Bordeaux - Viticulture & Winemaking Flashcards
(40 cards)
Bordeaux’s vine training is relatively uniform. How are most vines trained?
Most vines are trained on vertical trellises in the Guyot system.
Guyot simple and guyot double are most common on which bank in Bordeaux?
Guyot double: Left bank
Guyot simple: Right bank
Cordon-training is rare throughout Bordeaux, but used for vines intended to produce what kind of wines?
For those vines intended to produce sweet wines (cordon-training produces smaller berries that attract botrytis; Guyot cane-training produces slightly larger berries that tend to develop grey rot instead)
Where are planting densities highest in Bordeaux?
In the Médoc, where the premier appellations require a minimum 7,000 vines per hectare. Many top properties employ 1x1 meter spacing, similar to the vineyards of the Côte d’Or.
What is the canopy height like in the Médoc?
Bunches hang one meter off the ground to take advantage of the stony soil’s radiant heat, the smallest canopy height in Bordeaux.
Why are planting densities generally lower on the right bank compared to the Médoc?
Saint-Émilion and Pomerol mandate 5,500 vines per hectare and rows are separated by 1.3-1.5 meters. This is because right bank soils are generally shallower; roots cannot penetrate the limestone bedrock and therefore spread outward rather than dig down, increasing competition.
Why are canopy heights generally higher on the right bank compared to the Médoc?
The canopy is higher as this is more of a frost-prone inland region.
Where do we find the lowest planting densities in Bordeaux?
Density is lowest in the Entre-Deux-Mers region, where vineyards that produce only basic Bordeaux AOP wines may be separated by up to 2.5 meters.
Why is the adoption of organic viticulture certifications and practices especially slow in the Médoc?
With the routine threat of wet weather and rot, many producers in Bordeaux prefer conventional approaches, or something akin to lutte raisonnée.
Besides treatments, what is another key tool used to ward off rot?
De-leafing. Usually after véraison in the fruit zone, giving the fruit needed ventilation into the humid late summer and early fall.
Which famous Pauillac estate reports success from their biodynamic approach?
Château Pontet-Canet
Has Green-harvesting been a routine occurrence in Bordeaux’s modern era?
Yes
Which two sorting machines are currently en vogue?
Optical sorter
Density sorter
Is de-stemming routine in Bordeaux?
Yes
List 4 techniques that might be used to concentrate must.
Chaptalization
Vacuum distillation
Reverse osmosis
Saignage
Dry and sweet white wines often undergo fermentation in what type of vessels?
Barriques
What is the widespread and “traditional” means of cap management for red wine fermentations in Bordeaux?
Remontage
The Burgundian approach of pigeage has its defenders (as it produces a more even extraction by breaking up the cap) in Bordeaux but what is the risk of using that mean of cap management here?
It risks over-extraction with a phenolic and colour-rich grape like Cabernet Sauvignon.
When will malolactic fermentation for red wines generally occur in Bordeaux?
By the end of the harvest year (after all, the press will be around in April, ready to taste and score the young wines).
For a top red grand vin, how long does élevage in barrel typically lasts?
Typically lasts around 18-24 months
Traditionally, racking occurs at which frequency?
Traditionally racking occurs every three months, although some top consultants prescribe less.
Do white wines usually undergo malolactic fermentation in Bordeaux?
White wines usually do not undergo malolactic fermentation, saving it for the most acidic vintages.
What tends to be the proportion of new oak used for the best red wines of Bordeaux, regardless of origin?
The best red wines of Bordeaux, regardless of origin, are typically aged entirely in new oak, often from a selection of different coopers.
Size of the barriques in Bordeaux?
225-liter French oak barrique
