Bordeaux

Question 1

What kind of climat does bordeaux have ?

Answer 1

1) moderate maritime climat
2) benefits from the effect of the gulfstream
3) this warming ocean current extends the growing season
4) spring frost are rarely a problem
5) Grape ripening can continue well into october
6) the atlantic also brings high level of rainfall and humidity
7) The vineyards are protected from the worst of the atlantic storms by the Landes forest and the local dunes that lie to the west of the region

—- rain falls throughout the year can disrupt flowering and fruit set, promote rot and dilute the flavours in the grapes that are harvested

Question 2

how many grapevarieties are there permitted in Bordeaux ?

Answer 2

13, in practice three black and 2 white who are dominant

Question 3

What about C.S. in Bordeaux?

Answer 3

a) dominates in the Haut Médoc, but also important in the bas medoc and graves
b) he loves a hot soilso in bordeaux hes growing on soils with high stone/gravel
c) can account for three quarters of the blend

Question 4

What about Cabernet Franc ?

Answer 4

1) widely used in Saint émilion and, to a lesser extent in the médoc and graves
2) it produces wines with less body than C.S.
3) it can have an herbaceous character when unripe
4) when ripe it can have a vibrant fruity and floral character
5) it prefers warm well drained soils

Question 5

What about merlot in Bordeaux?

Answer 5

1) Most widely planted grape in bordeaux
2) important to the premium wines of Pomerol and saint emilion
3) it produces wines with less body than a C.S.
4) merlot can succesfully grow on cooler clay soils where the c.s. would struggle to ripen
5) merlot softness means its usually predominant in high volume, inexpensive wines

Question 6

petit verdot in bordeaux:

Answer 6

1) small percentage planted
2) it ripens fully only in very hot years
3) giving a very deep coloured tannic wine that ages slowly
4) it never plays more than a minor role in a blend
- – usually to add: tannin, colour and spicy notes

Question 7

Sémillon in bordeaux:

Answer 7

1) given its thin skin and affinity for noble rot, sémillon is the most important variety for sweet wines
2) also blended wih Sauvignon blanc in Péssac leognan and graves, here it adds body to the wines

Question 8

sauvignon blanc in bordeaux:

Answer 8

1) produces wines with citrus and green fruit aromas
2) normally its a grape for varietal wines
3) in bordeaux only blends, so for sweet wines he provides acidity

Question 9

and muscadelle ?

Answer 9

1) pronounced grapey, floral flavour

2) sweet and dry white wine production

Question 10

what do you expect from white wine from bordeaux ?

Answer 10

1) dry white wine is made in a range of price
2) the lower end of the market tend to be fresh and fruity
- - fermented in temp controlled with inert vessels
- - minimal ferther ageing
- - some will show a hint of toast
3) the premium white wines are fermented and matured in oak barrels, and have a richness and concentrated nutty flavour overlaying the fruit
4) the sweet wines of bordeaux are made from fruit infected by noble rot
- - the best examples are fermented and matured in oak barrels for anything up than three years

Question 11

What can you tell me about the bordeaux classification system ?

Answer 11

1) with exception of Saint émilion, bordeaux classification system lie outside the appellation system.
2) they dont rank an individual vineyard, but individual estates ‘chateaux’
3) a château is more a brand then a designation of a specific vineyard

Question 12

What about the bordeaux classification in Médoc and Sauternes ?

Answer 12

1) in 1855 in Paris the bordeaux chamber of commerce was approached to produce a list of their best red wines of medoc and best white wines of Sauternes
2) the quality of the wine made is still a point of discussion, nevertheless, the classification still stand virtually intact

3) The top rank consists of chateau Lafite Rothschild, Margeaux, Mouton rothschild end Haut brion from the graves
- - in sauternes there are three ranks but on top Chateau d’yquem

4) later the cru bourgeois system was introduced for other chateaus, and they focussed on vintages, rather then the chateau itself

Question 13

what about classification system in Graves?

Answer 13

1) they are classified with parallel, but separate lists for red and white wines
2) they have no ranking – all listed wines may simply call themself cru classés
3) all the cru classés chateau now lie in the limits of the pessac léognan

Question 14

what about the classification of Saint émilion ?

Answer 14

1) Saint émilion grand cru is integrated in the bordeaux appellation system
2) within this appellation there is a system for the best chateaux:
- the lower step is called s.e. grand cru classé
- - above this saint emilion premier grand cru classé A and B
3) every 10 year there is chance to promotion and demotion

Question 15

what about the generic appellation of bordeaux ?

