FR: Bordeaux Flashcards
Best Vintages of RB Bordeaux 2000-2020
2005
2009
2010
2015
2016
2018
3rd Growths Haut Medoc
La Lagune
Lalande de Pomerol AOP
communes
grapes
Lalande de Pomerol, Néac
red only, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cot (Malbec)
List 3 Garagiste Producers
Le Pin
Valandraud
Le Dome
La Mondotte
Name 5 St-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé B Producers (12 total)
Château Beau-Séjour Bécot
Château Beauséjour (Heretieres Duffau-Lagarrosse)
Château Bélair-Monange
Château Canon
Château Canon-la-Gaffelière
Clos Fourtet
Château Larcis-Ducasse
La Mondotte
Château Pavie-Macquin
Château Troplong-Mondot
Château Trotte Vieille
Château Valandraud
Pomerol Communes of Production
Libourne
Pomerol
Pomerol Soil Types
Sand, Clay, Gravel
Subsoil of iron pan and rich clay (crasse de fer)
St Emilion- soil types in Côtes vs Graves
Côtes are hillside, steep limestone
Graves: gravelly limestone plateau
St Emilion satellite appellations? Which is smallest? Largest?
St George 200 ha plantings
Lussac 1440 ha
Puisseguin 745 ha
Montagne 1600 ha
Synonym for Cabernet Franc in Pomerol?
Bouchet
crasse de fer
Soil type in Pomerol; iron pan and rich clay subsoil
higher terraces, and the highest, Boutonniere de Petrus (button), with blue smectite. lower terraces have sandier soils
What is significant about the soil type at Petrus?
Clay rises very close to surface, great for Merlot
St-Émilion Classification - when?
1954, published 1955, then again in 1969, 1986, 1996, 2006, 2012, and 2022
2006 revision caused drama - 2009 compromise to keep promoted château promoted, and ignore demotions
2022 classification - Ausone and Cheval Blanc withdrew in 2021, Angelus did not reapply in 2022
Who withdrew from St-Émilion Premiers Grand Crus Classé and when?
Angelus - will not reapply 2022
Ausone and Cheval Blanc - withdrew 2021
What is the cépage of Château Figeac’s Grand Vin?
43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Franc
Notable: right bank wine with majority CS
From the 2022 Classification of St Émilion, who are the Classé A producers?
Pavie
Figeac (elevated 2022)
Which river goes through the right bank of bordeaux?
Dordogne
What is St-Émilion Grand Cru AOP?
Appellation, not classification. Additional .5% alcohol (11.5% vs St Emilio’s min 11%) and longer elevage
** All Grand Cru Classé wines must meet these requirements
4th Growths Haut Medoc
La Tour Carnet
List the communes of Pessac Léognan
Pessac
Léognan
Cadaujac
Canejan
Gradignan
Martillac
Mérignac
Saint-Médard d’Eyrans
Talence
Villenave d’Ornon
What are boulbenes?
soil: mix of sand, gravel and light clay found in Graves
Sauternes AOC
communes
grapes
min abv
min must weight
min RS
elevage
max yield
Communes: Sauternes, Barsac, Fargues, Preignac, Bommes
Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon
Minimum Potential Alcohol: 15% (12% acquired)
Minimum Must Weight: 221 g/l
Minimum Residual Sugar: 45 g/l
Harvest Method: botrytis-affected grapes must be hand-harvested in successive tries
Élevage: The wines may not be released until June 30 of the year following the harvest
Maximum Yield (Rendement de Base): 25 hl/ha
Synonym for Malbec on the right bank?
Pressac
Côtes de Bordeaux subzones?
Francs
Castillon
Blaye
Cadillac
Sainte Foy
Saint-Macaire
Entre Deux Mers sweet wine appellations?
Loupiac
Ste-Croix-du-Mont
Cadillac
Côtes de Bdx St Macaire
Premieres Côtes de Bordeaux
2010 Bordeaux Vintage
99 - best in last 20 years at least
Wet spring, but hot and dry summer. Heat concentrated the grapes, cool nights and autumn rains kept the wines balanced and fresh. slightly more tannic than 2009
Worst Bordeaux vintages 2003 to present
2004 - large crop. round, but nice tannin
2007 - difficult- lots of rain, not enough sun, mildew
2008 - similar to 07, but late warm temps helped. top wines ok
2011 - nothing special (after 09 and 10 were great), higher alcohol.
