Bordeaux - Key Appellations Flashcards
Which two appellations account for 50% of all wine produced in Bordeaux?
Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux Supérieur AOC
What are the maximum yields in Bordeaux Supérieur?
59hl/h
Is the maximum yield higher or lower than BS AOC in Bordeaux AOC?
Max yields for all styles are higher.
What is the max yield for white wine and rosés in Bordeaux AOC?
65 and 62 respectively
What is the max yield for red wines in Bordeaux AOC?
60hl/h
Which grape dominates in Bordeaux AOC and BS AOC wine production?
Merlot
Write a brief note from a typical Bordeaux AOC red
medium nose of red fruit, high acidity, medium (+) tannin, medium body and medium alcohol
Bordeaux AOC whites are most dominated by which grape? Write a typical note
Sauvignon Blanc. Medium nose of lemon, gooseberry, high acidity, medium body and medium alcohol
why is SB increasing in its use in Bordeaux whites?
Owing to the success of NZ SB around the world
Which important water body and city lie close to Médoc and Haut Médoc AOCs?
they are on the Left Bank of the Girondes estuary, North of the city of Bordeaux
Which famous individual commune appellations lie in Haut Médoc?
Paulliac, St. Julien, St Éstephe, Margaux
What is the proportion of CS to Merlot in Medoc vs Haut Medoc and why?
Médoc AOC: 50:50
Haut Médoc: 50:44 (more warm gravel in this region so good for ripening CS)
What style of wine is produced in the 4 famous individual commune appellations of the Haut Médoc and what is the maximum yield?
Red wines only at 57hl/h
Outline a typical note from the individual commune appellations
- pronounced intensity black and red fruit
- high acidity,
- high tannin
- medium to high alcohol
- medium (+) body
What is the soil in St. Estephe ?
gravel, limestone and lots of clay and so it contains more merlot than other commune AOCs
How are the wines characterised in St E?
Rustic and needing long ageing
What proportion of plantings are CabS in St E?
50% of plantings
What is the coolest an most northerly of the Médoc communes?
St Estephe
Why do CabS in St E need more time ageing?
the rustic tannins need time to smoothen and polymerise
How do St E winemakers make their wines more approachable ?
Add merlot and/or use CabS grown on the warm- gravel banks of the estuary
How many appellations are in Bordeaux
65 appellations
How many 1st growths and 2nd growths in St E
on firsts but second growths and cru bourgeois
Which has more plantings of CabS, St E or Paulliac?
Paulliac at 62%
How much CabS do top Paulliac estates put in the blend?
70-80% of the blend
What typical structural elements in Paulliac lend its wine to ageing?
High acidity and high tannin
How many first growths in Paulliac?
3/5 of the first growths
Which AOC in Médoc has the highest production of cru classé wine and what proportion does it represent?
Paulliac at 85%
How does St E soil help in hot summers?
it retains water which aids the ripening of the grapes
How are the St Julien wines characterised?
Halfway between the firm structure of Paulliac and the elegance of Margaux
Does St Julien have any first growths?
No, it has second growths (5)
What is the dominant grape in St Julien?
CabS
What are the soils like in St Julien?
uniformly gravel
What are the soils of Margaux like/
Stoney and gravelly
Margaux plants more of which grape and less of which grape than St Julien?
More Merlot and less CabS
What is the climate like in Margaux like compared to more northerly communes?
It is warmer
Does Margaux harvest earlier or later than the northerly communes?
Earlier as its warmer. A few days earlier than Paulliac and 7-10 days earlier than St. E
Listrac-Medoc and Moulis AOCs are further from the river. What does being further inland mean for its soils and climate?
Less maritime influence from the estuary and less gravel in the soil
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?
None. Just the earlier release times
What is the quality of Listrac-Medoc and Moulis wines and style of wines do the AOC rules cover?
Good to Very good wines. They are red only appellations
Graves appellations cover what styles of wine?
red and white
Graves supérieur appellation covers which styles of wine?
