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MONTH 4- Bordeaux, Loire Valley > Bordeaux- Climate and Grapes > Flashcards

Bordeaux- Climate and Grapes Flashcards

1
Q

Bordeaux second in volume of production in France only to what?

A

the Languedoc

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2
Q

What was the total vineyard area in 2004?

A

encompasses 306,000 acres, establishing Bordeaux as France’s largest wine appellation

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3
Q

Evidence of wine production near the Garonne dates back to when?

A

the 4th century AD

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4
Q

The Dutch provided the framework for the Médoc’s eventual dominance by creating what?

A

a complex series of drainage channels throughout the area, making it suitable for viticulture in the mid-1600s

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5
Q

When was Bordeaux ruled by England?

A

From 1152 to 1453

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6
Q

As the marshes became habitable, what followed?

A

the wealthy noblesse de la robe followed, establishing the great châteaux foremost in modern wine markets

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7
Q

As the business of Bordeaux expanded, what widened?

A

the disconnection between consumer and producer

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8
Q

What emerged with the resources to store and sell wine on a commercial scale in the 18th century?

A

a merchant class

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9
Q

Traditionally, négociants acted as what?

A

one type of intermediary, buying fruit or wine in barrel to age in their own cellars before selling the bottled wine

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10
Q

What were Courtiers?

A

brokers of wine

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11
Q

Courtiers became a powerful force in the Médoc, supplying the châteaux with what?

A

financial backing while gaining total control over the actual trade of wine

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12
Q

When did the négociants influence fade?

A

after World War II with the rising appeal of estate bottling

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13
Q

The courtiers of Bordeaux maintain their authority over the trade, and are responsible for the current method of what?

A

en primeur sales, the yearly offering of Bordeaux wine as futures

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14
Q

What is the climate of Bordeaux?

A

maritime

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15
Q

What act as moderating influences protecting the vines from winter freezes and spring frost?

A

the Atlantic and the Gironde estuary

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16
Q

Describe the seasonal weather of Bordeaux

A

Winters are short, springtime is usually damp and summers can reach high temperatures.

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17
Q

What protect the Médoc vineyards from harsh west and northwesterly winds?

A

Coastal pine forests

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18
Q

What is a worry, especially at harvest?

A

RAIN!!

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19
Q

How does the climate change towards St-Émilion and Pomerol?

A

becomes more continental

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20
Q

The wet spring season and humidity of the region can result in what?

A

severe problems with mold and rot

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21
Q

While autumn humidity in the sweet wine districts of Graves is a cause for celebration due to the development of noble rot, what can take hold in cooler years and destroy the fruit?

A

the more malevolent grey rot

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22
Q

Springtime frost can lead to what?

A

coulure and millerandage

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23
Q

What does coulure and millerandage lead to?

A

reduced eventual yield

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24
Q

What is the Bordeaux mixture?

A

a mix of lime, copper sulfate, and water—is applied throughout the region to avoid fungal problems

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25
The Bordeaux climate, while less marginal than the Loire, Burgundy or Champagne, is nonetheless what?
varied enough to produce wide vintage variation in the finished wines
26
Standard Bordeaux AOP wines may be what?
red, white, rosé, or clairet
27
What are clairets?
a darker, more aromatic style of rosé that evokes the original claret wines shipped to England in the Middle Ages
28
Dry white wines are generally labeled what?
sec
29
Bordeaux AOP wines provide a base level of quality and may be produced-
throughout the entire Bordeaux region
30
What Six grapes are allowed for Bordeaux AOP red wines?
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carmènere
31
Varying soils throughout the region, coupled with the different speeds of ripening for each grape, invest the Bordeaux estate in the practical wisdom of what?
the assemblage, or blend
32
What is the earliest grape to ripen?
Merlot
33
What is the most widely planted grape in Bordeaux?
Merlot
34
What soil does Merlot prefer? Why?
clay-based soils, they delay its natural vigor
35
Where does Cabernet Sauvignon perform admirably? Why?
In well-drained gravel, which allows the vine’s root system to dig deeply while slight water stress adds concentration to the fruit
36
Where does CS have difficulty ripening?
in colder limestone and clay soils
37
Where does Cab Franc excel? Why?
in limestone-based soils, which promote acidity and freshness in the wines
38
What gives the estate a form of insurance?
An overall encépagement of mixed grapes that flower and are harvested at different times
39
____, may avoid late spring frosts that can spell disaster for ___ as it buds later, but the grape may fall prey to heavy fall rains after the ___ is safely harvested.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Merlot
40
What does CS add to the blend?
highly pigmented, tannic, gives the wine structure, power, and longevity
41
What does Merlot add to the blend?
a fleshy, juicy texture that can soften the austerity of CS
42
What does CF add to the blend?
more tannic grape than Merlot, less muscular or weighty than CS, imparts herbal spice and red fruit aromatics
43
On the Left Bank (Médoc and Graves) CS comprises approximately ___ of the blend and Merlot, CF,etc make up the remainder.
two-thirds
44
Merlot and Cabernet Franc typically dominate blends on the Right Bank, at __ and ___ respectively.
three-quarters, one-quarter
45
What is the last grape to ripen?
The inky Petit Verdot
46
What is used on the Left Bank in minute quantities for color, depth and exotic perfume?
Petit Verdot; it is essentially non-existent on the Right Bank
47
What is Malbec known as on the Right Bank?
Pressac
48
How does Malbec perform in the blend?
similarly to Merlot, is infrequently encountered in Bordeaux
49
____ is virtually extinct in the region
Carmenère
50
What are the white Bordeaux AOP grapes?
Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle (Ugni Blanc, Merlot Blanc, Colombard max 30%)
51
What does SB offer the blend?
pungency, high acidity, and citrus flavors.
52
The sharpness of Sauvignon Blanc can be leavened with what?
Sémillon and rounded with oak
53
The best white wines (whether dry or off-dry) achieve what?
creamy, waxy texture while emitting unique aromas of honey and beeswax
54
What white grape is added sparingly in the blend?
The fragile Muscadelle, as its lovely, intense floral character can quickly overtake the wine’s balance
55
Producers bottling under the basic Bordeaux AOP may only age their wine for a short period in what?
used barrels of larger size
56
A top château in one of the commune appellations will often age its red wines for up to what?
2 years in barriques (225-liter capacity barrels), a large percentage of which will be new each vintage.
57
White wines from a top Graves estate will also be aged in new oak, although the percentage of new wood varies greatly by producer. The best white wines typically what?
spend a year to 16 months in barrel
58
Red and off-dry white wines with a higher minimum alcohol content may qualify for what AOP?
Bordeaux Supérieur AOP
59
Traditional method sparkling wines are produced in Bordeaux as what?
Crémant de Bordeaux AOP
60
Ageing requirements for Crémant de Bordeaux AOP?
min. 9 months on the lees prior to dégorgement, and may not be released for a min. 12 months after the date of tirage

MONTH 4- Bordeaux, Loire Valley (7 decks)

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