Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Master Sommelier Theory > Medoc - Bordeaux > Flashcards

Medoc - Bordeaux Flashcards

1
Q

Who are some of the Medoc’s top competition around the world?

A

Napa Valley, Tuscany, Stellenbosch, Margaret River, Coonawarra, Maipo

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is the name for the type of gravel in the Medoc, Graves, and Pomerol?

A

Gunzian gravel - Pleistocene ice age (Quarternary period where sediment from the Pyrenees during their formation & Massif Central was carried down the Garonne)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What type of vine training is most common in the Medoc?

A

Double Guyot - trained lower to absorb heat radiation from gravel (Single in Libourne, Cordon in Sauternes to produce smaller berries to attract noble rot)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Name the dry white wine labels for

a) Ch. Margaux
b) Ch. Mouton Rothschild
c) Ch. d’Yquem
d) Ch. Rieussec

A

a) Pavillon blanc
b) l’Aile d’argent
c) Y
d) R

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What differentiates Bordeaux Supérieur from normal Bordeaux AOC

A

Lower max. yields,
higher potential alcohol,
minimum aging requirements (blanc 6 months, rouge 9 months) vs none for regular

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What 1st Growth departed the En Primeur System in 2012?

A

Chateau Latour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is Live-Ex?

A

Biennial, modern classification of Bordeaux wines reflecting the current economic context -

first compiled by the London International Vintners Exchange in 2009

  • ONLY left bank wines - La Mission is in the first tier; Lynch Bages, Palmer, and Pontet Canet are in the second tier
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Classed Growth Chateaux owned by Suntory Group?

A

LaGrange and Beychevelle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Which Commune in the Medoc has the highest percentage of classed growth vineyard land?

A

Saint-Julien - 85%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Name a classed Growth in the Medoc certified in Biodynamics

A

Pontet-Canet since 2008 OR 2010?

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What are the terms for 1) drainage canal 2) gravel mounds

A

jalles, croupes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are the 2nd wines of the 5 First Growths?

A 
Les Carruades, 
Les Forts, 
Le Petit Mouton, 
Pavillon, 
Clarence (Bahans) - white is called la Clarte
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What are the Second Growths of St. Julien?

A 
Leoville las cases, 
Leoville Poyferre, 
Leoville Barton, 
Gruaud Larose, 
Ducru Beaucaillou
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Who invented the “bouillie bordelaise” in 1885?

A

Ducru Beaucaillou

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are the Second Growths of Margaux?

A 
Rauzan Segla, 
Rauzan Gassies, 
Durfort-Vivens, 
Lascombes, 
Brane-Cantenac
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are the classified growths of the Haut Medoc outside of the 4 main communes?

A 
La Lagune 3e (Ludon), 
La Tour Carnet 4e (St. Laurent), 
Belgrave 5e (St. Laurent), 
Camensac 5e (St. Laurent), 
Cantemerle 5e (Macau)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are the communes of Pauillac?

A

Pauillac,
Saint-Saveur,
Saint-Estephe,
Saint-Julien Beychevelle

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What are the communes of Saint-Julien?

A

Saint-Julien-Beychevelle,
Cussac-Fort-Medoc,
Saint-Laurent-Medoc

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are the 5 communes of Margaux?

A 
Cantenac, 
Labarde, 
Arsac, 
Margaux, 
Soussans
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

3 great LB vintages in the 2010’s

A 
2010, 
2015, 
2016, 
(2017), 
18, 
19
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

3 great LB vintages in the 2000’s

A

2000,
2005,
(2008),
2009

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

3 great LB vintages in the 90’s

A

90,
95,
(96)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

3 great LB vintages in the 80’s

A

82,
86,
(88),
89

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

3 great LB vintages in the 70’s

A

70, 78

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Any great old vintages still drinking well?

A

61, 59

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Vintages to avoid?

A 
1977, 
1980, 
1984, 
1991, 
1992, 
1999, 
2002, 
2003 (super hot), 
2007, 
2011,
2013
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

How many members are there currently of Cru Artisan?

A

36 - land stewardship and exemplary winemaking,
average 6 hectares,
small-scale,
revised every 5 years (official since 2005 with 44 producers originally)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What is the difference between coulure (shatter) and millerendage (hens and chicks)?

