Bordeaux Flashcards
How much wine is produced in BDX each year?
661 million bottles
Nearly ___ % of the wine made in BDX is red
90
BDX is the largest AOC in France, T or F?
True
BDX is how many acres?
290,350 (6x Napa, 4x Burgundy)
How many appellations are in BDX?
60
What three rivers does BDX lie along?
Gironde Estuary, Dordogne River, Garonne River
What are the three main white grapes grown in BDX?
Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon.
What six red grapes are grown in BDX?
Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Malbec, Merlot, Petite Verdot.
What is BDX’s climate?
Maritime
BDX is edged on the south and west by what?
Les Landes, 2.5 million acres of manmade pine forests that help to shield the region from extreme weather
An old BDX saying has it that the best vineyards _________
Can see the river
Why plant Merlot in clay instead of Cabernet Sauvignon?
Clay does not drain well, as a result clay stays cool in the spring, delaying budbreak and slowing the ripening of grapes. Because of its slightly less tannic structure, and because it tends to ripen early, merlot has a better chance of reaching maturity.
What percentage of all red grape vineyard land in BDX is merlot?
60%
What percentage of all red grape vineyard land in BDX is cabernet sauvignon?
20%
In BDX, merlot is described as
Fleshy, mouthfilling, and supple.
IN BDX, cabernet sauvignon is described as
Angular, structured (so high in tannin).
Why is BDX red wine so perfect for aging?
Merlot and Cab both have very high tannin, tannin acts as a preservative, thus is ages well.
What percentage of all red grape vineyard land in BDX is Cabernet Franc?
10%
Which of BDX’s red grapes are native to France?
All of them, except Cabernet Franc, which is from the Basque region of Spain
Name all white grapes grown in BDX
Semillon, Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot Blanc, Colombard, Ugni Blanc, and Sauvignon Gris
How many grape varieties were allowed to grown in BDX in the 1780’s? How many now?
63 then, 13 now.
What does Entre-Deux-Mers mean?
“Between two seas”
In BDX, the main classifications are based on ______ not _______ .
Estate, not land.
How many chateaus were ranked in the famous 1855 Classification, what are the ranking categories?
60 top chateaux in Medoc, plus Château Haut-Brion in Pessac-Leognon. The are ranked from 1st to 5th growths. Sauternes and Barsac were ranked into three categories separately: First Great Classified Growth, First Growths, and Second Growths.