Bordeaux - Viticulture & Winemaking

Question 1

Bordeaux’s vine training is relatively uniform. How are most vines trained?

Answer 1

Most vines are trained on vertical trellises in the Guyot system.

Question 2

Guyot simple and guyot double are most common on which bank in Bordeaux?

Answer 2

Guyot double: Left bank
Guyot simple: Right bank

Question 3

Cordon-training is rare throughout Bordeaux, but used for vines intended to produce what kind of wines?

Answer 3

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)

Question 4

Where are planting densities highest in Bordeaux?

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

What is the canopy height like in the Médoc?

Answer 5

Bunches hang one meter off the ground to take advantage of the stony soil’s radiant heat, the smallest canopy height in Bordeaux.

Question 6

Why are planting densities generally lower on the right bank compared to the Médoc?

Answer 6

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.

Question 7

Why are canopy heights generally higher on the right bank compared to the Médoc?

Answer 7

The canopy is higher as this is more of a frost-prone inland region.

Question 8

Where do we find the lowest planting densities in Bordeaux?

Answer 8

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.

Question 9

Why is the adoption of organic viticulture certifications and practices especially slow in the Médoc?

Answer 9

With the routine threat of wet weather and rot, many producers in Bordeaux prefer conventional approaches, or something akin to lutte raisonnée.

Question 10

Besides treatments, what is another key tool used to ward off rot?

Answer 10

De-leafing. Usually after véraison in the fruit zone, giving the fruit needed ventilation into the humid late summer and early fall.

Question 11

Which famous Pauillac estate reports success from their biodynamic approach?

Answer 11

Château Pontet-Canet

Question 12

Has Green-harvesting been a routine occurrence in Bordeaux’s modern era?

Answer 12

Yes

Question 13

Which two sorting machines are currently en vogue?

Answer 13

Optical sorter
Density sorter

Question 14

Is de-stemming routine in Bordeaux?

Answer 14

Yes

Question 15

List 4 techniques that might be used to concentrate must.

Answer 15

Chaptalization
Vacuum distillation
Reverse osmosis
Saignage

Question 16

Dry and sweet white wines often undergo fermentation in what type of vessels?

Answer 16

Barriques

Question 17

What is the widespread and “traditional” means of cap management for red wine fermentations in Bordeaux?

Answer 17

Remontage

Question 18

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?

Answer 18

It risks over-extraction with a phenolic and colour-rich grape like Cabernet Sauvignon.

Question 19

When will malolactic fermentation for red wines generally occur in Bordeaux?

Answer 19

By the end of the harvest year (after all, the press will be around in April, ready to taste and score the young wines).

Question 20

For a top red grand vin, how long does élevage in barrel typically lasts?

Answer 20

Typically lasts around 18-24 months

Question 21

Traditionally, racking occurs at which frequency?

Answer 21

Traditionally racking occurs every three months, although some top consultants prescribe less.

Question 22

Do white wines usually undergo malolactic fermentation in Bordeaux?

Answer 22

White wines usually do not undergo malolactic fermentation, saving it for the most acidic vintages.

Question 23

What tends to be the proportion of new oak used for the best red wines of Bordeaux, regardless of origin?

Answer 23

The best red wines of Bordeaux, regardless of origin, are typically aged entirely in new oak, often from a selection of different coopers.

Question 24

Size of the barriques in Bordeaux?

Answer 24

225-liter French oak barrique

Question 25

How has the use of new oak for dry white wines evolved in Bordeaux?

Answer 25

Modern dry whites rarely see more than 50% new oak, an evolving show of restraint.

Question 26

Is micro-oxygenation a technique that is commonly used in Bordeaux and what would it do?

Answer 26

Micro-oxygenation, a technique borrowed from Madiran, has been part of the winemaker’s arsenal in Bordeaux since the late 1990s and may be employed during fermentation or aging to soften green, rustic and tannic edges.

Question 27

What is a more controversial form of oxygenation technique occurring during élevage advocated by some top estates and top consultants?

Answer 27

Cliquage

Question 28

How does cliquage work?

Answer 28

Moderate doses of oxygen are applied to the finished wine in barrel to simulate the larger oxygen exposure traditionally accomplished through racking.

Question 29

Pros and cons of cliquage

Answer 29

Pros:
It can counter reduction invited through bâtonnage

Cons:
Its critics contend that it is produces short-term gain at the expense of long-term stability

Question 30

There are two schools of thought regarding assemblage in Bordeaux. Which are they and what is the key motivation for both?

Answer 30

One side prefers to create the final blend early in the year after harvest, in time for the April en primeur tasting. (A chief criticism lobbed at the annual tasting is that scores are awarded to barrel selections, not complete wines.)

The opposing perspective would prefer to blend just before bottling, in order to isolate and observe the maturation of separate components for as long as possible.

Question 31

Is the cock closure mandated by AOC law in Bordeaux?

Answer 31

Bordeaux, a creature of habit, is finished with a cork, although the closure is not mandated by AOC law.

Question 32

What is the usual premise given for the production of a second wine?

Answer 32

In order to maintain high quality in the grand vin, an estate will direct less impressive lots or imperfect fruit into a second wine.

Question 33

What are some examples of how a second wine might be composed?

Answer 33

A winemaker may compose a second wine from lots rejected for the grand vin at assemblage

Use young vine parcels that lack the maturity needed for the grand vin

Develop specific vineyards solely for second wine production

Some producers purchase entirely separate château properties and use the name of the new estate for a second wine

Question 34

How do second wines in the Médoc generally differ from grand vin in terms of grape varieties used and use of new oak?

Answer 34

Second wines in the Médoc tend to have a greater percentage of Merlot than grands vins, offering greater approachability. Second wines usually see less new oak.

Question 35

Is barrel fermentation common in Sauternes?

Answer 35

In Sauternes barrel fermentation is common—top wines are generally fermented in barriques and aged in them as well.

Question 36

What are the 2 main reasons for the necessity of using sulfur dioxide during fermentation and élevage when making Sauternes?

Answer 36

1. Reduce volatile acidity
2. Ward off the risk of re-fermentation

Question 37

Are chaptalization and cryo-extraction are both permitted in Sauternes?

Answer 37

Yes, despite the fact that they are essentially confirming failures in the vineyard.

Question 38

Average alcohol level and residual sugar range of Sauternes?

Answer 38

Alcohol level of 14% with a residual sugar range of 120-160 g/l.

Question 39

How are the vines typically trained in Entre-Deux-Mers and why?

Answer 39

Vines are typically trained high to avoid frost, with grape bunches hanging one meter off the ground rather than huddling close to the soil.

Question 40

Is new oak a common feature in Entre-Deux-Mers white wines?

Answer 40

New oak is rarely a feature in this rural area, far from the resplendent châteaux of the Médoc.