Bordeaux Flashcards
Location and Climate
- Located on the Atlantic coastline of southwest France
- Temperate-maritime climate that keeps conditions from getting too hot or cold through the year
Bordeaux top white grapes
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Sémillon
Bordeaux top red grapes
- Merlot
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Cabernet Franc
“claret”
-term used often in England to refer to red bordeaux
A winery or estate in Bordeaux is known as
Château
Major bodies of water in Bordeaux
- Gironde Estuary (flowing northwest)
- Dordogne River (northeast)
- Garonne River (southwest)
Bordeaux’s bodies of water divide it into
left bank, right bank and Entre-Deux-Mers
Bordeaux: left bank
- located south west of the Gironde Estuary and the Garonne River
- city of Bordeaux
- made up of gravel and sand, retains heat and drains well
- since it extends into the Atlantic climate here is slightly cooler than inland vineyards of the right bank
- ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon
Bordeaux: Important left bank regions
Médoc
Haut-Médoc (subregion of Médoc)
Graves
Bordeaux: AOC/Ps Left bank
Médoc -Médoc AOC/P Haut-Médoc -Haut-Médoc AOC/P -Saint-Estèphe AOC/P* -Pauillac AOC/P* -Saint-Julien AOC/P* -Listrac-Médoc AOC/P -Moulis/Moulis-en-Médoc AOC/P -Margaux AOC/P* Graves -Graves AOC/P -Graves Supérieures AOC/P -Pessac-Léognan AOC/P -Cérons AOC/P -Barsac AOC/P -Sauternes AOC/P*
Margaux AOC/P
- southernmost commune of 4 important in Haut-Médoc
- wines often very elegant and smooth w/ soft tannings and intense aroma
- most important Premier Cru estate: Château Margaux
Saint-Estèphe AOC/P
- northernmost commune of 4 important in Haut-Médoc, north of Pauillac
- produces some of the most age worthy wines because of its powerfull tannin structure
Pauillac AOC/P
-between Saint-Julien to the south and Saint-Estèphe to the north
-has 3/5 recognized premier cru estates in the left bank:
Château Latour
Château Lafite-Rothchild
Château Mouton-Rothchild
-wines are powerful, full flavored, and long-lived
Saint-Julien AOC/P
- south of Pauillac
- smallest commune of the important ones in left bank
- wines have great power and structure
Graves
- top-quality reds and whites
- along the banks of the Garonne River
- “gravel”
Pessac-Léognan AOC/P
- northern Graves
- Cabernet Sauvignon-based and Sauvignon Blanc wines
Bordeaux: Right bank
- located east and north of the Gironde estuary and Dordogne River
- soils dominantly clay, holds onto moisture and provides fertile condition for grapevines
- more suitable for Merlot grape
- Cabernet Franc does well
Bordeaux: AOC/Ps Right bank
- Saint-Émilion AOC/P*
- Pomerol AOP*
- Lalande-de-Pomerol AOP
- Canon Fronsac AOP
- Fronsac AOP
-Pomerol AOC/P
-smallest of top quality communes in Bordeaux
-wines considered softer than in the left bank, w/ lush fruit and less tannin
-Château Pétrus
not officially classifies, but considered top estate and is the most expensive in Bordeaux
Saint-Émilion AOC/P
-one of the oldest wine producing region in Bordeaux
-largest of top communes in Bordeaux
-left out of the 1855 Classification of Bordeaux, organized its own classification “Appellation Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Contôlée”
Château Ausone
Château Cheval Blanc
-ringed by 4 AOC/P regions, known as satellites:
Lussac-St-Émilion AOC/P
Montagne-St-Émilion AOC/P
Puisseguin-St-Émilion AOC/P
St-Georges-St-Émilion AOC/P
Entre-Deux-Mers
- “between the seas”
- between Dordogne and Garonne rivers where they feeed the Gironde
- significant amounts of Merlot
- “Appellation Entre-Deux-Mers Contrôlée” wines are exclusive dry white wines often made with sauvignon blanc
Bordeaux noteworthy sweet wines are produced in:
Barsac
Cadillac
Loupiac
Sainte-Croix-du-Mont
Highest Quality Sweet wine in Bordeaux
Sauternes AOC/P
-southernmost region of Bordeaux
-legendary late harvest botrytized wines
-rich and complex
-made only in the very best of vintages
-most important estate in Sauternes AOC/P
Château d’Yquem(unique designation premier grand cru)
Bordeaux: Classification of 1855(red wines)
- wineries ranked with in 1855 are often referred to as “classified growth”
-categories from premier cru to cinquième cru
-Premiers Crus
Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac
Château Latour, Pauillac
Château Margaux, Margaux
Château Haut-Brion, Graves (Pessac-Léognan since 1987)
Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac
(reclassified from Second Growth in 1973)
Bordeaux: Classification of 1855(sweet wines)
-Barsac and Sauternes
-3 categories: Deuxième cru, premier cru, and premier grand cru
-only one premier grand cru
Château d’Yquem
Bordeaux: Cru Bourgeois
- classification system established in the 1930s by the estates of Médoc left out of 1855 classification.
