Bordeaux Flashcards
Classify me: Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
1855, 2eme St. Julien
What styles of wine are made in Graves Superieurs AOP?
White wine only (SB, SG, Sem, & Muscadelle) with at least 34 g/L RS. Min. must weight 221 g/L, min. potential alcohol 13.5% (12% acquired).
What is the min. alcohol, must weight, and max. yield of Barsac and Sauternes? What are the differences is Cerons’ AOP reqs?
Min. potential alcohol 15% (12% acquired)
Min. must weight 221 g/L
Max. yield 25 hl/ha
Cerons – min. potential alcohol 14.5% (12% acquired still) and yields are 40 hl/ha
Second Wine: Brane Cantenac
Baron de Brane
What is “calcaire a asteries”?
Hard limestone of the right bank, named for the billions of of fossilized starfish within it.
Name three cru Bourgeois sites of St Estephe?
Ormes de Pez, Phelan-Segur, Meyney, Beau-Site
Name 5 Grand Cru Classe B properties of St-Emilion. What are the 4 As?
As: Pavie, Ausone, Angelus, Cheval Blanc
Bs: Beau-Séjour-Bécot, Beauséjour, Belair-Monange, Canon, Fourtet, Figeac, La Gaffeliere, Magdelaine, Trottevieille
Classify me: Château Malartic-Lagraviere
1959 Graves, red and white
Classify me: Château Belair-Monagne
1955 St. Emilion, Grand Cru Classe B
Define assemblage vs. encépagement.
Assemblage is the blend of a wine; encépagement is the varietal make-up of a vineyard.
What is the cepage of Cheval Blanc?
57% Cab Franc, 39% Merlot, 3% Cab, 1% Malbec
Describe the 2012 growing season in Bordeaux.
Rainy and cold throughout flowering with drought in August. Low yields and small berries with thick skins. Made for irradic wines with toothy tannins. Merlot fared better than Cabernet Sauvignon as clay soils retained water better than gravel.
What style of wine is allowed for Bordeaux Superieure AOP and what is the minimum alcohol level?
Only red (min. 11%) and sweet whites (min. 17 g/L RS, 12% min. alcohol)
Classify me: Château Branaire-Ducru
1855, 4eme St. Julien
Which of the classified chateaux of Pessac-Leognan are located inside the city of Bordeaux (which includes the surrounding communes of Merignac, Talence, Pessac) ?
Château Pape-Clement - Pessac Château Haut-Brion - Pessac Chateau La Mission Haut Brion - Talence Chateau Laville-Haut Brion, now part of Haut Brion / La Mission - Talence Chateau La Tour Haut Brion - Talence
Classify me: Château Marquis de Terme
1855, 4eme Margaux
Classify me: Château Montrose
1855, 2eme St. Estephe
Who is Denis Doubordieu?
Mostly famous for making dry white wines, he is a consulting winemaker for dry wines at a number of famous sauternes estates including Doisy-Daene in Barsac and Chateau d’Yquem.
What is the name of Chateau d’Yquem’s dry white wine?
Y or Ygrec
Besides Haut Brion, no Chateaux in Graves were classified until what year?
1953
May wines from the communal appellations of the Medoc (Margaux, St. Estephe, etc.) release wines as Medoc AOP?
No – they may release as Haut-Medoc, not Medoc
What are the most successful vintages of the 60’s for the Left Bank?
1961 and 1966
What is the current market price (US market / wine-searcher) for: Ausone 2005 Petrus 2005 Haut Brion 2005 Lafite 2005 Latour 2005 Le Pin 2005
Ausone 2005 = $1800 Petrus 2005 = $3900 Haut Brion 2005 = $800 Lafite 2005 = $1100 Latour 2005 = $900 Le Pin 2005 = $3700
Name three methods of water removal used in Bordeaux.
- Boiling – low pressure evaporation (vacuum – low temps)
- Freezing – cryo-extraction
- Molecular methods – reverse osmosis
Which famous aperitif is produced in Podensac?
Lillet
Name four sweet wine AOP’s of Graves.
Barsac, Cérons, Sauternes, and Graves Supérieures
What first growths bookend the appellation of Paulliac?
Lafite in the north and Latour in the south
Classify me: Château Pape-Clement
1959 Graves, red only
Classify me: Château Larcis-Ducasse
1955 St. Emilion, Grand Cru Classe B (promoted in 2012)
Name the five villages that Margaux is spread over.
