Bordeaux Flashcards
Second label of Lafon-Rochet?
Les Pélerins de Lafon-Rochet
What is the fifth growth of Saint-Estèphe?
Cos Labory
What style of wine is made under Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux AOP?
Red
What are the Premieres Grands Crus Classés B of Saint-Emilion?
BeauSéjour Bécot Beauséjour Bélair-Monange Canon Canon-la-Gaffelière Figeac Fourtet La Gaffelière Lacris-Ducasse La Mondotte Pavie-Macquin Troplong-Mondot Trottevieille Valandraud
What is the third growth of the greater Haut-Médoc not located in any major commune?
Château La Lagune
What does Merlot contribute to a blend, what soils does it prefer, and is it early/late budding and early/late ripening? Biggest vulnerability?
Contributes a fleshy, juicy texture that can soften the austerity of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Prefers clay-based soils as they delay the grape’s natural vigor.
Late-budding, early-ripening. (prone to late spring frosts)
Second label of Ducru-Baucaillou?
La Croix du Beaucaillou
Second label for Haut-Batailley?
Château La Tour L’Aspic
Second label of Talbot?
Connétable de Talbot
Second label of Dufort-Vivens?
Vivens Rouge
Relais de Durfort Vivens
Second label of Pavie?
Espirit de Pavie (prior to 2008 was Aromes de Pavie)
Second label of Léoville-Las Cases?
Le Petit Lion du Marquis de Las Cases
Second label of Petrous?
none
What major threat does frost pose to the vines here in spring?
Leads to coulure and millerandage which reduce yields
What is the fourth growth of greater Haut-Médoc not within the major communes?
La Tour Carnet
What were the worst vintages for Bordeaux dating back to the 1980s
LB: ‘80, ‘83, ‘84 ‘87, ‘91-93, ‘97, ‘98 ‘02, ‘07 ‘08, ‘13
RB: ‘80, ‘83, ‘84, ‘87, ‘91-93, ‘96 ‘99, ‘02, ‘07, ‘13
Sauternes: ‘80-‘82, ‘84-85, ‘87, ‘91-‘92, ‘95, ‘00, ‘02, ‘12
(‘80, ‘84, ‘87, ‘91, ‘92 are the absolute worst)
Second label of Lagrange?
Les Fiefs de Lagrange
Second label of Montrose?
La Dame du Montrose
What are the fifth growths of Margaux? (2)
Dauzac
du Terte
What style of wine is made under the Entre-Deux-Mers AOP?
Dry white
Second label of Desmirail?
Château Fontarney (French market)
Initial de Desmirail (export)
What classification of Sauternes is Château d’Yquem?
Premier Cru Supérieur
Second label of Rauzan-Gassies?
Gassies (prior to 2009 was Chevalier de Rauzan-Gassies)
Second label of Tripling-Mondot?
Mondot
What style of wine is made under Premières Côtes de Bordeaux AOP?
semi-sweet white
Second label for Latour
Les Forts de Latour
Which major commune of the Haut-Modoc does the best in drier years, but worst in wetter years?
Margaux due to its shallow soil.
Second label of d’Issan
Blasson d’Issan
Second label of Langoa-Barton?
Château Lady Langoa
When did Napoleon order the classification of top Bordeaux estates to be created? How many total Châteaux make up the clarification and how many categories are there? What is the only not located in the Haut-Modoc?
1855 61 total into 5 crus or growths categories
Haut-Brion is the only one not in Médoc.
Second label of Cantemerle?
Les Allées des Cantemerle
Second label of Pouget?
La Tour Massac
Second label for Longueville-Baron?
Les Griffons de Pichon Baron
Second label of Ferrière?
Les Ramparts du Ferrière
What are the fifth growths of Pauillac? (12)
Pontet-Canet Batailley Haut-Batailley Haut-Bages-Libéral Grand-Puy-Lacoste Grand-Puy-Ducasse Lynch-Bages Lynch-Moussas d'Armailhac Pédesclaux Clerc-Milon Croizet-Bages
Second label of Kirwan
Les Charmes de Kirwan
Second label of La Tour Carnet?
Douves de Carnet
What is the minimum RS for Sauternes?
45 g/L
Second label of Cantenac-Brown?
BriO de Cantenac-Brown
What major influence do the Atlantic Ocean and Gironde estuary provide for the vines of Bordeaux? What other geographic feature exists protecting the vines from harsh west and northerly winds?
Atlantic and Gironde moderate the temperature and protect the vines form winter freezes and spring frosts.
Coastal Pine forests protect the Médoc from fierce winds.
