France Flashcards
What is the synonym used for Cabernet Franc in Pomerol?
Bouchet
What is the famous iron-rich soil of Pomerol?
Crasse de Fer
What type of climate is Bordeaux?
Maritime
What is a jalle?
Drainage channels installed in Bordeaux by the Dutch
Which commune of the Haut-Medoc has the deepest beds of gravel in the vineyards?
Pauillac
What is Boulbenes?
Mixture of sand, gravel, and clay… found in Graves and Entre-Deux-Mers
What are the rivers near Sauternes?
Garrone and Ciron
What is the grape of the Vallee de la Marne? Why?
Meunier. late to bud, early to ripen - Insurance against spring/fall frost in the western end of the valley
Name some of the most famous producers of Pomerol?
Chateau Petrus, Le Pin, Vieux Chateau Certan, Trotanoy, Chateau Lafleur
The eastern border of Pomerol is shared by what wine producing region?
St-Emilion
When was the classification system of St-Emilion introduced? How are chateaux classified?
- Unlike the 1855 Medoc classification, the system in St-Emilion involves reviews/revisions roughly every ten years.
Chateaux are classified by a three-tier ranking system: Premiers Grands Crus Classes “A”, Premiers Grand Crus Classes “B”, Grand Crus Classé
What producers make up the Premier Grand Cru Classé “A” of the St-Emilion classification?
Chateau Pavie, Chateau Ausone, Chateau Cheval Blanc, Chateau Angelus
What are the First Growth wines of the 1855 Medoc Classification?
Chateau Latour, Chateau Lafite-Rothschild, Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, Chateau Margaux, Chateau Haut-Brion
In what larger region is the commune of Pessac-Leognan?
Graves
When were the wines of Graves first classified? In what year were more wines added to the classification?
- 1959 six additional wines were classified.
How many wines are classified as “cru classe” in Graves?
13 red wines and 9 white
When was the last revision made to the St-Emilion classification system?
2012
What are the sweet wine appellations located within Graves Superior AOP? What are the mandatory minimum must weight and residual sugar regulations?
Sauternes, Barsac, Cerons
Minimum must weight = 221g/L
Residual sugar = 45g/L or more
What is the scientific name for “noble rot”? What do the French call the mold?
Botrytis cinerea
“pourriture noble”
What are the major winemaking regions of the Loire Valley?
E –> W
Pays Nantais, Anjou-Saumur, Touraine, Central Vineyards
What is the climate of Pays Nantais?
Maritime, cool, wet
What is the principal grape of Pays Nantais?
Melon de Bourgogne
What appellations exist for the production of the Melon de Bourgogne grape?
Muscadet AOP, Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire AOP, Muscadet Cotes de Grandlieu AOP, Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine AOP
What does “sur lie” signify on a bottle of Muscadet?
The wine was aged on the fine lees until March 1-November 30 of the year following harvest and bottled unfiltered.
Must come from one of the three subregions to be labeled “sur lie”
What is Saumur known for within the Loire Valley?
Center of sparkling wine production
What is the ancient capital of Bordeaux’s right bank?
Libourne. The region is sometime referred to as “Libournais”
What are the appellations just outside of the classic Pomerol and St-Emilion appellations?
Lalande-de-Pomerol, Montagne-St-Emilion, St-Georges-St-Emilion, Lussac-St-Emilion, Puisseguin-St-Emilion
