BORDEAUX Flashcards
BORDEAUX-IN GENERAL
CLIMATE:MODERATE MARITIME
- BENEFITS FROM THE EFFECT OF GULF STREAM=WARMING OCEAN CURRENT EXTENDS THE GROW SEASON=RIP. CONTINUE WELL UNTIL OCTOBER
- ATLANTIC=HIGH RAINFALL & HUMIDITY
- VINS: PROTECTED FROM WORST ATLANTIC STORMS BY THE LANDES FOREST & COASTEL SAND DUNES THAT LIE WEST OF THE REG
- RAINFALLS=DISTRUPT THE FLOWERING & FRUIT SET/ PROMOTE ROT & DILUTE THE FLAV IN THE GR AT THE HARVEST
=VINTAGE VAR. IS IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION IN BORDEAUX/ ALTHOUGH THE TOP PROD CAN GERATLY REDUCE THE DIFFERENCES IN STYLE & Q BETWEEN VINTAGES BY REJECTING UNHEALTY GR
-CHANGES IN CANOPY MANAGEMENT TECH=IN HEALTHIER GR+DECLINE IN THE USE OF SPRAYS & MARKED RISE IN L OF SUGAR & FLAV DEV.
BORDEAUX-GRAPE VAR
ALMOST ALL RED BORDEAUX & MOST WHITES=BLENDS
REASON: THE VARIABILITY IN THE WEATHER, PART. RAINFALL MEANS THAT IT CAN BE VERY RISKY TO RELY ON ONE VAR.
-DIFFERENT VAR IN BORDEAUX FLOWER & RIPEN AT DIFFERENT TIMES=ONE BAD FROST OR HEAVY SHOWER IS UNLIKELY TO RUIN AN ENTIRE CROP
13 VAR. PERMITTED/ IN PRACTISE 3 BLACK & 2 WHITE PREDOMINATE
BORDEAUX- WINEMAKING PRACTICES
- VERY VARIED=REFLECTION OF THE STYLE OF W BEING MADE & RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THE PROD
- FERMENTATION VESSEL:SOME OF THE BEST PROD. USE OAK AS WELL AS STEEL OR CONCRETE VATS TO INCREASE THEIR BLENDING OPTION
- BLENDING: MOST W BLENDED IN THE SPRING FOLLOWING VINTAGE/ SOME WM KEEP DIFFERENT PARCELS OF THE W SEPERATE UNTIL THE END OF MATURATION/ MOST OF THE LEADING CHATEAUX; TO MAINTAIN STYLE & Q OF THEIR TOP WINE=MAKE 2ND & EVEN 3RD W FROM THE BLENDS THAT ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR THE GRAND VIN(BEST WINE)
MATURATION:
- TOP Q BORDEAUX: AGED IN SMALL OAK BARRIQUES (225 LT)
- IN THE FINEST CHATEAUX; ALL THE WINE MAY BE PUT INTO NEW CASKS
- GENERIC BORDEAUX: UNLIKELY TO SEE OAK AT ALL
BORDEAUX- WINEMAKING STYLES 2
- DRY WHITE BORDEAUX: RANGE OF STYLES/ LOWER END OF MARKET: FRESH FRUITY, FERM. IN TEMP. CONTROLLED INERT VESSELS/ MIN.FURTHER AGEING/SOME: TOASTY HINTS OF OAK
- PREMIUM DRY WHITES: PESSAC LEOGNAN: FERM AND MAT IN NEW OAK/ HAVE A RICHNESS & CONCENT. NUTTY FLAV. OVERLAYING THE FRUIY
- SWEET WINES OF BORDEAUX: NOBLE ROT GR/ BEST EX: FERM. & MAT. IN NEW OAK/ UP TO 3 YRS
BORDEAUX- GENERIC APPELLATIONS
- BORDEAUX OR BORDEAUX SUPERIOR:
- WHITE BORDEAUX: BORDEAUX
- ROSE: BORDEAUX ROSE OR BORDEAUX CLAIRET
BORDEAUX & BORDEAUX SUPERIOR AT BEST: EARLY DRINKING/ M BODIED/ RIPE-RED BLACK F/ CEDAR FROM OAK
BORDEAUX & BORDEAUX SUPERIOR AT CHEAPEST: LIGHTER BODY/ ASTRINGENT TANNINS THAN BETTER W
BORDEAUX ROSE AT BEST: FRESH, FRUITY, INCR NUMBER OF PRO HQ EX
-CLAIRET: MAINLY POPULAR ON FRENCH MARKET/ LONGER MACERATION THAN TYPICAL ROSE/ DEEPER IN C/ FULLER IN BODY
WHITE BORDEAUX: DOM BY S.BLANC/ VIBRANT GRASSY CHARACT.