Second label for Grand-Puy-Ducasse?
Château Artigues-Arnaud or Prélude a Grand Puy Ducasse
What are the fourth growths of Margaux? (3)
Marquis de Terme
Pouget
Prieuré-Lichine
What does Cabernet Franc contribute to the blend in in Bordeaux? What soils does it prefer? Early/late budding? Early/late ripening?
Imparts herbal spice and red fruit aromatics. More tannic than Merlot, but less muscular or weighty than Cabernet Sauvignon.
Excels in limestone-based soils, which promote acidity and freshness in the wines.
Late-budding/Late ripening but earlier for both than Cabernet Sauvignon.
What are the three fifth growths of the Haut-Medoc not located within the major communes?
Belgrave
Camensac
Cantemerle
What are the three major grapes of Bordeaux Blanc and what does each contribute to the blend?
Sauvignon Blanc: gives the wines pungency, high acidity, and citrus flavors
Sémillon: used to soften the acidity of Sauvignon Blanc while also contributing honey and beeswax notes.
Muscadelle: lovely intense floral character
What style of wine is made in Cadillac, Loupiac, and Ste-Croix-du-Mont AOPs?
sweet wine
Second label for Longueville-Comtesse de Lalande?
Réserve de la Comtesse
Second label of Rauzan-Ségla?
Ségla
Second label for Pédesclaux?
Fleur de Pédesclaux (prior to 2007 was Sens de Pédesclaux)
What are the second growths of Saint-Estèphe? (2)
Montrose
Cos d’Estournel
What is the fourth growth of Saint-Estèphe?
Lafon-Rochet
Second label of Sociando-Mallet?
La Demoiselle de Sociando-Mallet
Second label of Figeac?
Petit-Figeac (prior to 2012 was La Grange Neuve de Figeac)
Second label of Angélus?
Carillon d’Angélus
How many estates are classified in Graves? Which are red only? (7) Which are white only? (3) Which are classified for both red and white? (6)
16 Classified Both: Bouscaut Carbonnieux Domaine de Chevalier Latour-Martillac Malartic-Lagraviére Olivier
Red Onlyde Fieuzal Haut-Bailly Haut-Brion Pape-Clément Smith-Haut-Lafite La Mission Haut-Brion La Tour Haut-Brion
White Only
Laville-Haut-Brion (White)
Couhins-Lurton (White)
Couhins (White)
Second label of Cos d’Estournel?
Les Pagodes de Cos
Second label of Marquis du Terme?
Les Gondats de Marquis de Terme
What is “en primeur”? Who controls the sell of these?
Yearly offering of Bordeaux wine as futures. It is controlled by the courtiers.
Dating back to 1980, what were the best vintages for the Left Bank? (by decade)
80s (‘82, ‘85, ‘86, ‘89)
90s (‘90, ‘96)
00s (2000, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010 )
( ‘82, ‘86, ‘89, ‘90, ‘00, ‘05, ‘09, ‘10 being the best)
Second label of Prieuré-Lichine?
Confidences de Prieuré-Lichine (prior to 2008 was Château de Clairefont)
Second label of Pontet-Canet?
Les Hauts de Pontet-Canet
In the 1700s, Negotiants and Courtiers represented a new emerging merchant class. How did they contribute to the Bordeaux wine industry and which has more power today?
Négociants bought fruit or wine in barrel to age in their own cellars before selling the wine under their name
Courtiers - brokers of wine - supplied châteaux with financial backing while gaining control over the actual trade of the wine produced.
Courtiers are still very powerful today.
What are the first growths of Sauternes? (11)
La Tour Blanche Lafaurie-Peyraguey Clos Haut-Peyragueyde Rayne-Vigneau Suduiraut Coutet Climens Guiraud Rieussec Rabaud-Promis Sigalas-Rabaud
What are the two major threats posed to the vines in Bordeaux in the summer that influence the size and quality of the harvest?
midsummer heat spikes and September rains pose the biggest threat to the quality of the fruit produced.
On what parallel is Bordeaux located and what major wine regions are also located on this latitude?
45th parallel
Rhone Valley, Piedmont, Veneto, and Oregon are all on this latitude.
Dating back to 1980, what were the best vintages for Sauternes?
‘83, ‘88, ‘89, ‘90, ‘97, ‘01, ‘03, ‘05, ‘09, 2011, 2013-15
What does Cabernet Sauvignon contribute to a blend and which soils does it prefer? Early/late budding? Early/late ripening?
Highly pigmented and tannic giving wines structure and longevity.
