Bordeaux - General Flashcards
Bordeaux size
117,500
Bordeaux % of France total vineyard area
14%
winegrowers Bordeaux
Over 8.000
Where do Bordeaux’s two main rivers converge?
The Gironde Estuary
What does Entre-Deux-Mers mean in English?
Between two seas
Entre-Deux-Mers location
Between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers
Bordeaux climate type
Maritime
Average annual Médoc rainfall
950mm
Does Bordeaux have a true dry season?
No
Atlantic gulf stream effect on Bordeaux’s climate
It brings warm water up from the Caribbean and keeps Bordeaux’s climate mild
Does Bordeaux experience a diurnal shift?
No
Most planted grape Bordeaux
Merlot
What is the most planted white grape in Bordeaux?
Sémillon
Dominant grape in Bordeaux’s right bank
Merlot
Dominant grape in Bordeaux’s left bank
Cabernet Sauvignon
AOPs Bordeaux
39
Color(s) of grape allowed in rosé wines in Bordeaux
Red
% Bordeaux wine production rosé and clairet
2-3%
Color(s) of wine Atlantique IGP
Red
White
Rosé
Jalles
Canals in the Médoc built by the Dutch in the mid-17th century. These drained the marshes in the Médoc and allowed for its use as a winegrowing region
Croupes
Mounds of warm gravel soil that allows for easy water drainage
First brand name to be sold in Bordeaux
Chateau Haut-Brion in the 17th century
How did the 1855 Classification get its start?
Napoleon III asked the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce to select the region’s best wines for presentation to the public
What is the 1855 Classification ranking based on?
Price
What is the only premier cru supérier wine in the 1855 Classification?
Chateau D’Yquem
1855 Classification red wines
61
1855 Classification white wines
27
What is the most major change to the 1855 Classification?
Mouton-Rothschild was elevated from deuxième cru to premier cru in 1973
When did oidium first appear in Bordeaux?
1852
When did phylloxera first appearin Bordeaux?
1869
When did peronospera first appear in Bordeaux?
Early 1880s
What was the first estate in Bordeaux to estate-bottle its entire production? When did this begin?
Mouton-Rothschild in 1924
When did estate-bottling become widespread in Bordeaux?
1960s
In what year did château bottling become required for classified estates in the Médoc?
1972
Describe Place de Bordeaux
A three-tier de facto system of production, brokerage, and sales that controls the trade of wine in Bordeaux
When did en primeur stop being solely an internal mechanism for château?
1980s
When did Château Latour stop offering wines en primeur?
2012
Can a classified château in Bordeaux add to its classified holdings? How?
Yes. In the Médoc and Pomerol a château can add to its classifed holdings as long as the new parcel of land is in the same AOP as the one stated on their wine’s label.
Most common vine training Bordeaux
Guyot system
What form of the Guyot system is primarily used in the left bank?
Double
What form of the Guyot system is primarily used in the right bank?
Simple
What training system is most common in Sauternes?
Cordon-training
Why is cordon-training favored in Sauternes?
Cordon-training tends to produced smaller berries that are more susceptible to botrytis. Guyot cane-training produces larger berries more susceptible to grey rot
What is the minimum planting density in the Médoc?
7.000 plants per hectare
What spacing do many properties use in the Médoc?
1x1. Similar to Côte d’Or
Minimum planting density Right Bank (Saint-Émillion and Pomerol)?
5.500 plants per hectare
What spacing is common in the right bank?
1.3-1.5 meteres
What is the bedrock comprised of in the right bank?
Limestone
What is the maximum spacing in Entre-Deux-Mers?
2.5 meters
Describe green harvesting
The removal of bunches in the summer months. Is a routine occurance in modern Bordeaux
What is the theoretical appeal of green harvesting?
Reduces vigor and produces smaller berries with more concentrated flavor
Traditional mean of cap management in Bordeaux
Remontage
At what time of year does malolactic fermentation tend to begin in Bordeaux?
End of the harvest
How long does élevage typically last for a grand vin in Bordeaux?
18-24 months
Best Bordeaux red vintages
2016
2015
2010
2009
2005
2000
1996
1990
1989
1982
Best Bordeaux white vintages
2005
2003
2001
1997
1996
1995
1990
1989
1988
1983