It covers sweet wines (late harvest and botrytis affected wines
What is the maximum yield (hl/h) for the white wines in Graves?
58hl/h
What is the maximum yield for red wines in Graves?
55hl/h
Is the maximum yield for red wines in Graves high or lower than that of Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux Superieur AOC?
Max yield is lower than Bordeaux (65hl/h) and Bordeaux Supérieur (59hl/h)
Graves max red yield is the same as which two left bank AOCs?
Médoc and Haut Medoc
What % of wine made in Graves is red?
85% of the wine made there is red
What is the quality and price of wines in Graves?
acceptable to good and inexpensive to mid priced for this appellation
What are the soils and climate effects shared by Pessac Léognan and the four famous Médoc estates?
gravel soils and temperate influence of the Garonne
Does Pessac Léognan make more red or white?
80% red and 20% white
How are the white and red wines of Pessac Léognan characterised?
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
How does the max yield in Pessac Leognan compare to the four Médoc communes?
Lower yields. 54hl/h in Pesac Léongan compared to57hl/h in the communes
How many first growths in Pessace Leognan?
one. Haut-Brion
how do they max yields in Entre Deux Mers compare to Bordeaux AOC?
they are both the same at 65hl/h
How does volume of wine compare to Bordeaux AOC
They produce far less but are in second place in the region
What styles of wines are produced in Entre Deux Mers
White wine only. Wines are low intensity and largely SB
What are the red wines labelled as in Entre Deux Mers?
Bordeaux or Bordeaux Superieur
Are right bank estates larger than those on the Left Bank?
No. The Right Bank estates are small and numerous. Some as small as one acre
What grapes dominate plantings on the Right Bank?
Merlot (60%) followed by Cab Franc and small amounts of Cab Sav
Write a note for the top wines on the RB
- 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
What is the name given to the four appellations nr St Emillion but further from the River ?
the St Emillion Satellites
Name the two most famous of the satellite appellations of St Emillion?
Montagne St-Emillion and Lussac St. Emillion AOCs
Does Pomerol have a classification?
no. there is no classification in the AOC
What is the maximum yield in Pomerol?
49 hl/h so lower than the Médoc communes which are 57hl/h
Which AOC makes the most similar wine to Pomerol?
St . Emillion top estates
How does Ch. Petrus compare to the LB estates in terms of size?
12 hectares vs 80–100 hectares on the LB top estates
What makes the wines of Pomerol so ageable?
- high fruit concentration
- high acidity
- high tannins
- high alcohol
Where does the cote de Bordeaux lie?
on the Right Bank
Give some examples of the many communes who can put their name before the Cote De Bordeaux AOC label
Blaye Cote De Bordeaux AOC
Francs Cote De Bordeaux AOC
Cadillac Cote De Bordeaux AOC
Which styles of wine are included in the Cote De Bordeaux AOC?
Both red and white
Which appellation has the highest planting of Malbec in Bordeaux?
Cotes de Bourg
What is the max yield for the Cote De Bordeaux AOC reds if there is no commune name appended to it?
55hl/h for the reds
Which LB appellations have the same max yield as Cote De Bordeaux AOC
Graves, Médoc and Haut Médoc
What is the max yield for the Cote De Bordeaux AOC reds if there is a commune name appended to it?
52hl/h
Where is Sauternes?
Southern Graves
What is the max yield in Sauternes?
25hl/h but generally yields are lower to promote ripening before the noble rot sets in
What labels to Barsac winemakers put on their bottles?
Sauternes AOC or Barsac AOC
What is the crisis which has hit these sweet styles of wine ?
Over the past 30 years demand has crashed
How are Sauternes producers tackling the sweet wine crisis?
They produce dry white wines as well
What are the ideal climate conditions for noble rot here?
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
Write a typical not for a sweet Sauternes
- pronounced citrus peel, honey, tropical fruit and vanilla oak notes
- medium (+) acidity
- high alcohol
- full bodied