A

coulure happens when flowers remain closed and do not pollinate (frost, or wind/rain),

millerandage is when some berries do not mature fully due to wind or rain disrupting pollination (small, sweet, seedless berries)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q 
How many Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel were there in 2003? 
Where are the majority located? 
How many Exceptionnel are there now? 
Superieur? 
Total Cru Bourgeois?
A 
9 - 
Chasse Spleen, 
Haut Marbuzet, 
Labegorce Zede, 
Ormes de Pez, 
de Pez, 
Phelan Segur, 
Potensac, 
Poujeaux, 
Siran;

Saint Estephe, some in Moulis and Margaux;

14 Exceptionnel now;

56 Superieur;

249 total Cru Bourgeois

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What happened to the original 2003 Exceptionnels?

A 
six of them formed a marketing group “les exceptionnels” Chasse-Spleen, 
Ormes de Pez, 
Poujeaux, 
de Pez, 
Potensac, 
Siran
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

Name all of the current Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnels (14) 2020 Revision

A

MARGAUX:
Paveil de Luze,
d’Arsac;

SAINT-ESTEPHE:
Le Bosq,
Lillian Ladouys,
Le Crock;

LISTRAC:
Lestage,

HAUT-MEDOC: 
d’Agassac, 
Arnauld, 
Belle-Vue, 
Cambon La Pelouse, 
Charmail, 
Malescasse, 
Malleret, du 
Taillan
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Only Cru Bourgeois in the Bas Medoc to have been ranked Exceptionnel?

A

Potensac

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

Is the minimum planting density higher on the LB or RB?

A

LB - 7,000 vines/ha in the communes,

6,500 in haut medoc,

5,000 in medoc

RB - 5,500 vines/ha in SE and POM

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

What are some methods of dealing with excess water during the growing season?

A

Must concentration techniques - vacuum distillation, reverse osmosis, saignage

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

What separates Bordeaux Supérieur from straight Bordeaux?

A

higher abv (12 vs. 10% blanc; 11 vs. 10.5% rouge);

lower max yields (67/60 vs 49/59 hl/ha);

higher density 4,500 vs 4,000

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

Name the respective Chateaux for each Second Wine… Clos du Marquis

A

Las Cases

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

Moulin Riche

A

Leoville Poyferre

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

Chevalier de ____

A

Lascombes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

Segond de ____ Vivenne,

A

Durfort Vivens

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

Baron de ____

A

Brane Cantenac

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

Les Tourelles de ____ and Les Griffons ____

A

Pichon Baron

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

La Reserve de ____

A

Pichon Comtesse, Leoville Barton

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

La Croix de ____

A

Beaucaillou

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

Les Charmes de ____

A

Kirwan

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

Blason de ____

A

Issan

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

Sarget ____ or La Rose ____

A

Gruaud

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

Le Marquis de ____

A

Calon Segur

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
48
Q

Lacoste Borie

A

Grand Puy Lacoste

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
49
Q

Echo de ____

A

Lynch-Bages

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
50
Q

La Sirene de ____

A

Giscours

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
51
Q

La Dame de ____

A

Montrose, Malescot

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
52
Q

Alter Ego

53
Q

Marquis de Segur

A

Calon Segur

54
Q

Cometable de ____

A

Talbot (Caillou de Talbot for blanc)

55
Q

Ch. Clairfont

A

Prieure Lichine

56
Q

Ch. La Tour l’Aspic

A

Haut Batailley

57
Q

Les Hauts de ____

A

Pontet Canet

58
Q

Pagodes

A

Cos d’Estournel

59
Q

Prelude

A

Grand Puy Lacoste

60
Q

La Chapelle de ____

A

La Mission Haut Brion;

Haut-Bages-Liberal

61
Q

Name one estate from Moulis?

A

Ch. Poujeaux,
Ch. Chasse Spleen,
Ch. Branas, Ch.
Clarke

62
Q

Name one estate from Listrac?

A

Fourcas Borie,
Fourcas Dupre,
Fourcas Hosten,
Lestage

63
Q

Average elevage for classed growth Bordeaux Blanc?

A

12-15 months

64
Q

Average elevage for classed growth Bordeaux Rouge?

A

18-24 months

65
Q

What are the 2 Second growths of Saint Estephe?

