France - Bordeaux Flashcards
By what two rivers is Bordeaux traversed?
- Garonne and Dordogne
- Merge into Gironde
How much of plantings are black/white?
- 90% black
- 10% white
What are the three dominant black grape varieties (incl. rough plantings)?
- Merlot (60%)
- Cabernet Sauvignon (20%)
- Cabernet Franc (10%)
What are the three dominant white grape varieties?
- Sémillon
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Muscadelle
What are the four styles of wine (incl. rough percentages)?
- Red (85%)
- White (10%)
- Sweet (1%)
- Rosé (4%)
How and when was the Médoc area established?
- Area was drained (trockengelegt) and planted by Dutch residents in Bordeaux
- 17th and 18th century
How became wines from, e.g., Lafite and Margaux successful?
- Bordeaux had long been the center for wine exports (e.g., for Bergerac)
- Merchants from Britain, Ireland, Germany, and Holland came and distributed wines
When and how did the classification come into effect?
- 1855
- Wines from Médoc + Haut Brion in Graves were classified into five bands, Sauternes into three
What is the area under vine?
111,000 ha
What appellations do most wines carry and what’s their price?
- Bordeaux or Bordeaux Supérieur
- Inexpensive to mid-priced
What percentage of wines shows premium or super-premium prices?
30%
What is the region’s climate?
Moderate maritime
How is the weather in the best years?
- Gentle heat
- Sufficient rainfall
- Relatively dry and warm early autumns
By what is the Left Bank partially protected and what effect does it have?
- Pine forest
- Protects from Atlantic storms
What is the annual rainfall and is there a lot of variation yoy?
- 950mm
- Marked variation from year to year
What is a BIG threat in Bordeaux?
Excessive rain
What are the problems of excessive rainfall?
- Rain at flowering -> poor fruit set
- Rain in the growing season -> increased disease pressure
- Rain at and following véraison -> unripe fruit and fungal diseases
- Rain at harvest -> dilute flavours
What did climate change cause so far?
- Hot, dry summers
- Insufficient rainfall
What are the effects of hot and dry summers with insufficient rain on the wine?
- Can result in wines with low acidity that lack balance
- More alcoholic wines as growers wait for phenolic ripeness
On what Bank is the maritime influence stronger?
Left Bank
What two other weather hazards can be a problem?
- Frost
- Hail (increased)
Why are the most prestigious wines close to the Gironde estuary
Moderating influence on the climate (e.g., protection from frost)
Soil
What soil is prevalent on the Left Bank and how did it form?
- Deposits of gravel and stony soils
- Carried to the region by floodwaters from the Pyrenees and the Massif Central many thousands of years ago
Soil
With what two other soil types is the Gravel on the Left Bank to a varying degree mixed?
- Clay
- Sand
Soil
On what type of soil are the top estates on the Left Bank planted?
Gravel mounds known as croupes
Soil
What are advantages of gravel soil?
- Gravel, unlike clay, drains well
- Heat retention
Soil
What are disadvantages of fast-draining gravel soils?
- Drought stress in extremely hot years
- Esp. if soils are shallow
Soil
Where are pockets of clay found on the Left Bank?
- Saint-Estèphe
- But the wines have not achieved the same acclaim as those grown on gravel
Soil
What is the predominant soil type on the Right Bank?
Clay
Soil
What grape is ideally suited to be grown on clay?
Merlot
Merlot
What is its budding/ripening time?
- Early budding -> vulnerable to spring frosts
- Mid ripening -> picked before early autumn rain
Merlot
What is the variety susceptible to?
- Coulure
- Drought
- Botrytis bunch rot
Merlot
What is an advantage over Cabernet Sauvignon? And what problem recently occured?
- Can fully ripen in cooler years
- Reaches higher sugar and alcohol levels
- PROBLEM with warming climate!
Merlot
Where is it mostly planted?
- Right Bank
- Cooler northern Médoc -> more fertile soils with a high clay content
Merlot
What berry size does Merlot have?
Large
Merlot
Describe what Merlot contributes to a Bordeaux blend (intensity, aromas (cooler/warmer year), tannins, aclohol)
- Medium to pronounced intensity fruit
- Cooler years: strawberry and red plum with herbaceous flavours
- Warmer years: Cooked blackberry, black plum
- Medium tannins
- Medium to high alcohol
Cabernet Sauvignon
What is its budding/ripening time?
- Late budding -> protection from spring frosts
- Late ripening -> needs warmer soils and is vulnerable to early autumn rains
Cabernet Sauvignon
Describe the key characteristics of the variety (berry size, skin, tannin)
- Small-berried
- Thick-skinned
- High tannin content
Cabernet Sauvignon
What is it susceptible to?
