BORDEAUX

Question 1

What climactic forces extend Bordeaux’s growing season?

Answer 1

Proximity to warming winds from the Gulf Stream

Question 2

What is a primary environmental challenge in Bordeaux?

Answer 2

Rainfall

Question 3

How do wine producers in Bordeaux ensure that they won’t lose an entire crop?

Answer 3

Different varietals permitted in Bordeaux ripen at different times, so one big rain shower or frost won’t ruin all the grapes. Diversify your grape portfolio!

Question 4

Why can Cabernet only reliably ripen in the Haut-Medoc, Bas Medoc, and Graves?

Answer 4

High gravel content in soil

Question 5

Why is Merlot the most widely planted grape in Bordeaux?

Answer 5

It can easily ripen on clay soil found in Saint-Emilion and Pomerol

Question 6

What grape in Bordeaux is the primary choice for high-volume, inexpensive wines?

Answer 6

Merlot

Question 7

What grape in Bordeaux needs really hot climates to ripen?

Answer 7

Petit Verdot

Question 8

When are most wines in Bordeaux blended?

Answer 8

Spring after the vintage

Question 9

What is the northernmost point of the Medoc called?

Answer 9

Bas-Medoc

Question 10

Wines from Bas-Medoc are labeled how?

Answer 10

simply as Medoc

Question 11

Describe the primary soil type of the Bas-Medoc, and what kind of wines are produced here?

Answer 11

Primarily clay

Merlot-heavy blends for early drinking

Question 12

Describe the primary soil type of Haut-Medoc, and what kinds of wines are produced here?

Answer 12

More gravel
Cabernet Sauvignon-heavy blends that age well and display notes of cedar and oak when they do. When young, these wines have black fruit and grippy tannins.

Question 13

What are the communes of Haut-Medoc, north to south

Answer 13

Saint Estephe
Pauillac
Saint Julien
Margaux

Question 14

What is the wine region immediately south of Bordeaux?

Answer 14

Pessac-Leognan, which is in Graves

Question 15

What is the primary soil type of Pessac-Leognan, and what kinds of wines are produced here?

Answer 15

Gravely soils, wines tend to be lighter in body than Haut-Medoc, even though their soils are similar. Cabernet Sauvignon.

Question 16

Describe three kinds of soils in Saint-Emilion

Answer 16

1. Warm gravel and limestone on a plateau, which makes this region Cabernet-friendly.
2. Clay limestone on top of escarpment, These wines tend to have medium to high tannins, but less structured than Left Bank wines; they tend to be softer with red fruit and plum aromas, and develop cedar as they age.
3. Sandy soils at the bottom of the escarpment. These are cheaper, light bodied wines.

Question 17

Where are the top sweet wines of Bordeaux grown?

Answer 17

Banks of the Garonne and Ciron; these rivers create misty, autumn conditions that create noble rot on ripe grapes.

Question 18

If there isn’t enough noble rot to concentrate grape sugars, what might a winemaker do?

Answer 18

Passerillage