2012 - challenging, wet, late year with mid summer heat. short window for harvest between autumn rains. Merlot did best
2013 - “universally poor” cool start, wet finish. some late summer heat helped. lots of disease pressure
St-Émilion plateau
to the west is the St Martin plateau, where the leading estates are concentrated, dotted around the town of St Emilion itself.
To the east is the St Christophe plateau, extending eastwards towards the limit of the appellation and on into Castillon
St-Émilion soil types
Plateau - limestone with clay
slopes - limestone with clay
bottom of slopes- gravel, sand, clay
Name 3 key brokerage houses in bordeaux
Balaresque, Les Grands Crus, Barre-Touton, Bureau Ripert, Blanch- Lestapis, Tastet-Lawton, Leveque, Bureau Lillet, Cheval Quancard.
Explain the 3 tier sales system in Bordeaux
La Place de Bordeaux: three tiered sales system. Also conducts en premier sales
- Chateaux - make the wines
- Courtiers - are experts, negotiate prices, and facilitate the sale to Negotiants, who sell the wine.
- Negotiants - pay a 2% fee to the courtiers.
A classified chateau will work with 2-3 brokers, and up to 40-50 negotiants. The 15-20% margin is paid by the buyer.
Name 3 Cru Bourgeois - Bourgeois Exceptionnel wines
Malleret, Belle-Vue, Le Bosq
also: d’Arsac, Lilian Ladouys, Le Crock, Lestage, d’Agassac, Arnauld, Cambon La Pelouse, Charmail, Malescasse, Taillan, Paveil de Luze
there are 14 as of 2020
What is Bordeaux mixture and what is it used for?
Mix of lime, copper sulfate, and water.used to avoid fungal problems
first used at Chateau Dauzac
What kind of climate does St-Emilion and Pomerol have? What are the major hazards of the spring season here?
Continental with short winters and damp springs.
Frost which can lead to coulure and millerandage effectively reducing yields; excessive rain can result in severe problems with mold and rot.
What is the last grape to ripen in Bordeaux and what does it contribute to the blend?
Petit Verdot
Used in minute quantities typically on the Left Bank for color, depth, and exotic perfume. Essentially nonexistent on the Right Bank. Performs similarly to Merlot in a blend.
Which red grapes are allowed in bordeaux wines?
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Carmenère
Max 5% combined Arinarnoa, Castets, Marselan, Touriga Nacional
What styles of wines are made in all of the Médoc appellations?
all are red wine only
Medoc + Haut Medoc + SPSLMM
What is the maximum yield (rendement de baze) of Pauillac, Margaux, St. Estephe and St Julien?
57 hl/ ha
What styles of wine are made in Fronsac and Canon Fronsac?
both red only from bdx varietals.
typically 80-100% Merlot
St Emilion communes of production
(NOT satellites)
Libourne, Saint-Christophe-des-Bardes, Saint-Émilion, Saint-Étienne-de-Lisse, Saint-Hippolyte, Saint-Laurent-des-Combes, Saint-Pey-d’Armens, Saint-Sulpice-de-Faleyrens, Vignonet
St-Émilion Grand Cru AOP
abv
yields
elevage
3 quality levels:
- Grand Cru - not related to classification- just higher abv and lower yields
- Grand Cru Classé - classification
- Premier Grand Cru Classé A & B - classification
min abv 11.5% (St Emilion is 11%)
lower yields: 46 hl/ha (St Emilion is 53)
longer élévage: may not be released before May 15 of the second year following the harvest (St-Émilion 4/15 year following harvest)
St-Émilion is between what two rivers?
Dordogne and Barbanne
Of the left bank AOPs - which have the longest aging?
Most may release Jun 15 year after harvest
Listrac: Sept 15
Margaux: age until Jun 1( not bottled until June), released Sept 1
List the AOPs of Graves
Cerons
Barsac
Sauternes
Graves
Graves Superieurs
Pessac Leognan
Barsac AOP - grapes and styles?
same as Sauternes, may label as Sauternes.
Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon.
Min 45 g/l RS. 25 hl/ha
Cerons AOP - grapes and styles?
same as Sauternes
Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon.
Min 45 g/l RS.
but 40 hl/ha
Graves AOP - grapes and styles?
dry whites from: Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Muscadelle
dry reds from bordeaux varieties
Graves Supérieures AOP - grapes and styles?
sweet white from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Muscadelle
min 34 g/l rs
Pessac Leognan AOP - grapes and styles?
dry whites from: Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Muscadelle
dry reds from bordeaux varieties
Côtes de Bordeaux - grapes and styles made?
all subzones make red wine - merlot dominated blends
Blaye, Francs, and Sainte-Foy may make white as well.
Francs, Saint Foy - dry and sweet. Blaye - dry white only
Côtes de Bourg AOP - grapes and styles
dry white and red from bdx varieties.
white allows Colombard
Blaye AOP - grapes and styles
red only from bdx grapes
Blaye may make white under Côtes de Bdx AOP and Côtes de Blaye AOP
List Blaye AOPs
Blaye AOP - red only
Côtes de Blaye AOP - dry white only
Côte de Bordeaux “Blaye”- dry white and red
Cadillac AOP - grapes and styles
sweet whites from Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon
min 51 g/l
Cadillac may make red and dry white under Côtes de Bdx AOP “Cadillac”
Côtes de Blaye grapes and styles
Blanc Sec: 60-90% combined Colombard and Ugni Blanc; plus Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, and Sémillon
Côtes de Bordeaux Saint-Macaire- grapes and styles
dry - sweet white from bdx varieties
Sec: max. 4 g/l
Moelleux: 34-45 g/l
Liquoreux: min. 45 g/l (51 g/l prior to 2011)
Entre deux Mers AOP - grapes and styles
Blanc sec
Principal Varieties: Min. 70% combined Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Muscadelle, and Sémillon
Accessory Varieties: Colombard, and Ugni Blanc
Graves de Vayres AOP - grapes and styles
dry red and white from bdx varieties
white allows Merlot blanc
(Entre deux Mers)
Loupiac AOP - grapes and styles
sweet whites from Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon
min 45 g/l
Premieres Côtes de Bordeaux - grapes and styles
sweet whites from Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon
min 34 g/l
Ste Croix du Mont - grapes and styles
sweet whites from Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Sémillon
min 45 g/l
Bordeaux AOP - styles of wine made?
White, white “Haut Benauge”
Rose
Claret
Red
Bordeaux Superieur AOP - styles made?
whites: min 17 g/l RS
dry reds
Crémant de Bordeaux - grapes allowed?
all bordeaux varietals!
Vin Mousseux Blanc:
-CF, CS, Merlot, Cot, PV, Carmenère, Muscadelle, Sémillon, SB, SG
-Max. 30% combined Colombard, Merlot Blanc, and Ugni Blanc
Rosé: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cot, Petit Verdot, Carmenère
note: no chard/ PN etc
Name four 1855 Classified Chateaux marketed under the Haut Médoc appellation
La Lagune - 3rd Growth, Ludon
Château Belgrave- 5th Growth, St.-Laurent
Château Camensac- 5th Growth, St.-Laurent
Château Cantemerle- 5th Growth, Macau
2021 Bordeaux Vintage
second smallest crop in a century. severe spring frost, mid-summer rains. long, cool, damp growing season.
Merlot had rot problems
Alcohol levels were back down to about 13% and some chaptalisation and concentration were employed for the first time in many years
2020 Bordeaux Vintage
spring rain = mildew pressure
summer was hot and dry, then cool damp weather meant an early harvest for cabernet. Merlot was harvested at an ideal time though.
