q

What is Clairet?

A

Clairet is a style of wine that is mainly popular on the
French market. It undergoes a longer maceration than a
typical rosé and is deeper in colour and fuller in body.

68
Q

What is a “super-second”?

A

A “super second” is a château that consistently sells for a higher price and is seen as higher quality than where its placement in the 1855 Classification would suggest.

Super-seconds will often sell for a far greater price than other Second Growths, but less than First Growths.

69
Q

What are some examples of “super seconds?”

A

A few examples widely considered to be “super seconds” are:

2nd Growths

Château Cos d’Estournel
Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
Château Léoville Las Cases
Château Léoville-Poyferré
Château Montrose
Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse Lalande
Château Pichon-Longueville Baron
Château Rauzan-Ségla

3rd Growths

Château Palmer

5th Growths

Château Lynch-Bages
Château Pontet-Canet
70
Q

What famous professor at the University of Bordeaux was instrumental in creating the concept of a “second label” wine?

A

Emile Peynaud

Peynaud was a major advocate of only using the best grapes to make the “Grand Vins” of Bordeaux and championed the concept of a “second label” as a way to keep the quality of the highest wines consistent.

71
Q

What is a “second label?”

A

“Second labels” or “second wines” are wines made from cuvées not selected to go into a château’s Grand Vin.

A second label does not necessarily mean a wine that is lower in quality; some châteaux simply make second label wines from other vineyards, younger vines, or different grape blends than those used for their “Grand Vins.”

72
Q

What are the five classifications of the Gironde?

A

1855 Classification
Graves Classification
Saint-Émilion Classification
Cru Bourgeois du Médoc Classification
Cru Artisans Classification

73
Q

What is “La Place de Bordeaux?”

A

La Place de Bordeaux is a three-tier, de facto system of wine production (châteaux owners), brokerage (brokers), and sales (merchants) that controls the trade of wine in Bordeaux.

La Place de Bordeaux is a system, not a location.

74
Q

List the 4 St. Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A châteaux as of the 2012 ranking.

A

Château Angélus
Château Ausone
Château Cheval Blanc
Château Pavie

Châteaux Angélus and Pavie were both elevated from Grand Cru Classé B in the 2012 classification.

75
Q

What are the 4 satellites of Saint-Émilion?

A

From north to south, they are:

Lussac-Saint-Émilion
Montagne-Saint-Émilion
Puisseguin-Saint-Émilion
Saint-Georges-Saint-Émilion
76
Q

How many changes have been made to the 1855 Classification since it was introduced at the Universal Exhibition in Paris?

A
  • Château Cantemerle was added as a Fifth Growth in 1855 while the Universal Exhibition was still running;
    • Mouton-Rothschild was elevated from Second Growth to First Growth in 1973;
    • Third Growth Margaux estate Château Dubignon was absorbed by Château Malescot St. Exupéry.
77
Q

What style of wine is made in the Premières Côtes de Bordeaux AOP?

A

The Premières Côtes de Bordeaux AOP is authorized to produce semi-sweet white wines only.

The Premières Côtes de Bordeaux AOP should not be confused with the Côtes de Bordeaux group of AOPs which are approved for dry red and white wines as well as some sweet wines.

78
Q

What exactly is Bordeaux Mixture and who invented it?

A

Copper sulphate (CuSO4) and slaked lime (Ca(OH)2)
Invented in Bordeaux by Pierre-Marie-Alexis Millardet

79
Q

What two appellations of Bordeaux are named after their soils?

A

The Graves AOP and Graves de Vayres AOP are both named after their gravel soils.

80
Q

What is the main beneficial impact of Botrytis on white grapes, and how does it change the resulting wine?

A

The main impact of botrytis is diminishing the proportions of liquids to solids inside the grape. This concentrates flavors and creates a more complex and intense finished wine, including notes of saffron, ginger, mushrooms, and honey.

Botrytis will change the resulting wine by:

lowering the water content of the grape by 1/2
reducing sugar by 1/3
dropping tartaric acid by 5/6
diminishing malic acid by 1/3
81
Q

What is the only Premier Cru Supérieur (from Sauternes) of the 1855 Classification?

A

Château d’Yquem

Historically Château d’Yquem commanded much higher prices than any other Bordeaux wine. As the only Premier Cru Supérieur, Château d’Yquem is literally in a class by itself.

82
Q

How much wine will one vine’s worth of botrytized grapes yield?

A

As a general rule, one vine’s worth of botrytized grapes will produce between 1-3 glasses of wine.

83
Q

What smaller appellation contains all the wines that were classified in the Graves Classification?

A

All the wines that were classified in the Graves Classification lie within the newer appellation of Pessac-Léognan AOP, which was created in 1987.

The Graves Classification was created in 1953 and revised in 1959, both well before the Pessac-Léognan AOP was established.

84
Q

What is the only château to be classified in both the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 and the Graves Classification?

A

Château Haut-Brion

Not only was Château Haut-Brion the only wine from Graves to be a Premier Cru Classé wine, but it was the only wine from Graves in the entire 1855 Classificaiton.

With the Graves Classification of the 1950s, Château Haut-Brion became the only estate in Bordeaux to be listed on two separate classifications.

85
Q

Why was the Malbec grape more prevalent in older Bordeaux vintages but not more recent ones?

A

The frost of 1956 lead to a severe winter freeze that killed many of the Malbec vines in Bordeaux. Merlot replaced Malbec due to its ability to withstand the cold winter temperatures better than Malbec.

This is why many Bordeaux wines made before 1956 contain much higher Malbec content than current Bordeaux wines.

86
Q

What does En Primeur mean and why is it important to the Bordeaux wine trade?

A

En Primeur means “in futures.”

En Primeur represents the uniquely Bordelais tradition of selling the wine in futures while still maturing in barrel.

Vins (40 decks)

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