BORDEAUX- REDS- MEDOC & GRAVES
MEDOC
- LIES TO THE NORTH OF THE CITY BORDEAUX
- NORTHERN MOST PART OF MEDOC “BAS MEDOC”=W SIMPLY LABELLED MEDOC
- SOIL:PRE-DOM. CLAY BUT OUTCROPS OF GRAVEL TOO
- H PRO. OF MERLOT IN BLENDS THAN THOSE JUST TO SOUTH
- MORE EARLY DRINK. STYLE
WITHIN HAUT MEDOC: NUMBER OF SMALLER APP, REFERRED TO AS COMMUNES (HIGHER CLASSIFIED CHATEAUX CAN BE FIND)
FROM NORTH TO SOUTH: 4 OF THE HIGHEST REP.
-SAINT-ESTEPHE, PAUILLAC, SAINT JULLIEN, MARGAUX
*H PERCENTAGE OF CAB. SAUV. IN BLENDS/ CORE OF BLACKCURRANT F/ CEDAR FROM OAK/ GRIPPY TANNINS WHEN YOUNG/ LONG POT. FOR AGEING
GRAVES
- SOUTH OF BORDEAUX
- EXTENDS TO THE SOUTH OF PESSAC-LEOGNAN
- RED W: SIMILAR STYLES W/ PESSAC LEOGNAN/ LESS CONCENT. & COMPLEX/ HIGHER PROP. OF MERLOT IN BLENDS
-PESSAC LEOGNAN:MOST HIGHLY RATED AREA IN GRAVES
- SOIL: GRAVELLY, LIKE IN HAUT-MEDOC/ WELL SUITED TO CAB. SAUV.
- WINES: LITTLE LIGHTER IN BODY/ MORE FRAGRANT THAN FINEST HAUT-MEDOC/ TOP CHATEAUX ARE MADE
BORDEAUX-REDS-SAINT EMILLON & POMEROL
RIGHT BANK WINES: DOM BY MERLOT & LESS EXTEND CAB.FRANC
SAINT EMILLON: LARGER OF 2 PRINC APP/ 3 DISTINCT GROUP OF VINS. ON DIFFERENT SOILS
1) VINS ON PLATEAU: TO THE NORTH & WEST OF THE TOWN OF ST. EMILLION
- WELL-DRAINED, GRAVEL, LIMESTONE SOILS
- ENCOURAGE CAB. FRANK & SOME CAB.SAUV
2) VINS ON ESCARPMENT TO THE SOUTH & EAST: CLAY LIMESTONE SOILS
- MOST PREST. W OF ST. EMILLION COME FROM THESE 2 SUB-REGS
- WINES: M TO H TANNINS/ MORE STRUCTURED W FROM LEFT BANK/ DOFT & RICH MOUTHFEEL W/COMPLEX RED BERRY F & PLUM/ DEV. TOBACCO, CEDAR AS THEY EVOLVE
3) VINS ON SANDY SOILS AT THE FOOT OF THE ESCARPMENT: SANDY SOILS
- SOURCES OF LIGHTER-BODY/ LESS PREST. WINES
POMEROL:REP IS AS HIGH AS SAINT EMILLION
-WINES: RICHER, SPICIER, BLACKFRUIT CHARACT.
