Bordeaux Flashcards
Bordeaux bodies of water
Atlantic Ocean
Gironde Estuary
Garonne River
Dordogne River
Bordeaux Grape Varieties & %’s
Merlot - 60% Cabernet Sauvignon - 20% Cabernet Franc - 8% Sauvignon Blanc - 5% Semillon - 5% Muscadelle - 1%
Split of AOC Wine: Red, Dry White, Sweet, Rose
85%
10%
1%
4%
INAO - Stands for now and then
Year of establishment
Institute National des Appellations d’Origine
Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualite
Founded in 1935
AOC
Appellations d’Origine Controlee
IGP - stands for and when founded
Indication Geographique Protegee
2009
Types of things AOC controls
varieties planting density training systems max yileds min alcohol length of maturation earliest date can be sold
Varietal Labels
allowed since 2009 to compete with new world wines that feature variety prominently
Average size of vineyard holding
comparison to SP and IT
10.5 ha
much larger
Cooperative production (total FR)
40%
Wine consumption per capita
Less than half a century ago
Largest FR producers
Castel Freres 12%
Carrefour
ITM Enterprises
Export value vs IT and SP
50% more value than IT
3x value of SP
Bordeaux area under vine
111,000 ha
% of inexpensive and mid priced
% of premium or super premium
70%
3%
Climate overview
Moderate Maritime Gentle heat in the growing season sufficient rainfall dry and warm autumns leading to excellent balance of tannin, sugar, acidity
Left Bank climate differences
Protected from Atlantic storms by the Landes pine forests
Climatic feature of Listrac
Next to the forest so not as protected from Atlantic influence.
Climatic feature of northern Medoc
Landes forest less of a feature so more exposed to the Atlantic, hence cooler and wetter than southern Medoc and Graves
Average rainfall and when
variable but averages 950 mm
Excessive rain impact on vintage
Flowering poor fruit set
growing season, disease pressure
at and after veraison, fungal diseases
harvest dillutes flavors and can cause berry split and rot
Climate Change
some hot dry summers without adequate rainfall
2003 hot low acidity and lack of balance
more alcoholic wines as growers wait for phenolic ripeness
Right bank climatic influence
Maritime influence less felt
Left Bank Soils
Deposits of gravel and stony soils deposited from the Pyrenees and Massif Central
Can be mixed with clay, sand, minerals
Low gravel mounds (32m) found at the top estates
called croupes