Performs on well-drained gravel soils which allow the vine’s root system to dig deeply while slight water stress adds concentration to the fruit.
Vulnerable to fall rains.Late-budding/Late-Ripening
Dating back to 1980 what were the best vintages for the Right Bank?
80s (‘82, ‘85, ‘86, ‘89)
90s (‘90 ‘98)
00s (‘00,’03, ‘05, ‘09, ‘10)
(‘82, ‘86, ‘89, ‘90, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010 being the best)
Why was the 1984 terrible for all of Bordeaux?
very wet and difficult vintage
Second label of Valandraud?
Virginie de Valandraud
Second label of Margaux?
Pavillon Rouge
Margaux du Château Margaux
Second label for Croizet-Bages?
La Tourelle de Croizet-Bages
What contributions to the Bordeaux wine industry did the Dutch contribute in the mid 1600s? How did this influence vineyard land on the left bank?
They created a complex series of drainage channels throughout the Médoc, draining the marshes there and making land on the left bank suitable for viticulture
Second label of Cheval Blanc?
Le Petit Cheval
What was the last vintage of La Tour Haut-Brion?
2005
What are the second growths of Pauillac? (2)
Pichon Longueville Baron
Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Second label for Mouton-Rothschild?
Petit Mouton
Second label of du Terte?
Haut du Terte
Second label for Lafite?
Carruades de Lafite
Describe the marginality of Bordeaux in comparison to the Loire, Burgundy, and Champagne.
Less marginal than all of them, but vintage variation does exist.
Second label of Brane-Cantenac?
Le Barone du Brane
Second label of Camensac?
La Closerie de Camensac
What is Pessac-Léognan and when was it created?
AOP created in northern Graves, effectively becoming the prestige appellation for dry red and white wine in Graves
Created in 1987
What style of wine is made under the Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux AOP?
red only
Which grape is most coveted for its sucseptiblitlty to botrytis?
Sémillon
Second Label of Cos Labory?
Le Charme Labory
How many liters are in a barrique?
225L
Second label of Le Pin?
none
Second label for Duhart-Milon-Rothschild?
Moulin de Duhart
What are the third growths of Saint-Julien? (2)
Lagrange
Langoa Barton
Second label of La Lagune?
Moulin La Lagune
What kind of soils dominate the left bank and what are their beneficial characteristics? Right Bank?
Left Bank is defined by quartz-rich gravel over clay and marl in the Haut-Modoc with mixture of clays, gravels, and sands (boulbenes) south of Pessac-Léognan in Graves, Sauternes, Barsac, and Cérons.
Right Bank is mostly clay and limestone with some gravel mixed in. Clay is more damp and less heat-retaining thus vines planted on it are more susceptible to frosts, heavy rains, and are later to ripen.
Second label of St-Pierre?
none
Second label for d’Armailhac?
none
What are the 5 first growths in the Médoc Classification of 1855?
Lafite Latour Mouton-Rothschild Margaux Haut-Brion
What are the 5 villages of Sauternes? Which can choose to use Sauternes on its labels instead of its own?
Sauternes Barsac Fargues Preignac Bommes Barsac can use Sauternes on its labels.
What is the last grape to ripen in Bordeaux and what does it contribute to the blend?
Petit Verdot
Used in minute quantities typically on the Left Bank for color, depth, and exotic perfume. Essentially nonexistent on the Right Bank. Performs similarly to Merlot in a blend.
What kind of climate does St-Emilion and Pomerol have? What are the major hazards of the spring season here?
Continental with short winters and damp springs.
Frost which can lead to coulure and millerandage effectively reducing yields; excessive rain can result in severe problems with mold and rot.
Second label of Belgrave?
Diane de Belgrave
Second label for Lynch-Bages?
Echo de Lynch Bages (prior to 2008 was Château Haut-Bages Averous)
What is Bordeaux mixture and what is it used for?
Mix of lime, copper sulfate, and water.used to avoid fungal problems
Second label of Branaire-Ducru?
Château Duluc
Second label of Vieux Château Certan?
La Gravitate de Certan
What is the third growth of Saint-Estèphe?
Calon-Ségur
Second label of Gruaud-Larose?
Sarget de Graud-Larose Larose de Gruaud
What is the fourth growth of Pauillac?
Duhart Milon-Rothschild
What are the Premieres Grands Crus Classés A of Saint-Emilion?
Angélus (as of 2012)
Ausone
Cheval-Blanc
Pavie (as of 2012)
What style of wine is made in Blayes Côtes de Bordeaux and Francs Côtes de Bordeaux AOPs?
red and white
What are the second growths of Margaux? (5)
Rauzan-Gassies Rauzan-Ségla Durfort-Vivens Lascombes Brane-Cantenac
Second label of Lascombes?
