Bordeaux - Certified Sommelier Exam Flashcards
What is the climate of Bordeaux?
Maritime with the atlantic and gironde estuary acting as moderating infiences. Short winters, damp spring, and more contental towards St Emilion and Pomerol
What are the generic Bordeaux AOP appellations>
Bordeaux AOP
Bordeaux Superieur AOP
Cremant de Bordeaux AOP - Method Tradl sparkler
How would a drine wine from Bordeaux AOP be labeled?
As Sec
What are the 6 grapes allowed in Bordeaux AOP red wines
Cab Sauv Merlot Cab Franc Petite Verdot Malbec Carmenere (rare)
What type of soil does Bordeaux Merlot prefer?
most widley planted and earliest to ripen, Merlot prefers Clay based soil as it delays natural vigor
What type of soil does Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon prefer?
well-draining Gravel
What soil does Bordeaux Cab Franc prefer?
limestone based soil which promotes acidity and freshness
What qualities does Cab Sauv give to a Bordeaux Blend
the highly pigmented and tannic cab sauv gives structure, power, and longevity
What characteristcs does Merlot bring to a Bordeaux blend wine?
a fleshy, juicy texture that can soften the austerity of Cab Sauv
What characteristics does Cab Franc bring to Bordeaux Blends?
more tannic than merlot, less weighty or masculine that Cab Sauv, lends a herbal spice and red fruit aromatics
What does petit verdot add to a bordeaux blend and where is it found
Found on the left bank, adds color, depth and exotic perfume
What does malbec add to a Bordeaux blend, and where is it found?
Known as pressac on the right bank, performs similar to merlot - is infrequently found in Bordeaux
What are the appellations of the Medoc in Bordeaux
Medoc AOP Haut-Medoc AOP St Estephe AOP Pauillac AOP Listract-Medoc AOP Moulis-en-Medoc AOP Margeaux AOP
What are the 6 communes of Bordeaux’s Haut-Medoc
St-Estephe Pauillac St-Julien Listrac Moulis Margeaux
What are the 5 first growths of Bordeaux
Chateau Latour - Pauillac Chateau Lafite-Rothschild - Pauillac Chateau Mouton-Rothschild - Pauillac Chateau Haut-Brion - Graves Chateau Margeaux - Margeaux
How many Grand Cru Classe properties are there?
1er - 5 (orig 4) 2eme - 14 3eme - 14 4eme - 10 5eme - 18 (61)
Describe the wines of St-Estephe AOP and CHateau of Note
Ther wines are sturdy and full bodied reds with a slightly higher % of merlot due to higher clay w gravel. Only 5 classified growths:
Ch Cos d’Estournel is a “super 2nd growth” making powerful polished modern wines
Describe the wines of Pauillac AOP and chateau of note
Cab Sauv based wines are structed and long lived. Home to 3 1st growths
-Ch Lafite-Rothschild: brooding depth & concentration
-Ch Mouton-Rothschild
-Ch Latour: Aroma and Elegance
deepest gravel topsoil
Describe the wines of St Julien AOP and Ch of Note
Reds are typically elegant. Produces less wine than other AOP, but 80% is cru classe quality-very good
5 2nd growths, incl “Super Second”
-CH Leoville Las Cases
-CH Ducru-Beaucaillou
Describe the wines of Listrac-Medoc AOP and Moulis-en-Medoc AOP, and any Chateau of note
No classified growth, sources of good value in good wines
Ch Chasse-Spleen in Moulis is most famous
Describe the wines of Margeaux AOP and Ch of note
Largest communal appellation spreading through 5 villages of: Soussans, Margeaux, Contanna, Laborde, Arsac
Margeaux on thin sandy gravel over Limestone
21 classified growths including 1er Ch Margeaux
3rd Growth Ch Palmer is Excellent
Wines are feminine, floral bouquet, exotic char, finesse
What was the first identifiable Chateau in the left bank?
Ch Pape-Clemant, 1305, a papal gift in Graves
What is the soil composition of Graves AOP
Boulbenes-mixture of sand, gravel & light claw - sandier to the south
White wine = 25% of graves production
Apart from Chateau Haut-Brion, when were Graves wines Classified?
