Bordeaux - Key Appellations

Question 1

Which two appellations account for 50% of all wine produced in Bordeaux?

Answer 1

Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux Supérieur AOC

Question 2

What are the maximum yields in Bordeaux Supérieur?

Answer 2

59hl/h

Question 3

Is the maximum yield higher or lower than BS AOC in Bordeaux AOC?

Answer 3

Max yields for all styles are higher.

Question 4

What is the max yield for white wine and rosés in Bordeaux AOC?

Answer 4

65 and 62 respectively

Question 5

What is the max yield for red wines in Bordeaux AOC?

Answer 5

60hl/h

Question 6

Which grape dominates in Bordeaux AOC and BS AOC wine production?

Answer 6

Merlot

Question 7

Write a brief note from a typical Bordeaux AOC red

Answer 7

medium nose of red fruit, high acidity, medium (+) tannin, medium body and medium alcohol

Question 8

Bordeaux AOC whites are most dominated by which grape? Write a typical note

Answer 8

Sauvignon Blanc. Medium nose of lemon, gooseberry, high acidity, medium body and medium alcohol

Question 9

why is SB increasing in its use in Bordeaux whites?

Answer 9

Owing to the success of NZ SB around the world

Question 10

Which important water body and city lie close to Médoc and Haut Médoc AOCs?

Answer 10

they are on the Left Bank of the Girondes estuary, North of the city of Bordeaux

Question 11

Which famous individual commune appellations lie in Haut Médoc?

Answer 11

Paulliac, St. Julien, St Éstephe, Margaux

Question 12

What is the proportion of CS to Merlot in Medoc vs Haut Medoc and why?

Answer 12

Médoc AOC: 50:50

Haut Médoc: 50:44 (more warm gravel in this region so good for ripening CS)

Question 13

What style of wine is produced in the 4 famous individual commune appellations of the Haut Médoc and what is the maximum yield?

Answer 13

Red wines only at 57hl/h

Question 14

Outline a typical note from the individual commune appellations

Answer 14

• pronounced intensity black and red fruit
• high acidity,
• high tannin
• medium to high alcohol
• medium (+) body

Question 15

What is the soil in St. Estephe ?

Answer 15

gravel, limestone and lots of clay and so it contains more merlot than other commune AOCs

Question 16

How are the wines characterised in St E?

Answer 16

Rustic and needing long ageing

Question 17

What proportion of plantings are CabS in St E?

Answer 17

50% of plantings

Question 18

What is the coolest an most northerly of the Médoc communes?

Answer 18

St Estephe

Question 19

Why do CabS in St E need more time ageing?

Answer 19

the rustic tannins need time to smoothen and polymerise

Question 20

How do St E winemakers make their wines more approachable ?

Answer 20

Add merlot and/or use CabS grown on the warm- gravel banks of the estuary

Question 21

How many appellations are in Bordeaux

Answer 21

65 appellations

Question 22

How many 1st growths and 2nd growths in St E

Answer 22

on firsts but second growths and cru bourgeois

Question 23

Which has more plantings of CabS, St E or Paulliac?

Answer 23

Paulliac at 62%

Question 24

How much CabS do top Paulliac estates put in the blend?

Answer 24

70-80% of the blend

Question 25

What typical structural elements in Paulliac lend its wine to ageing?

Answer 25

High acidity and high tannin

Question 26

How many first growths in Paulliac?

Answer 26

3/5 of the first growths

Question 27

Which AOC in Médoc has the highest production of cru classé wine and what proportion does it represent?

Answer 27

Paulliac at 85%

Question 28

How does St E soil help in hot summers?

Answer 28

it retains water which aids the ripening of the grapes

Question 29

How are the St Julien wines characterised?

Answer 29

Halfway between the firm structure of Paulliac and the elegance of Margaux

Question 30

Does St Julien have any first growths?

Answer 30

No, it has second growths (5)

Question 31

What is the dominant grape in St Julien?

Answer 31

CabS

Question 32

What are the soils like in St Julien?

Answer 32

uniformly gravel

Question 33

What are the soils of Margaux like/

Answer 33

Stoney and gravelly

Question 34

Margaux plants more of which grape and less of which grape than St Julien?

Answer 34

More Merlot and less CabS

Question 35

What is the climate like in Margaux like compared to more northerly communes?

Answer 35

It is warmer

Question 36

Does Margaux harvest earlier or later than the northerly communes?

Answer 36

Earlier as its warmer. A few days earlier than Paulliac and 7-10 days earlier than St. E

Question 37

Listrac-Medoc and Moulis AOCs are further from the river. What does being further inland mean for its soils and climate?

Answer 37

Less maritime influence from the estuary and less gravel in the soil

Question 38

Listrac-Medoc and Moulis may release wine for consumption earlier than the 4 more famous communes but what other AOC rules differ from those of the Big 4 Médoc appellations?

Answer 38

None. Just the earlier release times

Question 39

What is the quality of Listrac-Medoc and Moulis wines and style of wines do the AOC rules cover?

Answer 39

Good to Very good wines. They are red only appellations

Question 40

Graves appellations cover what styles of wine?

Answer 40

red and white

Question 41

Graves supérieur appellation covers which styles of wine?

Answer 41

It covers sweet wines (late harvest and botrytis affected wines

Question 42

What is the maximum yield (hl/h) for the white wines in Graves?