Arsac, Cantenac, Margaux, Soussans, Labarde
Classify me: Château Cantemerle
1855, 5eme Haut Medoc
What Chateaux in Pessac-Leognan are owned by SA Clarence Dillon?
Haut Brion, La Mission Haut Brion, Laville Haut Brion, and La Tour Haut Brion (the later two now making wine for La Mission Haut Brion)
In its early years, what classified growth of Graves was known as Chateau Pontac?
Chateau Haut-Brion
What are the Premier Cru Classe estates of Barsac?
Chateau Coutet and Chateau Climens
What is the only estate on the right bank to use a significant proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon?
Figeac, in St Emilion
How is the soil different in St-Estephe and name two effects.
Richer in clay – gives greater richness and structure as well as provides an advantage in hot, dry years because of moisture retention
What was the first vintage of Le Petit Mouton?
1993
What is the minimum alcohol for wines of the Medoc? Does this differ from the communal appellations (St. Estephe, Paulliac, etc.)?
11%, and nope – it’s 11% down the board throughout the Medoc.
Which property had the highest release price of any Bordeaux estate with the 2000 release?
Château Pétrus ($1800)
What is the name of Leoville Poyferré’s second label in 2002 and 2003 that is now an independent label that they own?
Chateau Moulin Riche
Classify me: Château Cos d’Estournel
1855, 2eme St. Estephe
What two properties were promoted from Grand Cru Classe to Premier Grand Cru Classe B in the 2006 classification of St Emilion (and allowed to keep their promotions even though the demotions of that classification were negated)?
Troplong-Mondot and Pavie-Macquin
Can you make sweet wine in Cotes-de-Bordeaux Cadillac?
No
Classify me: Château Rauzan-Gassies
1855, 2eme Margaux
What was the first vintage of Le Petit Lion de Leoville-las-Cases? Before that, what was the second wine of Leoville-las-Cases?
The first vintage of Le Petit Lion was 2007. Before that, Leoville-las-Cases did not have a second wine. Many incorrectly think of Clos du Marquis (first vintage 1902) as Leoville’s second wine, but Clos du Marquis always came from a separate plot of land further inland from the vines destined for the grand vin, so technically cannot be considered a second wine.
Where in Graves are all the cru classes properties located?
Pessac-Leognan
Second Wine: Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Réserve de la Comtesse
Classify me: Château Couhins
1959 Graves, white only
What river separates Cerons and Barsac?
Saint-Cricq
Classify me: Château Beychevelle
1855, 4eme St. Julien
What is the only classified growth in Arsac?
Chateau du Tetre (5eme cru)
Classify me: Château Mouton-Rothschild
1855, 1eme Paulliac (promoted in 1973)
Classify me: Château Rieussec
1855 Sauternes, 1eme Cru (Fargues)
Classify me: Château de Malle
1855 Sauternes, 2eme Cru (Preignac)
Classify me: Château Giscours
1855, 3eme Margaux
Classify me: Château Boyd-Cantenac
1855, 3eme Margaux
When was the classification of Graves first drawn up? When was this classification ratified, and when was it revised? How many estates were added to the initial classification? What are they?
Graves was first classified in 1953, though this classification wasn’t ratified until 1958. In 1959, this classification was revised, and 6 new estates were added: Couhins, Couhins-Lurton, Latour-Martillac, Malartic-Lagraviere, Fieuzal and Pape Clement
Classify me: Château Pedesclaux
1855, 5eme Pauillac
What is the Bordeaux mixture and what is it used to combat?
Lime, copper sulfate, and water. Used to combat fungal problems – downey mildew, powdery mildew, etc.
Classify me: Château Lafite-Rothschild
1855, 1eme Paulliac
Classify me: Château Haut-Brion
1959 Graves, red only
1855 1eme
In what AOP would you find Chateau Trotanoy?
Pomerol
Name three estates in Bordeaux that typically use more than 50% Cabernet Franc.
Le Dôme (80%), Ausone (55%), Cheval Blanc (40-55%) – all St. Emilion
What AOP is Y’Quem’s dry white wine (“Y” or “Y’grec”) released as?
Bordeaux AOP (Barsac and Sauternes are not eligible to release wines as Graves AOP. I have seen bottles labeled “Bordeaux Superieur” which implies it was at one point semi-sweet, but I can’t find evidence to substantiate this.)
Define the climate of Bordeaux.
Maritime climate, influenced by the Atlantic and Girone Estuary. Winters are short, spring is damp, and summers can be hot. Rot and mold are big problems.