Reds in 1953, with whites in 1959
What is the prestige appellation of Graves
Communal sub-appellation of Pessac-Leognan AOP in northern graves. Created 1987, all cru classe w/in communes:
Pessac, Léognan, Cadaujac, Canéjan, Gradignan, Martillac, Mérignac, Saint-Médard-d’Eyrans, Talence, and Villenave-d’Ornons.
What are the 3 sweet wine appellations of Graves
Sauternes, Barsac, Cerons
What grapes are used in the production of Sauternes
Semillion, Sauv Blanc, Muscadelle
When were the wines of Sauternes classified? Ch of note?
Classified in 1855, w the Medoc, divided into 1st and 2nd growth, Ch d’Yquem is 1er Cru
What are the appellations of Graves?
Graves AOP Graves Superieur AOP Pessac-Leognan AOP Cerons AOP Barsac AOP Sauternes AOP
Most wines of Right Bank are Merlot Based. What is the notable exception?
Ch Figeac is St Emilion is Cab Sauv Based
What is the soil composition of Right Bank St-Emilion
St-Émilion contains a diversity of soils broadly categorized into two types: the côtes and graves. As a simplification, the hillside côtes are steep limestone slopes and graves is a gravelly limestone plateau resembling soils of the Médoc.
What are the right bank Bordeaux Appellations?
St-Emilion AOP Lussac-St-Emilion AOP Montagne-St-Emilion AOP St-Georges-St-Emlion AOP St-Emilion Grand Cru AOP (Addl 0.5% alch/Longer elevage) Pomerol AOP Lalanda-de-Pomerol AOP Fransac AOP Canon-Fransac AOP
When were the wines of St-Emilion Classified
1955
What is the soil of Pomerol
5 sq miles - dominated by sand, clay and gravel, subsoil of iron pan and rich clay
When were the wines of the following areas classified Medoc Pomerol St Emilion Sauternes Graves White Graves Red
Medoc - 1855 Pomerol - not St Emilion - 1955 Sauternes - 1855 Graves White - 1959 Graves Red - 1953
What are some notable Pomerol Ch?
Ch Petrus Ch Lafleur Vieux-Chateau-Carton Ch Le Pin Ch Trotanoy La Consiellante
What is France’s appellation system called?
It was the AOC til 09 - Appellation d’Origine Controlee and was changed to AOP - Appellation d’Origine Protegee - two are complimentary
What is France’s classification for regional wines?
29% of Frances Wines are Regional and released as Vin De Pays
What gov’t agency oversees the Vin de Pays regulations?
VINIFLHOR
What are the yields for Vin de Pays wines?
90 hl/ha white
85 hl/ha Red and Rose
Min alch 9-10%
What is an alternate category to Vin de Pays
IGP - Indication Geographiqe Protegee
What % of grapes must be sourced from the stated area in Vin de Pays/IGP wine?
85%
What are the three levels of IGP zones
- Regional
- Departmental
- Local
What are the regional Vin de Pays Zones?
- Pays d’Oc IGP, Languedoc-Roussillon
- Val de Loire IGP, Loire
- Comtés Rhodaniens IGP, N Rhône Valley, Jura & Savoie
- Méditerranée IGP, Southeast France
- Atlantique IGP, Bordeaux and Charente
- Comté Tolosan IGP, Sud-Ouest
T or F: Vin de France/Vin de Table/Vin Ordinare can state Vintage and Varietal
True as of 2009
What are the 3 French wine Classifications
AOC/AOP
Vin de Pays/IGP
Vin de France/Table Wine
What is the role of Bordeaux Negociants
Buy grapes or wine in barrel and store/blend/age/sell
What is the role of a courtier in Bordeaux wine trade?
Financier - also res for en preimur
What are the appellations of Cotes de Bordeaux, Entre-deux-Mers- Bourg and Blaye a
-Bourg/Cotes de Bourg/Bourgeais AOP
-Blaye AOP
-Cotes de Blaye AOP
-Cotes de Bordeaux AOP
-Cotes de Bordeaux-Saint-Macaire AOP
-Cadillac AOP (Sweet)
-Loupiac AOP (Sweet)
-Sainte-Croix_du_mont AOP (Sweet)
Premières Côtes de Bordeaux AOP
Graves de Vayres AOP
Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux AOP
Entre-Deux-Mers AOP