Answer 42

58hl/h

Question 43

What is the maximum yield for red wines in Graves?

Answer 43

55hl/h

Question 44

Is the maximum yield for red wines in Graves high or lower than that of Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux Superieur AOC?

Answer 44

Max yield is lower than Bordeaux (65hl/h) and Bordeaux Supérieur (59hl/h)

Question 45

Graves max red yield is the same as which two left bank AOCs?

Answer 45

Médoc and Haut Medoc

Question 46

What % of wine made in Graves is red?

Answer 46

85% of the wine made there is red

Question 47

What is the quality and price of wines in Graves?

Answer 47

acceptable to good and inexpensive to mid priced for this appellation

Question 48

What are the soils and climate effects shared by Pessac Léognan and the four famous Médoc estates?

Answer 48

gravel soils and temperate influence of the Garonne

Question 49

Does Pessac Léognan make more red or white?

Answer 49

80% red and 20% white

Question 50

How are the white and red wines of Pessac Léognan characterised?

Answer 50

the whites are v. good to outstanding. Barrel fermented and ageable. The have : pronounced aromas of gooseberry, lemon and grapefruit with vanilla and clove oak notes, medium (+) body, medium (+) to high acidity and medium to high alcohol. the reds are v. good to outstanding and price and style are similar to the four Médoc communes

Question 51

How does the max yield in Pessac Leognan compare to the four Médoc communes?

Answer 51

Lower yields. 54hl/h in Pesac Léongan compared to57hl/h in the communes

Question 52

How many first growths in Pessace Leognan?

Answer 52

one. Haut-Brion

Question 53

how do they max yields in Entre Deux Mers compare to Bordeaux AOC?

Answer 53

they are both the same at 65hl/h

Question 54

How does volume of wine compare to Bordeaux AOC

Answer 54

They produce far less but are in second place in the region

Question 55

What styles of wines are produced in Entre Deux Mers

Answer 55

White wine only. Wines are low intensity and largely SB

Question 56

What are the red wines labelled as in Entre Deux Mers?

Answer 56

Bordeaux or Bordeaux Superieur

Question 57

Are right bank estates larger than those on the Left Bank?

Answer 57

No. The Right Bank estates are small and numerous. Some as small as one acre

Question 58

What grapes dominate plantings on the Right Bank?

Answer 58

Merlot (60%) followed by Cab Franc and small amounts of Cab Sav

Question 59

Write a note for the top wines on the RB

Answer 59

- pronounced red and black plum fruit with vanilla and clove new oak character, - -medium (+) to high acidity - medium (+) to high tannins - high alcohol - with a full body

Question 60

What is the name given to the four appellations nr St Emillion but further from the River ?

Answer 60

the St Emillion Satellites

Question 61

Name the two most famous of the satellite appellations of St Emillion?

Answer 61

Montagne St-Emillion and Lussac St. Emillion AOCs

Question 62

Does Pomerol have a classification?

Answer 62

no. there is no classification in the AOC

Question 63

What is the maximum yield in Pomerol?

Answer 63

49 hl/h so lower than the Médoc communes which are 57hl/h

Question 64

Which AOC makes the most similar wine to Pomerol?

Answer 64

St . Emillion top estates

Question 65

How does Ch. Petrus compare to the LB estates in terms of size?

Answer 65

12 hectares vs 80--100 hectares on the LB top estates

Question 66

What makes the wines of Pomerol so ageable?

Answer 66

- high fruit concentration - high acidity - high tannins - high alcohol

Question 67

Where does the cote de Bordeaux lie?

Answer 67

on the Right Bank

Question 68

Give some examples of the many communes who can put their name before the Cote De Bordeaux AOC label

Answer 68

Blaye Cote De Bordeaux AOC Francs Cote De Bordeaux AOC Cadillac Cote De Bordeaux AOC

Question 69

Which styles of wine are included in the Cote De Bordeaux AOC?

Answer 69

Both red and white

Question 70

Which appellation has the highest planting of Malbec in Bordeaux?

Answer 70

Cotes de Bourg

Question 71

What is the max yield for the Cote De Bordeaux AOC reds if there is no commune name appended to it?

Answer 71

55hl/h for the reds

Question 72

Which LB appellations have the same max yield as Cote De Bordeaux AOC

Answer 72

Graves, Médoc and Haut Médoc

Question 73

What is the max yield for the Cote De Bordeaux AOC reds if there is a commune name appended to it?

Answer 73

52hl/h

Question 74

Where is Sauternes?

Answer 74

Southern Graves

Question 75

What is the max yield in Sauternes?

Answer 75

25hl/h but generally yields are lower to promote ripening before the noble rot sets in

Question 76

What labels to Barsac winemakers put on their bottles?

Answer 76

Sauternes AOC or Barsac AOC

Question 77

What is the crisis which has hit these sweet styles of wine ?

Answer 77

Over the past 30 years demand has crashed

Question 78

How are Sauternes producers tackling the sweet wine crisis?

Answer 78

They produce dry white wines as well

Question 79

What are the ideal climate conditions for noble rot here?

Answer 79

The cold Ciron River meets the warm Garonne causing the forming of morning mists. The sun burns off the mist by midday which avoids the forming of grey rot

Question 80

Write a typical not for a sweet Sauternes

Answer 80

- pronounced citrus peel, honey, tropical fruit and vanilla oak notes - medium (+) acidity - high alcohol - full bodied