Grape Varieties

Question 1

Merlot:

This is an ____ _____ variety, making it vulnerable to _____ _____, and __ ______, giving the advantage that the grapes can be picked before ____ _____ ___

Answer 1

early budding & spring frosts

mid ripening & early autumn rain.

Question 2

Merlot:

Susceptible to:

Answer 2

coulure
drought
botrytis bunch rot,

making sorting necessary to maintain quality.
Allthese hazards can reduce yields

Question 3

Merlot:

What is the benefit of its mid ripening characteristic that is more favourable than the late ripening Cabernet Sauvignon?

Answer 3

Ripens fully in cooler years

Question 4

Merlot:

Why is Merlot planted on more fertile/high clay content soils?

Name two examples

Answer 4

ripens on cooler soils and the water-holding capacity of clay enables it to produce the large berry size typical of Merlot

Right banks and Northern Medoc

Question 5

Merlot:

With a warming climate, a characteristic of Merlot that decades ago was considered an advantage, is less so seen today.

What characteristic is this?

Answer 5

It reaches higher sugar levels and therefore higher

potential alcohol levels than either of the Cabernets

Question 6

TASTING NOTE:
Merlot:

As a variety it contributes:
- medium to pronounced intensity fruit
(strawberry and red plum with herbaceous flavours in cooler years;)
(cooked blackberry, black plum in hot years),
- medium tannins and
- medium to high alcohol

to the Bordeaux blend.

Answer 6

Cats

Question 7

Cabernet Sauvignon:

This is a ___ _____ variety, giving it some protection from ____ ____. It is a ____ ____ & ____ ____ variety with ____ ____ content, resulting in wines with ___ ____

It ____ _____ (and hence needs to be grown on warmer soils), making it vulnerable to ____ ____ ____

Answer 7

late budding

spring frosts

small-berried & thick-skinned

high tannin

high tannins

ripens late

early autumn rains

Question 8

Cabernet Sauvignon:

Prone to:

Answer 8

fungal diseases, especially powdery mildew and the trunk diseases, Eutypa and Esca

Question 9

TASTING NOTE:
Cabernet Sauvignon Contributes to:

• pronounced violet, blackcurrant, black cherry and menthol or herbaceous flavours,
• medium alcohol, and
• high acidity and
• High tannins

to the Bordeaux blend.

Answer 9

Cats

Question 10

Cabernet Sauvignon:

In cooler seasons in Bordeaux, especially in the past with a ____ _____, growers could struggle to ripen Cabernet Sauvignon fully, resulting in wines with ___ ____ ____ ____ and ___ ____ As a result, and due to Cabernet Franc and Merlot’s earlier ripening, it was and still is regularly blended with these two varieties.

Answer 10

cooler climate

high acidity, unripe tannins and little fruit.

Question 11

Cabernet Franc:

What does it Contribute to the Bordeaux blend?

Answer 11

it contributes:

red fruit,
high acidity
medium tannins

to the Bordeaux blend.

Question 12

Malbec:

Basically all replaced with ____ after the 1956 frosts

Answer 12

Merlot

Question 13

Petit Verdot:

This variety ___ ____ and ____ ____ than Cabernet Sauvignon, making it unpopular
with growers in the past in Bordeaux.

It is also prone to:

Answer 13

buds early

ripens later

spring frosts
failure to ripen in cool years
rain around harvest.

Question 14

Petit Verdot:

Where does it grow best?
How much is used?

What does it contribute to the blend?

Answer 14

• Warmer parts of the Medoc
• Often less than 5%

Contributes:
powerful, deeply coloured wines with
spice notes and high tannins.

Question 15

Petit Verdot:

While there are still very few plantings, it is increasingly valued, especially as a ____ ____ means it is more likely to ripen in most years

Answer 15

warmer climate

Question 16

Semillon:

This is a ___ _____ variety, susceptible to ____ ____ ___ and to ___ ___ in the right
conditions. It can carry high yields.

Answer 16

mid-ripening

botrytis bunch rot

noble rot

Question 17

TASTING NOTE:
Semillon:
- low intensity apple, lemon and, if under ripe,
grassy, flavours,
- medium body, 
- medium alcohol 
- medium to medium (+) acidity

Answer 17

Cats

Question 18

Semillon:

What does it Contribute to dry white Bordeaux blends?

Answer 18

contributes

• low to medium intensity aromas
• low to medium body & weight
• medium acidity.

it softens Sauvignon Blanc’s more intense
flavours and high acidity.

It has a strong affinity with vanilla and sweet spice flavours from new French oak.

Question 19

Semillon:

What does it contribute to Botrytis affected sweet wines?

Answer 19

It contributes pronounced honey and dried

fruit (lemon, peach) character and a waxy texture

Question 20

Semillon:

Why do Top Sauternes wines tend to have a higher proportion of Semillon than Sauvignon Blanc?

Give two examples

Answer 20

it is more susceptible to botrytis than
Sauvignon Blanc

Ch. Climens or Ch. d’Yquem

Question 21

Semillon:

True or False?

Sauvignon Blanc is also prized for its ageability,
developing toast and honeyed notes with age in contrast to Semillon that can hold but
whose flavours do not evolve.

Answer 21

False

swap the varieties around ya silly billy

Question 22

Sauvignon Blanc:

What does it Contributes to dry whites blends and sweet botrytis affected wine??

Answer 22

contributes its grassy and gooseberry fruit and high acidity to dry white blends s and to sweet botrytis-affected wines

Question 23

Sauvignon Blanc:

True or false?

increasing amounts of dominantly or single-variety dry Sauvignon Blanc white wines are being made.

Answer 23

True

Question 24

Muscadelle:

This white variety needs to be planted on a ___ ____ site, as it is very prone to ___ __ ___. The vast majority is used in ____ ___ ___ where it contributes ____ and ____ notes.
It is NOT related to Muscat.

Answer 24

well exposed

botrytis bunch rot

sweet white wines

flowery and grapey