Grape Varietal: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah/Shiraz Flashcards
Where are the important regions in France for Merlot?
PGI production:
• South of France
PDOs: • Bordeaux - Right Bank - Saint-Émilion AOC - Saint-Émilion Grand Cru AOC - PomeroI AOC
Where are the important regions in USA for Merlot?
• California
- Napa Valley
- Sonoma
Where are the important regions in Chile for Merlot?
• Central Valley
Where are the important regions in South Africa for Merlot?
• Stellenbosch
Where are the important regions in Australia for Merlot?
• Margaret River
Where are the important regions in New Zealand for Merlot?
• Hawke’s Bay
Where are the important regions in France for Cabernet Sauvignon?
PGI production:
• South of France
PDOs: • Bordeaux - Left Bank (most important) • Médoc • Haut-Médoc • Pauillac • Margaux • Graves • Pessac-Léognan
Where are the important regions in USA for Cabernet Sauvignon?
• California
- Napa Valley (Oakville, Rutherford, Calistoga)
- Sonoma
Where are the important regions in Chile for Cabernet Sauvignon?
- Central Valley
- Maipo Valley
- Colchagua Valley
Where are the important regions in South Africa for Cabernet Sauvignon?
• Stellenbosch
Where are the important regions in Australia for Cabernet Sauvignon?
- Coonawarra
* Margaret River
Where are the important regions in New Zealand for Cabernet Sauvignon?
• Hawke’s Bay
Where are the important regions in France for Syrah?
PGI production:
• South of France
PDO: • Northern Rhône: - Crozes-Hermitage AOC - Hermitage AOC - Côte Rôtie AOC
Where are the important regions in Australia for Syrah?
- South Eastern Australia
- Barossa Valley
- Hunter Valley
What are the varietal characteristics of Merlot?
- medium acidity
- medium tannin
- fruit characteristics vary according to ripeness
What are the style and aging characteristics of Merlot?
• single varietal or blended • simple or complex • light- to full-bodied • oaked or unoaked • very good or outstanding examples can age: - dried fruit - tobacco
What types of climate does Merlot prefer?
- Moderate
* Warm
Describe the general profile of Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Dry
- Medium to full body
- High acidity
- High tannins
- Black fruits (plums, currants)
- Herbaceous (green pepper)
- Herbal (mint)
What types of climate does Cabernet Sauvignon prefer?
- Moderate
* Warm
What types of climate does Syrah/Shiraz prefer?
- Moderate (e.g. Northern Rhône)
* Warm (e.g. South Australia)
Merlot is often blended with high-tannin varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon to…
- to lower tannin and acidity levels
- to make wines ready
- to drink at an earlier age
- to add red-fruit flavors to blends
Cabernet Sauvignon is often blended with varieties with lower tannin and acidity levels such as Merlot to…
- to balance a wine’s acidity if it is too low
* to add tannin to wine for a particular style
What characteristics about Cabernet Sauvignon make it age worthy?
- High acidity
* High tannins
Why is Cabernet Sauvignon so often barrel fermented/aged?
- Has the capability to age in oak for years due to its sturdy structure (high acid, high tannin);
- Oxygen in the barrel helps soften tannins
- Oak aging imparts pleasant flavors e.g. clove, vanilla, mocha.
Tertiary aromas and flavors of oak-aged Cabernet Sauvignon include:
- Earth/mushrooms
- Wet leaves
- Caramel
- Dried fruits
Why is blending so important in Bordeaux?
All the grapes in Bordeaux don’t necessarily fully ripen every year, so blending grapes that have different ripening times and different flavors helps the Bordelaise ensure that they will have something to bottle every year.
What does the term “Château” indicate on a bottle of Bordeaux?
That the grapes used to make the wine in that bottle were grown on the producer’s own land
What term can Châteaux use on their label if the estate has been classified as one of the best in Bordeaux?
Grand Cru Classé or Cru Classé
A wine from the Médoc AOC (for Cab Sav) that hasn’t been classified as one of Bordeaux’s best estates can apply to use a different term called ___.
Cru Bourgeois
In Chile, Cabernet Sauvignon is usually blended with which 2 grapes?
- Merlot
* Carmenère
What are the grapes in Cape Blend?