JR: not enough acid
2019 Bordeaux Vintage
summer was extremely hot and dry
wines had lots of tannin
2018 Bordeaux Vintage
A year of extremes with a very wet winter and spring, very damaging hail in some areas, severe downy mildew threats in most
summer was hot and dry
dense, tannic wines with slightly elevated alcohol, slightly lowered acidity
2017 Bordeaux Vintage
Frost! lowest yields in 25 years. Merlot suffered from rains that diluted the grapes before harvest
2016 Bordeaux Vintage
very good vintage. very wet spring then very dry summer - Cabernet did really well
good vintage for both left and right bank
2015 Bordeaux Vintage
pretty good vintage, a little more tannic than 2016.
2014 Bordeaux Vintage
decent vintage, long growing season. wines have elevated acidity
2013 Bordeaux Vintage
universally poor. uneven ripening and dilution. rot forced relatively early picking. Margaux worst of left bank. Pomerol, St. Estephe and St Julien were best
2012 Bordeaux Vintage
uneven crop, disease pressure, October rains forced an early harvest. Merlot less affected
2011 Bordeaux Vintage
decent / normal after two exceptional years. lower alcohol, slightly reduced yields
2009 Bordeaux Vintage
great vintage- long warm summer with cool nights. slightly less tannic than 2010
2008 Bordeaux Vintage
just ok. Damp, gray growing season led to disease pressure; Indian summer in September saved the vintage. Wines are fresh rather than dense, with sometimes crisp acidity
top wines from top producers are good
2007 Bordeaux Vintage
pretty rough- mildew, lack of sun, too much rain.
2005 Bordeaux Vintage
fantastic / perfect vintage
d’Yquem skipped vintages
1910, 1915, 1930, 1951, 1952, 1964, 1972, 1974, 1992, 2012
2020 Sauternes Vintage
not great- hail early in season reduced yields, dry second half hampered botrytis production
Climens did not bottle
What creates morning fog in Sauternes?
the cold Ciron meets the warmer Garonne.
as the air temperature drops closer to the dew point in the morning, the air can no longer hold more water, and it turns to fog/ mist
The dew point is the temperature the air needs to be cooled to in order to achieve a relative humidity (RH) of 100%. At this point the air cannot hold more water in the gas form. If the air were to be cooled even more, water vapor would have to come out of the atmosphere in the liquid form, usually as fog or precipitation.
first vintage of Y?
1959- first time d’Yquem made Y
When was Graves classified?
first in 1953, then again in 1959. it has not been revised since
only one level, no hierarchy. chateau are classified by the color of wine produced
Bordeaux must weights - red wines
generally min 180 g/l
left bank- merlot min 189 g/l
right bank- merlot min 194 g/l
left bank max yields
Haut Médoc AOP: 55 hl/ha
density: min 6500 vines/ ha
St. Éstephe, Pauillac, St. Julien, Margaux: 57 hl/ha
density: min 7000 vines / ha
When did chateau bottling become required in Bordeaux?
1972
When did phylloxera arrive in Bordeaux?
around 1869
Which producer opted out of en primeur in 2012?
Latour
Angelus and Ausone have also held back more wine for themselves
société civile
used in bordeaux to avoid properties being divided amongst heirs when a property owner dies - eliminates the actual transfer of property by creating shares in a real estate-owning company
many just sell the property though
Ch Lafleur, Cheval Blanc are examples
advantageous vine training in Sauternes?
cordon-training produces smaller berries that attract botrytis; Guyot cane-training produces slightly larger berries that tend to develop grey rot instead
1974 d’Yquem
Château d’Yquem famously conducted 11 tries over ten weeks in 1974, only to reject the final wine
2012 Sauternes
terrible. warm March, then rainy April/May- mildew and rot problems. long dry stretch dried out grapes. autumn rains brought grey rot but no botrytis
d’Yquem, Ch. de Fargues, Suduiraut, Raymond Lafon didn’t bottle this vintage
Trie de nettoyage
pre-harvest removal of junk vineyard, checkin for uneven ripening, insect damage, black rot
Sauternes soils
sand, clay, gravel
Biturica
ancestor grape to both CF and Carmenere, and first important grape of Bordeaux
100% Merlot Wines Bdx
Petrus
Le Pin
Cru Artisan - new as of 2023
Domaine de la Garenne, Château La Baie de Lalo,Château La Hourcade, Château l’Evasion, Château Saint Gregoire
Which two first growths were under same ownership from 1695-1755?
