Bordeaux Flashcards
How long was Bordeaux under English control?
1152 to 1453
Who created the complex system of drainage channels in the Medoc?
The Dutch
What is ‘en primeur’
The yearly offering of Bordeaux wine as futures
What is the climate of Bordeaux?
Maritime Climate
What are the two moderating influences of Bordeaux?
The Atlantic Ocean and the Gironde Estuary
What two rivers make up the Gironde Estuary?
The Dordogne River and the Garonne River
What is the Bordeaux mixture and what does it help prevent?
It is a mix of lime, copper sulfate and water.
It is used to prevent fungal problems like grey rot
How does Clariet differ from rose?
It is a darker, more aromatic style of rose that evokes the original claret wines shipped to England in the Middle Ages
What are the 6 red grapes allowed for Bordeaux Rouge?
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Merlot
- Cabernet Franc
- Petit Verdot
- Malbec
- Carmenere
What is the most planted grape varietal?
Merlot
What kind of soil does Merlot do best in?
Clay-based soils
What kind of soil Cabernet Sauvignon do best in?
Well-drained gravel soils
What is the other names for Malbec in Bordeaux?
- Pressac
- Cot
What are the 7 white grapes allowed in Bordeaux Blanc?
- Semillon
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Sauvignon Gris
- Muscadelle
- Ugni Blanc
- Merlot Blanc
- Colombard
What is the typical barrel size used in Bordeaux?
225 liter barrels
The Medoc AOP covers the which wine producing area in Bordeaux?
The 50 mile stretch of land north of Bordeaux on the left bank
What are the 4 main AOPs that make up the Haut-Medoc?
- Saint-Estèphe
- Pauillac
- St. Julien
- Margaux
What is the only change that has occurred in reference to the 1855 Classification of Bordeaux?
In 1973 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild was elevated from Second Growth to First Growth
Name the 5 first growths of Bordeaux
- Chateau Margaux
- Chateau Lafite-Rothschild
- Chateau Mouton-Rothschild
- Chateau Haut-Brion
- Chateau Latour
What are the other two designations are available to chateaus that are not apart of the 1855 Classification?
- Cru Artisan
- Cru Bourgeois
What are the three different categories within ‘Cru Bourgeois’?
- Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel
- Cru Bourgeois Superieur
- Cru Bourgeois
Name the 5 villages that make up the Margaux AOP
- Soussans
- Margaux
- Cantenac
- Labarde
- Arsac
Boulbenes is a mixture of what different soil types, and where is it found?
- Sand, gravel, light clay
- It is found in Graves
What are the 3 appellations for sweet wine in Graves?
- Barsac
- Cerons
- Sauternes
When was the Pessac-Leognan AOP created?
1987
Wines produced under the Entre-deux-mers AOC can only _____ wines
White
True or Flase,
The wines of Sauternes were not classified in the 1855 classification
False, they were. They are divided into Second and First Growths
What is the most famous Chateau in Sauternes?
Chateau d’Yquem
What are the five villages covered by the Sauternes AOP?
- Sauternes
- Barsac
- Fargues
- Preignac
- Bommes
True or False,
The wines made in Barsac can be made under the Sauternes AOP and the Barsac AOP
True
Where does Chateau Ausone draw it’s name from?
Ausonius, a 4th Century Roman poet who may or may not have planted his vines at the site of the current estate
What are the two most famous regions on the Right Bank of Bordeaux?
- St-Emilion AOP
- Pomerol AOP
What Bordeaux grape varietals make up the vast Majority of Right Bank plantings?
Merlot and Cabernet Franc
What are the two ‘main’ categories of soil found in St-Emilion?
The Cotes: steep limestone slopes
The Graves: a gravelly limestone plateau resembling soils of the medoc
Since St-Emilion was excluded in the 1855 classification, when did they decide to create their own?
St-Emilion created it’s own 3-tier classification system in 1954 with multiple revisions since.
What was the intention with the St-Emilion classification?
To avoid the problems of the 1855 classification (where the is no updating) by having revisions every 10 years.
Does St-Emilion Grand Cru refer to a classification on an appellation?
It is an Appellation, the wines are required to have have 0.5% more alcohol and undergo a longer maturation period