- Pinotage
- Merlot
- Cabernet Sauvignon
What flavor characteristic do Australian Cabernets usually have that makes them distinct from Cabernets grown outside Australia?
Distinctive herbal notes with mint and eucalytpus flavors.
Describe the profile of a moderate-climate Syrah/Shiraz, e.g. one from the Northern Rhône.
- Dry
- Medium body
- Medium to medium+ alcohol
- Medium - high tannin
- Medium - high acidity
- Fresh black fruit
- Black pepper
- Herbal
Describe the profile of a warm-climate Syrah/Shiraz, e.g. one from Australia.
- Dry
- Full body
- High alcohol
- Medium - high tannin
- Medium - high acidity
- Ripe, cooked black fruit
- Anise/liquorice
When Syrah/Shiraz is used as a blending grape, what qualities will it add?
- Color
- Black fruit flavors
- Tannin
For Syrah/Shiraz, is it more common or less common to mature it in oak?
More common
The oak softens Syrah’s tannins and adds layers of flavors, including smoke and spices.
What are some of the developing flavors that emerge as Syrah ages?
- Leather
- Meat/bacon
- Earth/mushrooms
What is the only black grape allowed in the Northern Rhône?
Syrah
The choicest vineyards in the Northern Rhône are planted on which terrain:
valley floor
steep slopes
Steep slopes
What appellation marks the northernmost point where Syrah can ripen?
Côte Rôtie AOC in the Northern Rhône
What is the one grape allowed to be co-fermented with Syrah in Côte Rôtie AOC?
Viognier
It adds floral aromas and aromatic lift to peppery Syrah.
Stylistically, how do Syrahs from Crozes Hermitage differ from Côte Rôtie and Hermitage?
Crozes Hermitage will be less complex, less concentrated, and generally less impressive than Côte Rôtie and Hermitage.
They will also be less expensive.
In the Southern Rhône, Syrah is generally blended with ___.
Grenache
Where is Minervois AOC and what is it known for?
Minervois AOC is in the South of France and is known for its Syrah blends.
What is the IGP used in the south of France?
Pays d’Oc IGP
What is the most widely planted black grape in Australia (it’s also the most planted grape in Australia, period)?
Shiraz
The appellation South Eastern Australia is generally known for what kind of Shiraz?
High-volume, affordably priced, bulk Shiraz grown in the the warmer inland areas.
Some of the world’s oldest Shiraz vines are in the ___ Valley.
Barossa Valley
Describe the style of Shiraz from Barossa Valley.
- Dry
- Full body
- High tannin
- Cooked black fruit
- Black pepper
- Spicy oak flavors (vanilla, mocha)
- Intense
Describe the style of Hunter Valley Shiraz.
- Dry
- Medium body
- High tannin
- Fresh black fruit
- Black pepper
- Not as intense as Barossa Valley Shiraz
From which region does Merlot originate?
Bordeaux, France
What is the climate of the Bordeaux region?
Moderate
Describe the typical profile of Merlot made with just-ripe grapes.
- Dry
- Light to medium body
- Medium acidity
- Medium tannins
- Red fruit
- Green bell pepper
Describe the typical profile of Merlot made with riper grapes
- Dry
- Medium to full body
- Medium acidity
- Medium tannins
- Black fruit
Why is Merlot typically blended into other wines, especially with Cabernet Sauvignon?
Merlot softens the harder-edged tannins of other grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon.
Merlot also adds red fruit flavors and approachability allowing the wine to be drunk younger.
What are the 2 regional appellations used for Merlot that can be grown anywhere in Bordeaux?
- Bordeaux AOC
* Bordeaux Supérieur AOC
What is the difference between Bordeaux AOC and Bordeaux Supérieur AOC?
Bordeaux Supérieur AOC has tighter regulations:
• Lower yields
• Higher minimum alcohol
• Slightly longer aging
Which grape is the most extensively planted in the Bordeaux region?
Merlot
While Merlot is typically the greater part of the blend on the ___ Bank, Cabernet Sauvignon makes up the greater proportion of red blends on the ___ Bank.
Merlot –> Right Bank
Cabernet Sauvignon –> Left Bank
Merlot also grows in the south of France. What grapes is it usually blended with there?
- Grenache
- Syrah
- Cabernet Sauvignon
Which region in Australia uses Merlot in their Bordeaux red blends?
Margaret River
