D3 Bordeaux Flashcards
Bordeaux Climate?
Moderate Maritime Climate
Bordeaux Rivers?
Garrone and Dordogne, forming the Gironde Estuary
Other Bordeaux Features?
Landes Forest to the West, pine forest giving partial cover on Left Bank from Atlantic winds and rain
High Vintage Variation due to variable rainfall throughout the year
Bordeaux Soils?
Left Bank is stony and gravelly, sometimes mixed with clay and sand
Top estates of Left Bank planted on ‘croupes’ (gravel mounds)
Pomerol - very shallow soils (1m)
Right Bank has more clay, hence why Merlot is more frequently planted, though some of the best wines come from Limestone plateau
Merlot?
Early-budding and mid-ripening
Most commonly planted Right Bank and Northerly part of Medoc
Can reach higher sugar levels than Cabernet
Medium to pronounced intensity
Medium to high alcohol
Medium tannins
Red fruit and black fruit depending on weather
Single vs Double Guyot?
Single more common in the Right Bank
Double more common in the Left Bank
Treatment for Esca?
Soft Pruning - small incisions wherever possible, to encourage sap at injury site and not leave open wounds
Medoc Appellations North to South?
Medoc St. Estephe Pauillac Haut-Medoc Saint-Julien Listrac-Medoc Moulis Margaux
Medoc & Haut-Medoc AOC?
Red wine only
Haut Medoc more gravel and hence more Cabernet
Saint-Estephe AOC?
Coolest and most northerly of the communes, hence more Merlot
Greater proportion of clay is helpful in hotter and drier years
Pauillac AOC?
Highest proportion of cru classé wines
Considered the most structured
Saint-Julien AOC?
Considered mid-point between Pauillac’s structure and Margaux’s finesse
Margaux AOC?
Most Southerly, so marginally warmer and earlier ripening, so does best comparatively in wet and cold years
Perfumed wines with silky tannins
Listrac-Medoc & Moulis AOC?
Less gravel
Further away from rivers so less moderation
Wines are generally younger and of lesser (good to very good) quality
Medoc First Growths?
Pauillac: 3x
Margaux: 1x