- Powdery mildew
- Eutypa and Esca (trunk diseases)
Cabernet Sauvignon
On what soils does it thrive?
Warm, well-drained soils (e.g., gravel beds in Médoc)
Cabernet Sauvignon
Describe what Cabernet Sauvignon contributes to a Bordeaux blend (intensity, aromas, aclohol, acidity, tannins)
- Pronounced intensity
- Violet, blackcurrant, black cherry and menthol or herbaceous flavours
- Medium alcohol
- High acidity
- High tannins
Cabernet Sauvignon
Why is it regularly blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc?
- Struggles to ripen in cooler climate
- Leading to unripe tannins, high acidity, little fruit
Cabernet Franc
What does Cabernet Franc contribute to the Bordeaux blend?
- Red fruit
- High acidity
- Medium tannins
What are two other black varieties planted?
- Malbec
- Petit Verdot
Malbec
Why are there very little plantings left?
Mainly replaced with Merlot (easier to grow in Bordeaux) after the hard frosts of 1956
Petit Verdot
What is the budding/ripening time?
- Early budding -> spring frost
- Late ripening -> rain around harvest
Petit Verdot
Why was it unpopular with growers but is increasingly valued recently?
- Ripens even later than Cabernet Sauvignon
- Failure to ripen in cool years
- With the warmer climate it ripens more consistently
Petit Verdot
What does it contribute to a Bordeaux blend? (color, aromas, tannins)
- Deep color
- Spice notes
- High tannins
Petit Verdot
How much Petit Verdot is usually used in a Bordeaux blend?
< 5%
Petit Verdot
In which region is it most successfully planted?
Warmer parts of Médoc
Sémillon
What is its ripening time?
Mid-ripening
Sémillon
Is it high or low yielding?
High yielding
Sémillon
What is it susceptible to?
Botrytis bunch rot and noble rot
Sémillon
Describe its typical style (intensity, aromas, body, alcohol, acidity)
- Low intensity
- Apple, lemon and, if under ripe, grassy flavors
- Medium body
- Medium alcohol
- Medium to medium(+) acidity
Sémillon
What does it contribute to dry white Bordeaux blends? (intensity, body, acidity, Sauvignon Blanc)
- Low to medium intensity
- Low to medium body
- Medium acidity
- Softens the flavors and acidity of Sauvignon Blanc
Sémillon
How does it react to new French oak?
- Strong affinity
- Vanilla and sweet spice flavors
Sémillon
What does it contribute to a botrytis-affected sweet Bordeaux wine? (intensity, aromas, texture, ageing)
- Pronounced honey and dried fruit (lemon, peach)
- Waxy texture
- High ageing potential, developing toast and honeyed notes
Sauvignon Blanc
What does it contribute to dry and sweet Bordeaux blends? (aromas, acidity)
- Grassy and gooseberry fruit
- High acidity
Muscadelle
In what type of wines is it mostly used?
Sweet wines
Muscadelle
What aromas does it contribute to a blend?
Flowery and grapey notes
Muscadelle
Where does it have to be planted? Why?
- Well-exposed sites
- Very prone to botrytis
What is the planting density and why?
- 10,000 vines/ha
- Relatively infertile soils -> moderate vigor
Why is higher planting density more costly?
- More plants
- More trellising
- Specialist over- the-row tractors
- More time needed for vine training, ploughing, and spraying
What is the most common trellising system?
Head-trained, replacement cane-pruned
What trellising system is rare, but also used? What’s the argument?
- Cordon-trained, spur-pruned
- Naturally lower yields
- Better aeration
Where is single/double Guyot used?
- Single Guyot: Right Bank
- Double Guyot: Left Bank
Why is canopy management important?
- Moderate, damp climate
- Reduce incidence of downy mildew, powdery mildew, and botrytis bunch rot
- Improve aeration (leaf removal)
- Exposes grapes to ultraviolet light to aid ripening
What are two major disease problems in Bordeaux and how are they managed?
- Eutypa dieback and Esca
- Soft pruning -> only small cuts
Why is it important to leave some leafs on the vine?
To protect bunches from sunburn and extreme heat
What was started 20 years ago to reduce high yields and what is done today?
- 20 years ago: removal of bunches
- Today: Pruning short in winter
What is the avg. yield in Bordeaux?
50 hL/ha
Why was there a fashion for ultra low yields, where was it, and why is it in decline?
- Super-concentrated wines
- Right Bank
- Could be jammy or fatiguing
- Sense of place is obscured by excessive concentration that robs the wine of any nuance
How was harvesting done in the past, how is it done today?