Chevalier de Lascombes
Second label of Calon-Ségur?
Le Marquis de Calon-Ségur (prior to 2013 was known as Marquis de Calon)
What are the general proportions of each grape in the blend for Left Bank wines? Right Bank wines?
Generally speaking Left Bank wines are comprised of 2/3 Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cab Franc, and other varietals making up the remainder.
Right Bank - 3/4 Merlot and 1/4 Cabernet Franc but this can change significantly depending on which commune you’re in.
In 1152 the marriage of which two people ignited a newfound interest in “claret” in Bordeaux
Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine
Second label of Giscours?
La Sirène de Giscours
Second label of Léoville-Poyferré?
Pavillon de Poyferré Château Moulin-Riche in 2002 and 2003 only
What are the third growths of Margaux? (10)
Malescot-Saint-Exupéry Desmirail Ferrière Marquis d'Alesme Becker Kirwan d'issan Boyd-Cantenac Cantenac-Brown Palmer Giscours
Bordeaux is located in what larger French region and what three major bodies of water carve out and form the main boundaries of Bordeaux? Where are these regions in relation to the bodies of water?
Garonne & Dordogne Rivers as well as the Gironde estuary where the two rivers merge.
Left Bank refers to the area south of the Garonne and Gironde including Bordeaux itself, Médoc, Haut-Modoc, Graves, and the appellations of Sauternes, Barsac, and Cerons.
Right Bank (Libournais) refers to the areas north of the Dordogne and Gironde with Libourne at its center. Includes Pomerol, St-Emilion and satellite appellations.
Entre-Deux-Mers refers to the large area between the Garonne and Dordogne.
Second label of Ausone?
Chapelle d’Ausone
Second label for Haut-Bages-Libéral?
La Chapelle de Bages
Second label of Léoville-Barton?
Réserve Léoville Barton
What are the second growths of Saint-Julien?
Léoville-Poyferré Léoville-Barton Léoville-Las Cases Gruaud-Larose Ducru-Beaucaillou
Second label of Boyd-Cantenac?
Jacques Boyd
Second label of Beychevelle?
Amiral de Beychevelle
What is Botrytis and what factors influence its formation? What is its malevolent form? What causes its formation?
Fungus that breaks down the skin of the grape and dehydrates the grape resulting in higher concentrations of sugar, acid, and glycerol in the grape. Grey Rot is the malevolent form and if not enough sunshine reaches the grapes it will result in additional fungal infection that is detriment to the grapes.
What are the fourth growths of Saint-Julien? (4)
Talbot
Saint-Pierre
Branaire-Ducru
Beychevelle
Second label for Lynch-Moussas?
Les Hauts de Lynch Moussas
Second label of Malescot-St-Exupéry?
La Dame de Malescot
What is “assemblage” and why is it important in Bordeaux? What does it contribute to the finished wines? how is the proportion of grapes determined?
Assemblage refers to the practice of blending. It is important in Bordeaux for two reasons; first it acts as a means of insurance against bad vintages given the varying soils throughout the region and the various speeds of ripening to grapes on each soil.
Secondly it serves to add complexity to wines when combined in appropriate proportions. Proportion of grapes used in the blend is dependent on location within Bordeaux as soil and climate are important considerations.
Second label for Grand-Puy-Lacoste
Lacoste Borie
Second label for Clerc-Milon?
none
Second label of Palmer?
Alter Ego
What characteristics do wines exhibit that are produced from botrytized grapes?
Wines made from botrytized grapes will display notes of ginger, saffron, clementine in the finished wine
Saint-Estèphe, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, and Margaux are the major commons of the Haut-Modoc. Briefly describe, in a general sense, the style of wines coming from each commune.
Saint-Estèphe: sturdy and full-bodied with a slightly higher percentage of Merlot, due to a higher proportion of clay amongst the gravel.
Pauillac: considered classic claret, Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines with great structure and longevity. Gravel topsoil is deepest in Pauillac.
Saint-Julien: elegant in style and more savouryMargaux: feminine in style with an emphasis on floral bouquet, exotic character and finesse. Gravel is shallowest here.
What are the second growths of Sauternes? (15)
de Myrat Doisy Daëne Doisy-Dubroca Doisy-Védrines d'Arche Filhot Broustet Nairac Caillou Suau de Malle Romer Romer du Hayot Lamothe Lamothe-Guignard
