Bordeaux 2 Flashcards
When was the INAO created, and when were the first AOC’s awarded?
19351936
When did the INAO transition from the Institute National des Appellations d’Origine to L’Institute National de l’Origine et de la Qualité, and in the process, come in line with EU regulations?
2007
When was VDQS created?
1949, as a stepping stone to AOC
Currently, are hybrid varieties allowed for AOP wines?
No
Currently, what % of grapes must be from the stated AOP to qualify?
100.00%
Are hybrid varieties allowed for IGP wines?
Yes
What % of grapes must be from the stated IGP to qualify?
85.00%
What are the three levels of IGP?
RegionalDepartmentalLocal
What are the regional IGP zones?
Pays d’Oc IGP (Languedoc-Rousillon)Val de Loire IGP (Loire)Comtés Rhodaniens IGP (Northern Rhône, Jura, Savoie)Méditerranée IGP (Southeast France)Atlantique IGP (Bordeaux and CharanteComté Tolosan IGP (Sud Ouest)
Maximum yield for IGP wines?
White: 90 hl/haRed/Rosé: 85 hl/haTotal: 100 hl/ha
As of 2009, what may be listed on the label for VDT wines?
Vintage, Varietal, and Place of Origin
What is France’s largest viticultural area by acreage?
Bordeaux (123,834ha)
What are courtiers?
Brokers of wine in the Médoc, which supplied chateaux with financial backing in exchange for control over trade.
What is Bordeaux mixture, and what does it combat?
Copper sulfate, lime, water; fungal problems
What is millerandage?
Hens and chicks, or clusters that produce unevenly sized berries.
What is Coulure?
shatter - occurring in spring, when cold and wet or unseasonably high temperatures cause flowers to stay closed and not be fertilized. May result in undeveloped grapes falling off, or irregular, less compact bunches
What is the max % of Merlot Blanc, Ugni Blanc, and Colombard in white Bordeaux?
30% combined
Minimum must weight for red wines of the Left Bank?
180g/L; 189 for Merlot (Merlot accumulates sugar much faster than the other varieties)
Authorized styles for Bordeaux Supérieur?
Rouge, Blanc Demi-Sec/Moelleux
What are jalles?
The drainage channels of the Médoc
When was Cru Artisan formally recognized, and with what vintage did labeling begin?
20022005
When was Cru Bourgeois created, and what were the original categories?
1936Cru BourgeoisCru Bourgeois SuperiéurCru Bourgeois Exceptionnel
When was the Cru Bourgeois classification abolished, and when did the new designation come into effect?
20032010, for the 2008 vintage.
Authorized styles for Médoc/Haut-Médoc?
RED ONLY
What are the authorized styles for Graves Supérieures?
Sweet White only - 221 g/L (must weight), 34 g/l (RS)
What are the authorized styles for Pessac-Léognan?
Rouge, Blanc Sec
When was the Pessac-Léognan AOC established?
1987
What are the authorized styles for Entre-Deux-Mers AOP?
Blanc Sec only
What is the geographic subzone of Bordeaux AOP and Entre-Deux-Mers AOP?
Haut-Benauge, lying along the border of Côtes de Bordeaux Saint Macaire.
What are the authorized styles for Graves de Vayres AOP?
Rouge, Blanc, Blanc Sec
What is the difference between Blanc and Blanc Sec in Graves de Vayres?
Blanc Sec has 4g/L RS.
How many producers carry the Cru Artisan designation?
44
What forest protects the Médoc from Atlantic winds?
Fôret de Landes
Bordeaux lies along what latitudinal parallel?
45º
What factors affect Bordeaux’s climate?
Proximity to the Gironde estuary results in a maritime climate; the Atlantic Gulf Stream current, carrying warm water up from the Caribbean, warms the weather off Bordeaux’s coast.It is also the rainiest major wine region in France - 950mm annually - and rain falls throughout the year, hence its historic troubles with washout and rot.Bordeaux does not experience a sizable diurnal shift, making it unique in major growing regions for Cabernet Sauvignon.
Which two Bordeaux varieties are not related to the others?
Muscadelle and Petit Verdot
What is the most planted red grape in Bordeaux (and also France)?
Merlot, at 63% of the Bordelais vignoble.
What market drove the development of Sauternes and Barsac as sweet wine regions in the 1600’s?
The introduction of the Dutch into the market after trade with England collapsed at the end of the Hundred Year’s War; the English taste for lighter reds was supplanted by the Dutch taste for sweet wines and rich reds.
What is Liv-Ex?