A

Cos d’Estournel and Montrose

66
Q

Name a Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel of Saint-Estephe

A 
Ch. Le Crock, 
Le Bosq, 
Lillian Ladouys  Les Ormes de Pez, 
Phelan Segur, 
Ch. Haut Marbuzet
67
Q

Name (11) Fifth Growths of Pauillac

A 
Lynch-Bages, 
Grand Puy Lacoste, 
Grand Puy Ducasse,
Armailhac, 
Clerc Milon, 
Batailley,
Haut Batailley, 
Pedesclaux, 
Haut Bages Liberal, 
Lynch Moussas, 
Croizet Bages
68
Q

What are the (5) Second Growths of St. Julien?

A 
Leoville Las Cases, 
Poyferre, 
Barton, 
Gruaud Larose, 
Ducru Beaucaillou
69
Q

What are the (4) Fourth Growths of St. Julien?

A

Talbot,
St. Pierre,
Branaire Ducru,
Beychevelle

70
Q

What are the (5) Second Growths of Margaux?

A 
Brane Cantenac, 
Rauzan Segla, 
Rauzan Gassies, 
Durfort Vivens, 
Lascombes
71
Q

Name Third Growths of Margaux (10)

A 
Palmer, 
d’Issan, 
Kirwan, 
Giscours, 
Cantenac Brown, 
Boyd Cantenac, 
Malescot, 
Marquis d’Alesme, 
Desmirail, 
Ferriere
72
Q

What is En Primeur?

A

Tasting of the previous year’s wine (barrel samples or sample blends) in April - wines are sold in advance of their release date - started as a way to bring cashflow to wineries and lower market prices

73
Q

Name one classified property in the Medoc still under ownership of the original family

A

Mouton Rothschild,
Leoville Barton,
Langoa Barton

74
Q

When did Estate Bottling become common in Bordeaux?

A

Not until the late 1960s - before that point it was the negociants who bought barrels at la Place and bottled the wine

75
Q

T or F Bordeaux Supérieur blanc is a sweet wine

A

T - medium sweet

76
Q

When did phylloxera arrive to Bordeaux?

77
Q

T or F in the 1855 classification, only the 5 first growths were called “chateaux”

78
Q

When did Oidium first appear in Bordeaux?

A

1859 - on the Garonne (sweet wine vineyards)

79
Q

What’s the reason for malbec and carmenere disappearing from Bordeaux vineyards?

A

Less successful at grafting onto rootstock

80
Q

When was the Bordeaux mixture developed?

A

1888 - copper sulfate-lime

81
Q

In what 1900s year did frost decimate the vineyards of Bordeaux?

82
Q

Why are there less family owned wineries in Bordeaux than Burgundy?

A

crippling inheritance taxes for the large estates - only option is to sell or to form a societe civile real-estate company

83
Q

How long does elevage typically last for a Grand Vin?

A

18-24 months, wines usually bottled in April (assemblage either happens early before en primeur, or later before bottling)

84
Q

Required min. elevage for all medoc wines?

A

after June 15th

85
Q

Generalizations of second wines

A

They typically contain more merlot,
less new oak,
lots not up to par for grand vin or young vine parcels

86
Q

Where are vineyards of Haut-Medoc-labelled wines located?

A

small area north of Saint-Estephe, West of the major communes, south of Margaux

87
Q

What physical feature separates Pauillac and Saint Estephe

A

Jalle de Breuil - Saint Estephe is noticeably lower and more marshy

88
Q

Pauillac growths north to south

A

Lafite,

Mouton (between plots of Lafite),

Lafite,

Latour (touching the two pichons to the west - a stone’s throw to Las Cases to the south in Saint Julien)

89
Q

2 unclassified Ch. of Saint Julien

A

Ch. Borie,

Ch. Gloria

90
Q

2 producers in the Medoc

A

Ch. Potensac,
Ch. Cardon,
Ludenne

91
Q

Cos or Montrose - who uses more Cab Sav?

A

Montrose - is on a gravel croupe,

closer to the Gironde than Cos

92
Q

What Medoc commune is the first to ripen ?