BORDEAUX-VIN DE GARAGE:
A MOVEMENT PART. ASSOCIATED W/ RIGHT BANK APP
APPEARANCE OF FULL-BODIED
INCREADIBLY RIPE WINES
*MADE IN TINY QUANTITIES FROM SMALL PLOTS OF LAND W/ NO EXPENSE SPARED IN THE VINEYARD OF THE WINERY=CALLED TO DESCRIBE THESE WINES: VINS DE GARAGE=WM: GARAGISTE
*MANY OF THEM NOW FAMOUS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT & HAVE BEEN CLASSIFIED W/ SAINT EMILLION APP SYSTEM
BORDEAUX-COTES DE BORDEAUX
COTES DE BORDEAUX
-LESSER-KNOWN RED WINE APP AGREED TO SHARE THE NAME COTES DE BORDEAUX
THE APP OF: COTES DE BORDEAUX
- BLAYE
- CADILLAC
- CASTILLON
- FRANCS
WINES: MERLOT BASED/ EARLY DRINKING/ BEST: EXCELLENT VALUE FOR MONEY
PREMIER COTES DE BORDEAUX: SWEET WINE APP/ !UNCONNECTED TO COTES DE BORDEAUX GROUP!
PREMIUM DRY WHITE WINES-BORDEAUX
ENTRE-DEUX-MERS(LARGE APP)
- CAN ONLY PRO. WHITE WINES
- IF RED=SOULD BE LABELLED GENERIC APP NAME
GRAVES & PESSAC LEOGNAN
-PERMITTED TO PRO WHITE & REDS
GRAVES & ENTRE-DEUX MERS WINES: SAUVIGNON BLANC/ UNOAKED
PESSAC LEOGNAN: HOME TO VERY BEST DRY WHITES
- ELIGIBLE TO CRU CLASSE STATUS
- BLEND OF SAUVIGNON BLANC & SEMILLON
- FERM. & OR / MAT AT LEAST PARTLY IN NEW OAK
- M TO F BODY TOASTY OAK
PREMIUM DRY WHITES-BORDEAUX 2
MEDOC & SAUTERNES
- SOME PRO OF PREMIUM DRY WHITES
- CAN’T BE SOLD USING THESE APP/ SHOULD BE GENERIC BORDEAUX APP
SWEET WINES-BORDEAUX
TOP SWEET W APP OF BORDEAUX ARE GROUPED ON THE BANKS OF GARONNE & ITS TRIBUTARY THE CIRON
- RIVERS CREATE: MISTY AUTUMN COND. FOR NOBLE ROT IN VINS/ VARIES FROM YEAR TO YEAR
- PASSERILLAGE NEEDED TO CONCENT. SUGARS IN YEARS WHEN THERE IS LITTLE NOBLE ROT
SAUTERNES APP: BEST WINES/ LIES ON WEST BANK OF GARONNE
-BARSAC APP (VILLAGE WITHIN SAUTERNES): PRO CAN USE BARSAC APP OR SAUTERNESS APP
*IN THESE APPS:
- SEMILLION: DOM./ THIN SKIN & SUSCEPTIBILITY TO BOTRYTISED
- S.BLANC: SUPPLIES ACIDITY & FRUITY AROMAS
- MUSCADELLE: WHERE USED EXOTIC PERFUME
BEST WINES: H ALCOHOL/ SWEET YET BALANCED BY H ACIDITY/ APRICOT, CITRUS PEEL, AROMAS OF NOBLE ROT, TOAST, VANILLA FROM OAK FERM & OR MAT
*THERE ARE NUMBER OF OTHER SWEET W APP NEAR SAUTERNES MADE IN SIMILAR STYLE