The London International Vintners Exchange, a marketplace for trading wine, which also monitors and publishes price indices that influence trends in the wine world in general.
When did château bottling become compulsory for classified estates in the Médoc?
1972
Why is Guyot popular in the Médoc and on the right bank, but Cordon de Royat in sweet wine appellations?
Cordon de Royat training tends to produce smaller berries more susceptible to botrytis; guyot cane-training produces larger berries that are more susceptible to grey rot.
What is cliquage?
A variant of micro-oxygenation (which happens during fermentation), it involves small doses of oxygen applied to the wine in barrel periodically throughout elevage.
What are the current subzones of the Côtes de Bordeaux?
FrancsCastillonBlayeCadillac
What styles are authorized for Côtes de Bordeaux-Castillon and Côtes de Bordeaux-Cadillac?
Red only
What styles are authorized for Côtes de Bordeaux-Blaye?
Rouge, Blanc Sec
What styles are authorized for Côtes de Bordeaux-Francs?
Rouge, Blanc Sec, Blanc Liquoreuex
What styles are authorized for Blaye?
Red only
What styles are authorized for Bourg and Côtes de Bourg?
Rouge, Blanc Sec
What is unique about the Côtes de Blaye AOP?
Blanc Sec, incorporating >50% Colombard and Ugni Blanc
What is the primary difference between blanc sec from Côtes de Bordeaux-Blaye and Côtes de Blaye?
Côtes de Bordeaux-Blaye requires the classic BDX encépagement of Sauv Blanc, Sauv Gris, Sémillon, and Muscadelle. Côtes de Blaye requires an assemblage of 50% combined Colombard and Ugni Blanc.
What is the single most dangerous weather element in Bordeaux?
Rain, particularly at harvest.
What is the Ciron?
A tributary of the Garonne cutting through Barsac and Sauternes, creating a “T” that contributes to botrytis.
What is higher: max yield for the Médoc/Haut-Médoc, or max yield for St-Estèphe, Paulliac, St-Julien, and the other communal appellations?
Médoc/Haut-Médoc @ 55hl/h v. 57 for the named communes
What are the communes of Pauillac?
PauillacSt-EstèpheSt-Julien-BeychevelleCissac-MédocSaint-Saveur
What are the communes of St-Julien?
PauillacSt-Julien-BeychevelleSt-Laurent-MédocCussac-Fort-Médoc
What is the “super-second” of St-Estèphe?
Cos d’Estournel
What are the Super Seconds of St-Julien?
Léoville-Las-CasesDucru-Beaucaillou
What are the communes of Margaux?
SoussansMargauxCantenacLabardeArsac
What are boulbenes?
A mix of sand, gravel, and light clay found in Graves
What was the Graves Classification created, and when was it revised?
19531959
What was the last vintage for La Tour Haut-Brion, and what is it now used for?
2005Blended into the second wine of La Mission Haut-Brion: La Chapelle de la Mission Haut-Brion
What was the last vintage for Laville Haut-Brion, and what is it now used for?
2008La Mission Haut-Brion Blanc
Notable unclassified estates of the Médoc
Potensac (Médoc)Sociando-Mallet (Haut-Médoc)Chasse-Spleen (Moulis)Poujeaux (Moulis)
What château originally classified in 1855 is no longer part of the classification?
Château Dubignon, a third growth of Margaux. It was absorbed into Malescot-St-Exupéry post-phylloxera in the 1870’s. From 1901 to 1960 it was its own estate labeled Dubignon-Talbot and classed as Cru Bourgeois Superieur/Ancienc Troisieme Cru; later parceled and sold off.
What marks the border between St. Estèphe and Pauillac? What two estates does it divide?
The Jalle de Breuil.Cos d’Estournel and Lafite-Rothschild.
What is calcaire à astéries?
Starfish limestone, the bedrock of the Left Bank; younger than Jurassic limestone, containing starfish fossils
What is the soil composition of Pomerol?
Gravel over Frondais Molasse (sandy clay) and Crasse de Fer (iron rich wind sediments)
What is pressac?
Malbec (Right Bank)
What is bouchet?
Cabernet Franc (Right Bank)
Which St-Émilion château uses a high % of Cabernet Sauvignon?
Château Figeac35% Cab Sauv35% Cab Franc30% Merlot
What are the two major soil structures of St-Émilion?
Côtes: Steep limestone slopesGraves: gravelly limestone plateau
What are Sables Anciens?
Very Old Sand - often seen in St-Émilion
When was St-Émilion first classified, and when was it revised?
19551969, 1985, 1996, 2006, 2012