- Past: Random procedure at a fixed time with an educated guess to when the grapes are ripe
- Today: Teams are hired for a longer period and expect some days of paid idleness should the harvest be interrupted by rain
Where and why are grapes harvested by machine?
- Northern Médoc, where it is hard to find workers
- To harvest quickly in case of disease pressure or rain or storm
What type of wines are typically picked by hand, which by machine? Why?
- By machine: inexpensive wines -> pick the perfect moment, fast
- By hand: top estates -> Greater quality control
What type of grapes are typically sorted? Why?
- Inexpensive wines -> sorted
- High quality: sorting while picking, sorting on a moving belt, and optical sorting
Describe plot-by-plot winemaking. Who is it doing?
- Picking individual plots for optimum ripeness and then making separate small lots of wine with those grapes
- Estates producing high quality wines
Red Winemaking
What kind of fermentation vessels are used?
- Wood
- Stainless steel
- Concrete
- ALL temperature controlled
Red Winemaking
Describe fermentation temperature and maceration for an inexpensive and high-quality wine
- Inexpensive: Mid-range temperatures and 5-7 days on skins
- High quality: Mid-range to warm and 14-30 days on skins
Red Winemaking
What presses are used and what happens to the press fractions?
- Pneumatic, vertical, or hydraulic presses
- Kept separately and winemaker will decide what portion of press wine the final wine will contain
Red Winemaking
When and where does malo take place?
- In tanks or barrels
- Aim on rapid completion of malo as top quality wines will be tasted initially in the following spring
Red Winemaking
Describe the ageing vessels for an inexpensive and high-quality wine and how long they are matured
- Simpler wines: aged in stainless steel, concrete vats or large vats for 4–6 months and oak chips may be added
- High quality wines: matured in French oak barriques (most common is a mix of new, one-year old and two-year old barriques) for 18-24 months
Red Winemaking
What is the typical level of toasting?
Medium to medium(+)
Red Winemaking
How often are the wines racked?
- Every 3 months
- Some use micro-oxygenation instead
Red Winemaking
Describe the two approaches to blending
Blending over the winter: high quality wines for en primeur tasting
Blending at the end of maturation: minority
Rosé Winemaking
What are the two styles of rosé wines and how are they produced?
- Deeper coloured, traditional Clairet (short maceration)
- Lighter coloured rosé (direct pressing)
Rosé Winemaking
What are the two main varieties for Rosé?
- Merlot
- Cabernet Sauvignon
White Winemaking
Describe winemaking process for an inexpensive wine
- Directly pressed
- Cool fermentation temperatures in stainless-steel tanks
- May remain in the tanks for a few months before being clarified and bottled
White Winemaking
Describe winemaking process for a high quality wine
- On the skins for up to 24 hours before being pressed (healthy grapes)
- Fermented and aged in barriques, with a varying proportion of new oak
- Malo often blocked
- Fine lees are regularly stirred (bâtonnage), however, can, especially in hot years, give the wines excessive body in relation to their levels of acidity
Sweet Wine
What are max yields and what is common at top estates?
Max yield: 25 hL/ha
Top estates: 10 hL/ha
Sweet Wine
How are high sugar levels in the grapes ensured?
- Yields must be kept low
- Pruning to a low number of buds
- Removal of any fruit that shows any signs of disease or damage
Sweet Wine
Describe the harvest process
- Harvesters must be well trained (capable of identifying noble rot)
- Teams of pickers go through the vineyards more than once (in some vintages 10–12 times)
- Can last from September to November
Sweet Wine
On what factors does the level of botrytis in the final wines depend?
- Correct conditions for noble rot
- Position of estates
- Willingness of estates to wait for the best times to harvest and risk losing all or part of the crop
- Willingness of estates to pay for multiple passes through the vineyard to select botrytis-affected fruit
Sweet Wine
Describe the maturation process for high quality sweet wines
- Typically barrel-fermented with a high proportion of new oak
- Aged for 18–36 months
- Amount of new oak ranges from 30 to 50%, but can be up to 100% (e.g., Château d’Yquem)
Sweet Wine
How are less prestigious sweet wines made?
- Fermented in stainless steel tanks
- Often unoaked
- Released after one year
How and based on what was wine classified in the 1855 classification?
- Based on the price
- Médoc: First to Fifth growths
- Sauternes: First to Second growths (Ch. d’Yquem -> Premier Cru Supérieur)
How much of the production in the Médoc is cru classé?
25%
What are the four official classifications?
- 1855 classification
- Graves classification
- Saint-Émilion classification
- Crus Bourgeois du Médoc classification
What is included in the 1855 classification and from where are the estates?
60 leading châteaux from Médoc and 1 from Graves
Name the five First Growths from the Left Bank
- Château Lafite Rothschild, Pauillac
- Château Latour, Pauillac
- Château Margaux, Margaux
- Château Haut- Brion, Pessac, Graves
- Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac (promoted in 1973)
Describe the Graves classification (year, based on what, number of châteaux, type of wine, region)
- 1959
- Based on pricing, fame and quality
- 16 classified châteaux
- Red and white
- All in the sub region Pessac Léognan
Saint-Émilion classification
What four criteria is it based on?
- Terroir
- Methods of production
- Reputation and commercial considerations
- Blind tasting of at least 10 vintages
Saint-Émilion classification
What are the three tiers?
- Premier Grand Cru A
- Premier Grand Cru B
- Grand Cru Classé
Saint-Émilion classification
What wines do not fall within this classification?
Wines that are from Saint-Émilion or simply labelled as Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Crus Bourgeois du Médoc classification
Where is this classification located with respect to the Cru Classé classification?
Below, but still of superior quality
Crus Bourgeois du Médoc classification
What tiers exist?
- Cru Bourgeois
- Cru Bourgeois Supérieur
- Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel
What top-quality appellation does not have a classification?
Pomerol (Petrus)
What are some controversials around the existing classifications?
- The term ‘Grand Cru’ in Saint-Émilion is regarded as misleading
- The Graves classification is due for revision with too many high quality estates not included in the current list
Wine Business
What is the annual production (bottles)?
800 mn bottles
Wine Business
How many estates exist and what is the avg. size?
- 7,000 estates
- 19 ha per estate
Wine Business
What role do co-operatives play?
Important role with 25% of production from 40% of grape growers
Wine Business
What are factors for higher costs of a classed growth?
- Land costs
- Increased vine density
- Harvest costs
- Hugely higher viticultural costs
- Lower yield
- Rigorous grape selection
- Barrel ageing
Wine Business
Besides classification, what does promote selling of wine?
100-point system (e.g., Robert Parker)
Wine Business
How much of the wine by volume and value is exported?
Roughly 50% (value a bit higher in export)
Wine Business
What are the main export markets?
- Hong Kong
- China
- USA
- UK
La place de Bordeaux
Describe the system roughly
- 1) Estates, co-ops, and large wineries sell to
- 2) Merchants/Négociants (take 15% of sale price) via
- 3) Brokers/Courtiers (take 2% of sale price)
- 4) Wholesales, supermarkets, agents, importers, … buy from 2)
La place de Bordeaux
How much of the wine is sold via the “La place”?
70%
Wine Business
What is the price of the majority of wines, who produces them, and where are they sold?
- Inexpensive wines (1€ per litre in bulk)
- Made by co-ops or smaller producers
- Sold in French supermarkets
How does a château ensure that their wines reach all key markets?
Sell to a number of négociants (up to 40)
En Primeur
What is the idea and some of the advantages?
- Wines sold as futures 18 months before it is bottled
- Consumers can secure hard-to-buy wines at a lower price
- Estates benefit from early payment for wine
En Primeur
Where does the system originate from?
Period after WWII when the chateaux were struggling financially
En Primeur
Describe the process
- Begins in April following vintage
- Barrel samples are provided to wine buyers and journalists, which assess the wines
- Châteaux release their prices throughout May and June
- After the tasting, the châteaux put up for sale a small amount of wine (the first tranche)
- Price is heavily influenced by the individual château’s reputation and the experts’ reviews
- Depending on how it sells, the price will be adjusted for subsequent tranches
- Usually, the price goes up for each tranche
En Primeur
How does allocation work?
- Rarest wines are only on allocation
- Négociants need to take allocation every year to maintain their allocation in top vintages
En Primeur
What is the debate around the system?
- Châteaux became accustomed to ever-higher prices even in relatively poor vintages such as 2011
- Led to Bordeaux prices starting to fall
- Leading critics have expressed concern at how much their reviews influence the price of the wine
- Wines they taste are often not even the final wine
En Primeur
What producers are starting to retract from the system?
Some of the most prestigious châteaux that can afford it (e.g., Latour)
En Primeur
Two advantages and disadvantages for estates
- Test the market by releasing early lower-priced tranches
- Early payment and return on investment
- Potentially selling at a lower price
- Potential for financial mismanagement or losses by négociants that could adversely affect an estate’s reputation
En Primeur
Two advantages and three disadvantages for consumers
- Ability to secure sought-after wines and theoretically at the lowest price
- Option to keep or trade sought-after wines
- Unfinished barrel samples that may not truly reflect the final wine
- Intermediaries (négociants, shippers) may go out of business before the wine arrives
- Prices may fall before the wine arrives due to economic conditions
