Bordeaux - General Flashcards
What regions does the 1855 classification cover and what are their bands? (3)
Medoc 1-5
Haut-Brion in Graves 1-5
Sauternes 1-3
What forest protects Bordeaux from maritime winds in the south of medic and graves?
Landes forest
Rain issues in Bordeaux? (4)
Rain falls throughout the year. Main issues:
Flowering - fruit set
Growing season - disease
Veraison - unripe fruit and fungal disease
Harvest - diluted flavours
Maritime influence in Libourne (Pomerol, Saint Emillion)
Less than the left bank
Where is clay located on the left bank?
Around St Estephe
Best soils on the right bank? (2)
Limestone plateau around St Emillion or gravel and stones around Pomerol
Early budding /mid ripening varieties in Bordeaux? (3) +(1)
- Merlot
- Cab Franc
- Malbec
All susceptible to spring frosts but can be picked before autumn rain
Issues with merlot? (3)
Susceptible to:
Botrytis - heavy spraying
Coulure - sorting
Drought - clay
Where is Merlot grown mainly on left bank?
Northern Medoc - cooler climate
What does Merlot contribute to a blend? (5)
Red fruit and herbaceous flavours in cool years
Black plum and cooked blackberries in hot years
Medium tannins
Medium to high alc (and thus body)
Medium acidity
Cabernet Sauvignon budding/ripening?
Late budding
Mid-late ripening
(Like corvina)
Issues with Cabernet Sauvignon? (3)
Susceptible to:
Trunk disease
Fungal disease
Later ripening - needs warm soils and less rain at harvest
What does Cabernet Sauvignon add to a Bordeaux blend? (5)
High acid
High tannin
Medium alcohol and med body
Black fruit
Floral/herbaceous characters
What does Cabernet Franc add to a Bordeaux blend? (3)
High acid
Red fruit
Medium tannins
What does Malbec add to a Bordeaux blend? (4)
Deep colour
Violets, red fruit and dark fruit
Medium+ tannin
Medium+ acid
Petit Verdot budding/ripening?
Early budding
Late ripening
Same as refosco and Sangiovese
What does petit Verdot add to a Bordeaux blend? (3)
Deep colour
Spice
Tannin
Semillon budding/ripening?
Mid budding
Mid ripening
Same as Grechetto
What does Semillon add to white Bordeaux blends? (4)
It softens Sauvignon Blanc
Medium alc and body
Medium to med+ acid
Low intensity apple, lemon grass
Ageability - honey and toast
What does semillon add to sweet wines in Bordeaux? (3)
Highly prized for sweet wines
Honey
Dried fruit - lemon and peach
Waxy texture
What does Sauvignon Blanc add to white Bordeaux blends? (2)
High acid
Gooseberry and grass flavours
Becoming single varietal more and more
What does Mucsadelle add to a Bordeaux white blend? (2)
Grape and floral characters
Used mainly in sweet wines due to botrytis susceptibility
Vine spacing in Bordeaux? (2)
10,000 Per Hectare in prestigious regions
3000-4000 in less prestigious regions like Bordeaux AOC
Where is double guyot more common?
Left bank
Where is single guyot more common?
Right bank
Why would an estate use cordon trained spur pruned vine training in Bordeaux? (2)
Lower yields
Better aeration
When/why is leaf removal important in Bordeaux? (2)
In summer:
Expose grapes to aid ripening
Reduce disease pressure
What is ‘Plot by Plot’ winemaking?
Selecting individual plots to vinify at optimum ripeness. More vessels are needed and a robust schedule of picking needed
Red wine fermentation temperatures in Bordeaux?
Mid range for fruitier styles
Mid range to warm for premium styles
Maceration times for red Bordeaux wines? (2)
5-7 for early drinking
14-30 for premium
Maceration times are reduced in poor vintages
Free run wine and press wine practices in Bordeaux?
Press wine is put to one side in barriques so the winemaker can decide how much tannin and structure the free run wine needs
Malolactic conversion in Bordeaux reds?
Usually inoculated as journalists and buyers will taste the wines in spring
Level of oak toast in Bordeaux?
Med to med plus toast
Barrel maturation in premium Bordeaux? (3)
18-24 months on oak
Up to 100% new oak
Racked every 3 months by tradition to prevent reduction and soften tannins
Blending in Bordeaux? (2)
Mainly done over winter to show journalists and buyers in The spring.
Some blend every few months to see how the individual grapes and plots are evolving before deciding on the final wine
Skin contact for white in Bordeaux? (2)
Direct press and no contact for fresh styles
Up to 24 hours for more aromatic and phenolic styles
Modern Sauvignon Blanc winemaking in Bordeaux? (2)
Skin contact for aromatics
Lees new oak in fermentation and maturation
Battonage and lees ageing in white Bordeaux? (3)
Not common any more to have less body in the wines
Lees ageing common - 3 months for inexpensive
6-12 for premium
High costs in Bordeaux sweet wines in the vineyard? (4)
Yields must be low (25hL/ha) to ensure concentration of sugar and fruit
Highly trained harvesters needed to identify botrytis from grey rot and black rot
Long harvesting September to December
Multiple passes in the vineyard 10-12 times
Level of botrytis in the final wine factors? (4)
- Conditions of year
- Position of estate for conditions
- Willingness of estate to wait for perfect conditions
- Willingness of estate to pay for multiple passes
Oak use in sweet wine in Bordeaux? (3)
No new oak in less prestigious regions
30-100% in Barsac and Sauternes
Aged for 18-36 months for oxidation and complexity
Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux Superior AOC reputations? (5)
High yields for Bordeaux AOC
Slightly lower Yields for Bordeaux Superior AOC
Reds mainly from merlot
Whites mainly from Sauvignon Blanc
Acceptable to good in quality
Inexpensive to mid priced
Bordeaux AOC/Superior tasting note? (6)
High acid
Med + tannin
Medium body
Medium alc
Medium intensity
Red fruit characters
Same for whites except tannin and fruit characters