Answer 15

1) bordeaux and bordeaux superieur
- - bordeaux superieur has stricter app rules and needs to have higher alc in the final wine
2) at there best they can be an easy drinking wine, with medium body and ripe red and black fruit, and sometimes cedar notes from oak
- - the cheapest can be light in body with astringend tannins
3) the best bordeaux rosé is fresh and fruity with an increasing number of producers
- - clairet is a style of wine that is popular on he french market
- — it undergo a longer maceration than the normal rosé, so deeper in colour, and fuller in body
4) white is increasingly dominated by sauvignon blanc and shows a wine ith a vibrant grassy character

Question 16

what about Médoc ?

Answer 16

1) the north of medoc is called bas medoc: mostly clay and a little gravel, so domination of merlot
- — early drinking style
2) from Saint Estèphe towards the south lies the haut medoc within a number of smaller appellations referred as communes, higher classified chateaus can be found here
3) from north to south,these are:
- Saint Estèphe
- Pauillac
- Saint Julien
- Margaux
4) these wines have an higher percentage of gravel soil, so dominacy of Cabarnet sauvignon
- - blackcurrant aromas, complemented by cedar notes and can have grippy tannins when young, but can age very well

Question 17

What aboutt Péssac Léognan and graves?

Answer 17

1) the most highly rated area in the graves, with gravely soils like hat medoc and well suited for cabernet sauvignon:
- in general these wines are a little lighter and more fragnant (aromatischer) than the wines from the haut medoc
2) graves produces red wines that are similar in style, but less concentrated and complex and with an higher proportion of merlot

Question 18

What about Saint emilion and pomerol ?

Answer 18

1) the reds from the right bank are dominated by Merlot and a lesser extent cab franc
2) saint emilion has 3 distinct groups of vineard on different soils:
a) the vineyards on a plateau to the north and the west of saint emilion: area of warm, well drained gravel and limestone encourage the inclusion of cab franc en also some c.s
b) there are vineyards on the escarpments (hellingen) to the south and east with clay limestone
- — the most prestigious wines comes from these 2 sub regions
- — the wines have med to high tann, but compared with the well structured wines from the left bank, they have a soft mouthfeel with vomplex berry fruit and black plum aromas, developing tobaco and cedar notes as they evolve
3) the vineyards sandy soil at the foot of the escarpment are typically of lighter body, less prestigious wines
4) the reputation of pomerol is as high as that from saint emilion
- - the wines tend to be richer, with a spiecier, black berry fruit character

Question 19

what can you tell me about vins de garage ?

Answer 19

full body incredibly ripe wines made in tiny quantities from small plots of land. some of them are now in the appellation of saint emilion.

Question 20

What about cotes de bordeaux ?

Answer 20

1) Blaye, Cadillac, cotes de francs, castillon
2) these wines meant for early drinking
3) the best can offer the best price quality wines
4) Cotes de Bourg who makes wines from a similar style, chose not to join this group
5) note that premier cotes de bordeaux is an sweet wine appellation !!!!!!

Question 21

Entre deux meres is an appellation located between the garonne and the dordogne, and produces white wines.

Answer 21

you can do this

Question 22

graves and pessac léognan can produce whites as well red wines.

Answer 22

thrue

Question 23

the white wines from pessac and entre deux meres tend to be made from unoaked sauvignon blanc

Answer 23

yallah

Question 24

pessac léognan is the home for the best white wines they may use the cru classé status, but how are they made ?

Answer 24

1) theyre made of sauvignon blanc with semillon
2) theyre fermented and matured for at least a part on new oak
3) they give full bodie wines with toasty oak flavours

Question 25

Can hey make good white wines in the rest of Bordeaux ?

Answer 25

yes some producers in medoc and sauternes make great premium dry whites

• • however these cant be sold under the app system
• —these will be bordeaux generique

Question 26

The top sweet wines app are grouped on the banks of the garonne and his tributary (zijrivier) the Ciron. The misty autumn conditions create a ideal environment for noble rot.

Answer 26

okido

Question 27

the level of noble rot varies from year to year, thats why passerillage is needed to concentrate the sugars in years there is no or little noble rot.

Answer 27

alz

Question 28

Barsac can name himself Sauternes?

Answer 28

thrue

Question 29

how are the wines from sauternes and barsac ?

Answer 29

1) sémillon dominates becaus its thin skin — noble rot
2) sauv b add acidity and fruity aromas
3) muscadelle where used adds exotiq parfume
4) the best wines tend to be high in alcohol
5) sweet yet balanced by high acidity
6) apricot and citrus peel aromas of noble rot allong with toast and vanilla from oak ferm and maturation
- —- there are a number of other sweet wine app near saut that makes a similar style