Latour and Lafite - owned by Alexandre de Ségur.
Right bank estates on gravel?
Cheval Blanc, Figeac.
Cheval Blanc assemblage
55% Merlot
45% Cab Franc
Château Angelus assemblage
62% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Franc
Chateau Palmer assemblage
historical name
generally equal parts Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with a tiny amount of PV
Chateau de Gasq
Chateau Margaux assemblage
Typically 85-90% Cabernet Sauvignon, with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and occasionally Petit Verdot
Pavillon rouge 60-70% Cabernet Sauvignon with a remainder of Merlot.
Bordeaux RED climate change varieties- what is allowed where?
Bordeaux, Bdx Superieur, Médoc, Haut Médoc, Listrac Médoc:
—allow max 10% combined Arinarnoa, Castets, Marselan, Touriga Nacional
these grapes can be max 5% representation in the vineyard, and 10% in the blend
Margaux allows up to 10% Castets
none of the other Haut Médoc allow these grapes
since 2021
Bordeaux WHITE climate change varities- what and where?
Alvarinho and Liliorila allowed in Bordeaux AOP
Liliorila allowed in Bdx Superieur AOP
Bordeaux - recent frost vintages
2017
2021
Bordeaux - recent mildew vintages
2018
2021
2023
2024
Bordeaux - recent drought / heat vintages
2022- both hot and very dry
2019, 2020 - both hot
Arinarnoa
Tannat x CS
ripens slowly. experimental / climate change grape in bordeaux
Liliorila
Baroque x Chardonnay
experimental / climate change grape in Bordeaux
is irrigation allowed in Bordeaux?
generally no- unless in extreme heat stress / drought, producers can request an allowance
Entre deux Mers- irrigation is allowed with prior approval, twice a year per plot
young wines are allowed water until they are used to make wine (“the third leaf”)
most common pruning in bordeaux?
cane pruning - guyot single or double
what is calcosol soil
soil derived from limestone, generally clay-y in texture
what is astéries
a type of hard limestone soil from the Oligocene era. the French name refers to the starfish fossils found in it
describe Margaux topography
Margaux covers all six gravel outcrops / terraces of the Médoc. They have been eroded and split up by streams, making it the hilliest appellation of the Médoc.
gravels are finer here, valleys are generally covered in sand. some limestone subsoils here, but less than in St-Estephe and Pauillac
Margaux communes of production
Soussans
Margaux
Cantenac
Labarde
Arsac
what is a tonneau?
900 l barrel
= 4x 225l barrels
where can you make rose in Bordeaux?
Bordeaux AOP
Crémant de Bordeaux AOP
what is the forest b/t Bdx and the atlantic?
La Foret des Landes
Moulis producers
Ch Chasse Spleen
Ch Poujeaux
what is the highest point in the Méedoc?
in Listrac, it is 141 ft
clay vs gravel- which is cooler?
clay takes longer to warm up, holds more water, is generally cooler
what is the original name of Bordeaux?
Burdigala
IGP in Bordeaux?
Atlantique IGP
what is Liv-Ex?
London International Vintner’s Exchange. Publish a list of LB bdx based on current prices. since 2009
when is en premieur week?
late april / early may. started in the 70s
what type of gravel is in bordeaux?
Gunzian Gravel
St Emilion estates removed entirely from 2022 classification
Cheval Blanc
Angelus
Ausone
La Gaffelliere
how does INAO evaluate St. Emilion Grand Cru Classé wines?
50% tasting (of 10 vintages)
20% reputation
20% winery & terroir
10% winegrowing and oenology
need 14/20 score
how does INAP evaluate St Emilion Premiers Grands Crus Classées?
50% tasting
35% reputation
10% winery & terroir
5% viti/vini
need 16/20 score
rivers in Pomerol
Isle, Barbanne
Fronsac & Canon Fronsac - soils
Molasses du Fronsadais - limestone mixed with sand and clay;
Calcaires a Asteries - limestone mixed with marine fossils
what are quay in Bordeaux?
riverside/ waterfront areas, also les quais