A

Margaux - thinnest gravel soils with bands of clay underneath- 1 -2 weeks early

93
Q

Medoc garagiste producer

A

(not chateau) Marojallia - grower in Margaux (former vines of Durfort Vivens) Roger Rex - only 4 ha - consultants were Rolland, Ricardo Cotarella, and Jean-Luc Thunevin’s wife Muriel Andraud

94
Q

Can white Bordeaux carry the Appellation Medoc?

95
Q

Out performer Chateaux in Saint-Seurin de Cadourne

A 
Sociando Mallet, 
Charmail, 
Couffran, 
Verdignan, 
Soudars, 
Senilhac
96
Q

Out performer Cru Bourgeois Chateaux in Margaux

A

Angludet,
Siran,
Labergorce-Zede

97
Q

Name a moated chateau in the Medoc?

A

Issan,
Agassac,
Lamarque

98
Q

What is the debate between Cussac and Saint Julien growers?

A

Cussac growers want the right to label their wines Saint Julien as certain estates (Beychevelle, Branaire Ducru, Ducru Beaucaillou) have parcels in Cussac;

Pierre-Gilles d’Evry of Chateau Lamarque notes that the jalle at Beychevelle is crossed by a bridge called the “Pont des Miracles” where Cussac wine is magically transformed into St. Julien as it travels north

99
Q

What are some advantages of vineyards located on the estuary?

A

protective of frost (Latour 1991 was still good) - better gravels

100
Q

Inaugural Vintage of Ygrec

101
Q

How many 5th Growths are there in Saint Julien

A

0, no first or fifths in saint julien

102
Q

What is the man-made forest protecting the western border of the Medoc?

103
Q

Parentage of Malbec

A

Madeleine noire x prunelard

104
Q

Another offspring of Madeleine noire

105
Q

How is Peronosopera treated?

A

Copper Sulfate - Bdx mixture

106
Q

T or F Rose mousseux is permitted for Cremant de Bordeaux

107
Q

Moderating ocean current

A

Atlantic Gulf Stream

108
Q

Only Subzone AOP for Bordeaux

A

Bordeaux Haut Benoge - sec, demi-sec, liquoreux

109
Q

Terrible hail vintage of the 2010s

110
Q

When did Estate Bottling become compulsory in the Medoc?

111
Q

Most southerly classed growth in the Medoc?

A

La Lagune - Frey Family

112
Q

Most northerly classed growth in the Medoc?

A

Calon Segur

113
Q

3rd label for Ch. Latour

A

Pauillac de Latour

114
Q

Pavillon blanc

A

Ch. Margaux - 100% SB

115
Q

Name of the vineyard for Latour Grand Vin

A

L’enclos

116
Q

Year l’enclos converted to organic

117
Q

Properties in Margaux

A 
Cantenac-Brown, 
Issan, 
Kirwan, 
Giscours, 
Durfort Vivens (Biodynamic), 
(Baron de - 2nd wine) Brane-Cantenac
118
Q

Pontet-Canet - which commune and where?

A

Pauillac - 5th growth

119
Q

Beychevelle

A

Saint Julien - 4th

120
Q

Pedesclaux

A

Pauillac - 5th growth - (2nd wine is Fleur)

121
Q

Haut-Batailley

A

Pauillac - 5th growth

122
Q

Talbot

A

Saint Julien - 4th

123
Q

Pichon Longueville Baron

A

Pauillac - 2nd growth

124
Q

How to differentiate the style of the Leovilles

A

Las Cases - most structure,

Poyferre - modern (Rolland),

125
Q

Boyd-Cantenac

A

Margaux - 3rd Growth

126
Q

Gruaud Larose

A

Saint Julien - 2nd

127
Q

What are the Super Seconds whose prices jumped in 1995 to put them between the 1st growths and the rest of the seconds?

A 
Leoville Las Cases, 
La Mission, 
Pichon Lalande, 
Ducru Beaucaillou, 
Palmer, 
Cos d’Estournel, 
Montrose, 
Lynch Bages, 
(recently Pichon Baron)
128
Q

Why is price a distorted form of classification?

A

Price can be impacted by history of past reputation and effectiveness of current marketing

129
Q

Vine spacing in the

1) Medoc
2) Libourne

A

1) 7,000 vines / ha = 1 x 1 meter spacing (double guyot)

2) 5,500 vines / ha = 1.3 x 1.5 meter spacing
single guyot

Master Sommelier Theory (68 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions