French Wine Knowlegde Flashcards
What are the three major regions in France for red wine ?
Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rhône Valley
What are the main regions in France for white wine ?
Burgundy, Loire Valley, and Alsace
Where is Bordeaux located in France ?
Southwestern France named after the ninth largest French city , Bordeaux, a port city on the Garonne River near the Atlantic Ocean.
What wine mainly grows in Bordeaux ?
And to a lesser degree …
89% of them are dry reds ,in region
11% dry whites ,in regions
Some sweet wines -Sauternes and tiny amount of rose and sparkling wines
What are the two wine districts of Bordeaux on the Left Bank?
Haut-Medoc
Pessac-Leognan
Where is the left bank geography located ?
They lie west of Garonne River and the Gironde Estuary , which empties into the Atlantic Ocean.
What type of soil dominates the left bank ?
Gravel- Cabernet Sauvignon has an affinity for gravel
What does the right bank soil have?
Clay - Merlot and pessac-leognan (pay-sac-lay-oh-nyahn)
What kind of wine does the left bank typically produce?how do these wine age?
Firm tannic wines, with more pronounced black currant , and mineral flavor.
Usually need years to develop and will age a long time , often for decades, typically a Cabernet Sauvignon based wine
What kind of Bordeaux wines do right bank typically create ?
More approachable because they’re mainly Merlot, you can enjoy them long before their left banks cousins. Often as soon as 5-8 years after the vintage . Less tannic, richer in texture and plummier flavor.
What are the four famous wine communes of the Haut-Medoc district Left Bank Bordeaux?
St. Estephe,
Pauillac,
St.Julien,
Margaux
What are the wine characteristics of St. Estephe?
Firm
Tannic
Earthy
Chunky
And slow to mature
Typical wine: chateau montrose
What are the characteristics of Pauillac?
Rich
Powerful
Firm
Tannic
Black currant
Cedar aromas and flavors ; long lived
What are the characteristics of Pauillac?
Rich
Powerful
Firm
Tannic
Black currant
Cedar aromas and flavors ; long lived
What are three of the most famous wines that come from Pauillac (poy-yak)?
Lafite Rothschild
Mouton-Rothschild
Latour