- under 250 estates Cru Bourgeois
Bordeaux: Cru Classé
- 1950s, estates in Graves
- no rankings within the cru classé
- simply a list of the best estates for white and/or red wines
- Château Haut-Brion only that belongs to this and the 1855 classification
Bordeaux: Saint-Émilion Classification
-1950s, estates of Saint-Émilion
-2 ranks: Grand Cru Classé(great classified growth) and Premier Grand Cru Classé (first great classified growth)
-“Appellation Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé”
-4 top ranking estates (Classé):
Château Angélus(2012)
Château Haussons
Château Cheval-Blanc
Château Pavie(2012)
-14 Classé B
1855 Classification Premiers Crus
- Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac
- Château Latour, Pauillac
- Château Margaux, Margaux
- Château Haut-Brion, Graves (Pessac-Léognan since 1987)
- Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac
(reclassified from Second Growth in 1973)
1855 Classification: Deuxièmes Crus (Second Growths)
- Château Cos d’Estournel, St.-Estèphe
- Château Montrose, St.-Estèphe
- Château Pichon Longueville Baron, Pauillac
- Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac
- Château Léoville-Las Cases, St.-Julien
- Château Léoville-Poyferré, St.-Julien
- Château Léoville Barton, St.-Julien
- Château Gruaud-Larose, St.-Julien
- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, St.-Julien
- Château Rauzan-Ségla, Margaux
- Château Rauzan-Gassies, Margaux
- Château Durfort-Vivens, Margaux
- Château Lascombes, Margaux
- Château Brane-Cantenac, Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux)
1855 Classification: Troisièmes Crus (Third Growths)
- Château Calon-Ségur, St.-Estèphe
- Château Lagrange, St.-Julien
- Château Langoa Barton, St.-Julien
- Château Malescot St. Exupéry, Margaux
- Château Desmirail, Margaux
- Château Ferrière, Margaux
- Château Marquis d’Alesme Becker, Margaux
- Château Kirwan, Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux)
- Château d’Issan, Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux)
- Château Boyd-Cantenac, Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux)
- Château Cantenac-Brown, Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux)
- Château Palmer, Cantenac-Margaux (Margaux)
- Château Giscours, Labarde-Margaux (Margaux)
- Château La Lagune, Ludon (Haut-Medoc)
1855 Classification Premiers Crus in Pauillac
- Château Lafite Rothschild
- Château Latour
- Château Mouton Rothschild (reclassified from Second Growth in 1973)
1855 Classification Premier Cru in Graves
- Château Haut-Brion, Graves (Pessac-Léognan since 1987)
1855 Classification Premier Cru in Margaux
- Château Margaux
1855 Classification: Deuxièmes Crus in St.-Estèphe
- Château Cos d’Estournel
* Château Montrose
1855 Classification: Deuxièmes Crus in Pauillac
- Château Pichon Longueville Baron
* Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
1855 Classification: Deuxièmes Crus in St-Julien
- Château Léoville-Las Cases
- Château Léoville-Poyferré
- Château Léoville Barton
- Château Gruaud-Larose
- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
1855 Classification: Deuxièmes Crus in Margaux
- Château Rauzan-Ségla
- Château Rauzan-Gassies
- Château Durfort-Vivens
- Château Lascombes
- Château Brane-Cantenac, Cantenac-Margaux
1855 Classification: Troisième Cru in St.-Estèphe
- Château Calon-Ségur
1855 Classification: Troisièmes Crus in St.-Julien
- Château Lagrange
* Château Langoa Barton
1855 Classification: Troisièmes Crus in Margaux
- Château Malescot St. Exupéry
- Château Desmirail
- Château Ferrière
- Château Marquis d’Alesme Becker
- Château Kirwan, Cantenac-Margaux
- Château d’Issan, Cantenac-Margaux
- Château Boyd-Cantenac, Cantenac-Margaux
- Château Cantenac-Brown, Cantenac-Margaux
- Château Palmer, Cantenac-Margaux
- Château Giscours, Labarde-Margaux
1855 Classification: Troisième Cru in Haut-Medoc
- Château La Lagune, Ludon