Climate

Question 1

What is Bordeaux’s (as a whole) Climate and what is its main cooling influence?

Answer 1

Moderate Maritime Climate

The cool Atlantic ocean

Question 2

Describe what a good vintage in Bordeaux would look like

Answer 2

In the best years, gentle heat throughout the growing
season, sufficient rainfall to promote growth and ripening, and fine, relatively dry and warm early autumns allow for steady and complete ripening

Question 3

Which bank is partially protected from Atlantic storms by the Landes Forest?

Answer 3

Left Bank

Question 4

Emphasis on the Left bank:

Estates that fringe those forests, such as _____ __ ______ in _____ and many in _____ in the _____ are cooler and thus more marginal than neighbours to the east

Answer 4

Domaine de Chevalier

Léognan

Listrac

Médoc

Question 5

True or False?

In the northern Médoc, the forest is less of a feature and the landscape is more open to maritime
influence.

As a result, its climate is cooler than the southern _______ & ______

Answer 5

True

Médoc and Graves

Question 6

What is the average rainfall of Bordeaux?

When does it fall?

Answer 6

950mm with a marked variation year to year and at times within the year that it falls

Question 7

Excessive rain at key moments in the growth cycle plays a huge role in vintage variation.

Name 4 stages of the growth cycle which excessive rain can effect and what effects they have.

Answer 7

• rain at flowering can result in poor fruit set
• rain throughout the growing season can result in increased disease pressure
• rain at and following véraison can lead to unripe fruit and fungal diseases
• rain at harvest can dilute flavours.

Question 8

in Bordeaux’s hot and dry years, such as 2003 do the wines benefit from this?
What are the effects of hot and dry years?

Answer 8

For both red and white:

Low acidity that lack balance. They can also lead to wines being more alcoholic than usual as growers wait for phenolic ripeness before picking

Question 9

the Maritime influence is less pronounced in the Right bank but remains a factor.

Which region resides on the right bank?
Which Appellations reside within this region?

Answer 9

Libournais

Saint-Émilion, Pomerol and appellations that surround them

Question 10

Finish this sentence:

in the Medoc, the Gironde estuary moderates the occasional threat of frost.

Answer 10

In years of frost, vines 2-3 kilometres from the Estuary can be decimated

Question 11

For example, in the frost-affected 2017, 33% less wine was made than the 10-year average and 40% less than in the large 2016 harvest.

What factor on Bordeaux’s wine business and the region as a whole would this be referencing?

Answer 11

Vintage variation in terms of volume