Name two estates that disappeared from the 2012 St. Emilion Grand Cru Classe classification because they merged with other estates.
Chateau Magdelaine, formerly a B, merged with Chateau Belair-Monagne, a B as well
Chateau Berget merged with Chateau Trottevieille
Classify me: Château Caillou
1855 Sauternes, 2eme Cru (Barsac)
What is the parentage of Carmenere?
Cabernet Franc x Gros Cabernet
What year of the 90s saw terrible Spring frosts that killed 80% of the crop in Bordeaux?
1991
In what AOP would you find Chateau Valandraud?
St. Emilion
What style of wine can be made in the Medoc AOP?
Dry red wine
What châteaux are classified Crus Classé for only white wines in Graves?
Château Couhins, Château Couhins-Lurton and Château Laville-Haut-Brion
Which two Graves classified growths had their last vintages in 2005 and 2008, respectively? What are both properties used for now?
Chateau La Tour Haut-Brion and Chateau Laville-Haut-Brion. Both properties now supply fruit for second red wine and new white wine under the La Mission Haut-Brion label.
Second Wine: Montrose
La Dame de Montrose
Classify me: Château d’Armailhac
1855, 5eme Pauillac
The Grand Enclos, or l’Enclos is the source of what famous classified growth’s grand vin?
Latour
Classify me: Château Haut-Bailly
1959 Graves, red only
Classify me: Château de Myrat
1855 Sauternes, 2eme Cru (Barsac)
Classify me: Château Smith-Haut Lafitte
1959 Graves, red only
Classify me: Château Belgrave
1855, 5eme Haut Medoc
Which is the southernmost communes of production for Margaux?
Arsac.
NW to SE, name the three sweet white wine appellations of Graves.
Cérons, Barsac, Sauternes
Which bank of the Garonne is Loupiac on?
Northeast
Classify me: Château Cantenac Brown
1855, 3eme Margaux
Name the satellite appellations of St. Emilion.
Lussac, Montagne, St. Georges, Puisseguin
What borders St Emilion on the north, west, south, and east?
N – Route Nationale 10 and the river Barbanne
W – towns of Libourne & Pomerol
S – the Ruisseua la Capelle & Dordogne
E – Cotes de Castillon
Classify me: Château La Gaffeliere
1955 St. Emilion, Grand Cru Classe B
Classify me: Château Haut-Bages Liberal
1855, 5eme Pauillac
Where is Château Pape-Clément?
Pessac-Léognan
Classify me: Château Lamothe
1855 Sauternes, 2eme Cru (Sauternes)
What is Cabernet Franc known as in Pomerol?
Bouchet
Describe three advantages of second wines in Bordeaux.
- Increase quality of first wine
- Second wines generate more revenue than if those grapes were sold off in bulk.
- Prevents any bottling by a negociant being touted as grapes from a certain chateau
- Offers a lower priced alternative for brand loyalty
Classify me: Château Duhart-Milon
1855, 4eme Pauillac
Name the fifth growths of Margaux.
du Tertre and Dauzac
Please list the following properties in descending order for their release price from the 2010 vintage (highest to lowest): Château Lynch-Bages, Château Mouton-Rothschild, Château D’Armailhac, and Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste.
Château Mouton-Rothschild > Château Lynch-Bages > Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste > Château D’Armailhac
Classify me: Château d’Arche
1855 Sauternes, 2eme Cru (Sauternes)
Second Wine: Leoville Poyferré
Pavillon de Leoville Poyferré
Classify me: Château La Tour Blanche
1855 Sauternes, 1eme Cru (Bommes)
Name the properties in Graves that are classified as Cru Classé for both red wine and white wine.
Ch. Bouscaut, Ch. Carbonneiux, Domaine de Chevalier, Ch. d’Olivier, Ch. Malartic Lagraviere, and Ch. La Tour-Martillac
What styles of wine can be made in Cotes de Bourg? What appellation surrounds it?
dry red and white wine; Cotes de Blaye/Blaye
Why are spring frosts a greater concern in Pomerol than elsewhere in Bordeaux?
Merlot ripens earlier and is more susceptible to spring frosts. Dominance of Merlot in Pomerol makes it particularly risky.
Classify me: Château Durfort-Vivens
1855, 2eme Margaux
Name the five communes of Sauternes from north to south.
Barsac, Preignac, Bommes, Fargues, Sauternes
All of the wines from Bordeaux were the same vintage in the Judgment of Paris tasting in 1976 except for one. What was the primary vintage, and what was the wine from a different vintage and what was that vintage while you’re at it?
- The exception was Château Léoville Las Cases 1971
What is the AOP for Chateau Petrus?
Pomerol
Where in Bordeaux can the boulbenes soil be found? What is it?
Graves; a mixture of clay, sand, and gravel
Name three influences that Emile Peynaud had in Bordeaux.
Stainless steel fermentations, new oak elevage, hygiene and temperature control, inducing MLF, promotion of second wines.
What is the appellation of Chateau Lafleur?
Pomerol
Classify me: Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
1855, 5eme Pauillac
What commune lies directly across the Ciron from Barsac?
Preignac
Classify me: Château Valandraud
1955 St. Emilion, Grand Cru Classe B (promoted in 2012)
Second Wine: Château Haut Brion (white)
La Clarte de Haut-Brion (as of 2009)
Classify me: Domaine de Chevalier
1959 Graves, red and white
What three Chateaux were split off from what was once one large estate known as Beychevelle?
Beychevelle, Brainare-Ducru, and Ducru-Beaucaillou
Describe the difference in soil between the Haut Medoc and the Bas Medoc.
Bas Medoc – Marshy land north of St. Estephe. Haut-Medoc – west of the communes, well-drained gravelly soil
When was Cru Bourgeois first drawn up and how many properties did it originally have?
1932; 444
Second Wine: Pichon-Longueville
Les Tourelles de Longueville
What was the scoring criteria for Grand Cru Classe/Premier Grand Cru Classe for the St Emilion classification of 2012?
50% tasting of 10 vintages/30% tasting of 15 vintages
20%/30% analysis of topography and soil
10%/5% analysis of viticulture and winemaking
20%/35% reputation of the estate
When was the appellation Pessac-Leognan established?
1987
Classify me: Château Pavie-Macquin
1955 St. Emilion, Grand Cru Classe B (promoted in 2006)
Can Entre-deux-Mers AOP be varietal wines?
NO. Must be a combination of at least two principal grapes (SB, SG, Sem, Musc). Accessory varieties (Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Mauzac & Merlot Blanc) may not account for more than 30% of the blend.
Where is Ch. Sociando-Mallet?
Located just north of St. Estephe in the Haut Medoc.
Classify me: Château de Fieuzal
1959 Graves, red only
Describe how the Gironde Estuary affects the climate of Bordeaux.
The Gironde Estuary takes the moderating influences of the Atlantic and the Gulf Stream and brings them inland
Usually Yquem declassifies and sells to the negoce part of its production - in certain exceptional vintages, they bottle 100% of it - give 2 of these vintages
1967, 1976, 1989, 1990
What style of wine is made in Canon-Fronsac?
Dry red wine (same AOP requirements at Fronsac)
What style of wine can be made under the Graves AOP?
Red & White.
Classify me: Château Brane-Cantenac
1855, 2eme Margaux
Classify me: Château Coutet
1855 Sauternes, 1eme Cru (Barsac)
Classify me: Château Gruaud Larose
1855, 2eme St. Julien
Name the third growths of St-Julien.
Langoa-Barton and Lagrange
Classify me: Château d’Yquem
1855 Sauternes, Premier Cru Superieur (Sauternes)
When did Malbec plantings significantly decrease in Bordeaux?
After the frost of 1956, few Malbec vines were replanted. It fufills the same purpose as Merlot and is less demanding.
What is the maximum yield for Barsac, Sauternes, and Cerons?
25 hl/ha for Barsac and Sauternes; 40 hl/ha for Cerons
Describe the ways in which the classification of St Emilion was structured differently than the 1855 classification of the Medoc.
Three main ways: 1) Inclusion would depend on submitted requests, not a ranking of local merchants 2) Ranking would be based on tasting and analysis of the estate rather than market value of the wines 3) It would be reassessed periodically rather than set in stone
Classify me: Château de Rayne-Vigneau
1855 Sauternes, 1eme Cru (Bommes)
Can you make rosé in any of the Graves appellations?
No, the only two appellations in all of Bordeaux for rosé are Cremant and general AOC Bordeaux
Classify me: Château Saint-Pierre
1855, 4eme St. Julien
Which bank of the Garonne is St. Croix du Mont on?
Northeast
What is the minimum alcohol for Cotes de Bordeaux with and without subzone designate?
11/11.5
What two rivers provide the northern and southern borders of Pomerol?
N – Barbanne
S – Taillas
In what year did it become compulsory for classed Chateaux to estate bottle?
1972
What first growth has a plot of vines in St-Estephe?
Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, called “La Caillava”
Which AOP in Bordeaux is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
St.Émilion
What is Cru Artisan? Cru Bourgeois?
Cru Artisan - Classification of 2002, 44 small, recognized producers.
Cru Bourgeois – guarantor of quality, Chateaux must reapply.
What is the difference in terroir between Pessac-Leognan and Graves du Sud?
Graves du Sud is warmer, with less consistency of soil – gravel with clay and limestone
Classify me: Château Camensac
1855, 5eme Haut Medoc
Why is Haut Brion not classified for its white as well as its red?
Haut Brion did not ask for classification for its white wine, as it makes too little
How many Premier Grand Cru Classe A estates are there in St Emilion? Premier Grand Cru Classe B? Grand Cru Classe?
4; 14; 64
What steps were taken in the 2012 classification of St Emilion to avoid the accusations of partiality that plagued the 2006 classification?
The Syndicat Viticole of St Emilion passed all authority to the INAO who appointed a board of judges from outside of Bordeaux
Are there different must weight requirements for the major left bank communes vs. St Emilion & Pomerol?
Yes, but just for Merlot. Both are 180 g/L for all the grapes except Merlot. On the left bank, Merlot is required to be harvested at 189 g/L and for St Emilion and Pomerol, at 194 g/L.
What lauded vintage of the 21st century saw hail in July and August that wiped out a large portion of the crop, especially in St. Emilion and Entre-deux-Mers?
2009
Classify me: Château Nairac
1855 Sauternes, 2eme Cru (Barsac)
Where is Chateau Chasse-Spleen?
Moulis-en-Medoc
Name from north to south the six communal appellations of the Medoc.
St. Estephe, Paulliac, St Julien, Listrac, Moulis, Margaux,
What appellation surrounds Cadillac, Loupiac, and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont? What style of wine is made there?
Premiers Cotes de Bordeaux; Sweet white wine (min. 34 g/L RS)
What Paulliac estate owns a 4.5 ha plot in St Estephe called “La Caillava” that contributes to its grand vin?
Lafite-Rothschild
What are the Premier Cru Classe estates of Preignac?
Just one – Suduiraut
What first growth removed itself from en primeur sales in 2012?
Chateau Latour
What classed growth was once known as Chateau Mouton Baron Phillipe?
Chateau d’Armhailac; Mouton-Rothschild bought d’Armhailac in the 1920s and renamed it Mouton Baron Phillipe (1955-1988). d’Armhailac is still under the ownership of Mouton, but was changed back to its original name for the 1989 vintage
Second Wine: Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Lacoste-Borie
What style of wine is made in Fronsac and where is it?
Dry red wine (Cab, Cab Franc, Merlot and Malbec must account for at least 50%); due west of Pomerol.
Second Wine: Château Margaux
Pavillon Rouge du Chateau Margaux
Classify me: Château Ferriere
1855, 3eme Margaux
Classify me: Château Angelus
1955 St. Emilion, Grand Cru Classe A (promoted in 2012)
What does limestone become as it erodes, and how does this affect the soil composition of St Emilion?
Limestone becomes clay as it erodes; the limestone plateau of St-Emilion has slopes of clay
Most of the major communes of the Médoc received their AOC status in the 1930’s. Which prominent Commune received its status well after this?
Margaux became an AOP in 1954.
Name three of the most common weather hazards in Bordeaux.
- Winter & Spring frosts (yields)
- Hail in July & August (yields)
- Rain at harvest causing rot, mold, and dilution
Classify me: Château Ausone
1955 St. Emilion, Grand Cru Classe A
Second Wine: Leoville Las Cases
Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases
Classify me: Château Dauzac
1855, 5eme Margaux
What is “sur souche”?
Practice of negociants buying grapes while they were still on the vine. Fell out of favor with the 1961 vintage which was sold off cheap and ended up being magnificent.
When was Cru Bourgeois reconceptualized as an annual award of quality rather than a classification?
The 2003 update was annulled in 2007 and restructured. Now based on a tasting panel – can be awarded to any estate of the Medoc.
What is the min ABV and yields for Graves?
Blanc: 10.5/58 hl/ha
Rouge: 11/55 hl/ha
What are the classified growths of Labarde?
Chateau Dauzac (5eme cru) Chateau Giscours (5eme cru)
Classify me: Château La Tour-Haut-Brion
1959 Graves, red only (final vintage 2005)