Bordeaux Flashcards
Bordeaux Climate
Maritime
moderated by waterways and proximity to the Atlantic coast
Gulf Stream current brings warm waters up from the Caribbean, keeping weather mild yet humid
Largets AOC in france
Bordeaux
Rivers in Bordeaux
Gironde Estuary (main one coming in from Atlantic)
Dordogne (North of Entre-deux-mers, south of right bank)
Garonne (south of Entre-deux-mers, north of Graves)
Bordeaux historical background
wine production dates back to 4th century AD
1600s Dutch merchants drained marshes and made land more suitable for viticulture
Bordeaux white grapes
Sauvignon Blanc
Semillon
Muscadelle (small quantities)
(super minor grapes, but still allowed) ugni blanc colombard merlot blanc sauvignon gris
Bordeaux red grapes
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Franc
Merlot
Petit Verdot- small quantities
Malbec (cot) rarely seen
Carmenere (Grande vidure) rarely seen
Most planted grape in Bordeaux
Merlot (60% of all planted acres)
Cabernet (20%- 2nd most planted)
Cabernet Franc (10%- 3rd most planted)
Which grape variety is often planted in clay
Merlot- because it tends to ripen early and have less tanic structure
Important soil in Bordeaux
Gravel (best for cab, good drainage- medic and graves on left bank)
Gravel/limestone/sand- Saint emilion
Iron pan under sand and clay- Pomerol
Cabernet Franc is parent to..
Cabernet sauvignon
Malbec
Carmenere
Chateau, cuverie, chai
Chateau- building attached to vineyards, from a farmhouse to a garage
cuverie- within chateau, building where wine is made
chai (pronounced “shay”, cellar where wine is stored and aged)
Bordeaux major regions
Medoc and Haut Medoc (together referred to as medoc, Haut Medoc is upper)
Graves (pessac-Leognan famous smaller inside appellation
Sauternes and Barsac
St. Emilion
Pomerol
6 communes in Haut médoc
St. Estephe Pauillac st Julien Listrac Moulis Margaux
Largest Commune of the Medoc
Margaux
breakdown of Bordeaux appellation sizes
Commune appellation (ex: Pauillac)
Sub-regional Appellation (Ex: haut-medoc)
Regional appellation (Bordeaux)
Where in Bordeaux is both red and white wine commonly made at the same chateaux
Graves
Sweet wine regions of Bordeaux
Sauternes
Barsac
Bommes
Fargues
Preignac
% sugar Sauternes and Barsac usually have
10-15%
what two rivers border sauternes
Garonne
Ciron
“entre-deux-mers”
between two seas
dry white wines only
fertile silt soil
Red wines made here fall under Bordeaux AOP appellation
Fronsac
North and slightly west of Pomerol and st Emilion
What appellations in the right bank make white wines
Côte de Blaye and Côte de Bourg
How are high quality wines from Haut Medoc labeled?
Appellation Haut-Medoc Contrôlèe
Note:
Are often high quality wines
“boulbenes”
Graves soil type…mixture of sand, gravel, and clay
