Topography Flashcards
Gironde department surface area
Over 1 million hectares
Highest elevation in Bordeaux
Ste Foy
115m
Marais
Marsh
Lack of soil fertility enables what?
Enables the vine to maintain a naturally balanced canopy = proper leaf to fruit ratio to ripen a crop
Regulated water supply means what?
The roots are deep enough to avoid absorbing enormous quantities of water after a rain (which would dilute extract) and
Are deep enough to tap into water reserves during dry spells
Southern Graves has less gravel and more ___
Limestone (Barsac and Sauternes) Central part (Inc Cérons) has a mixture = red and white wines
Bourg and Blaye topography
Starfish limestone plateau
Sands from Les Landes blown on top, mix with existing loam and gravels plus an ironstone called sidérolithique
Sidérolithique
Ironstone in Blaye and Bourg
Tannic well structured wines
Fronsac and Canon Fronsac plateau
Starfish limestone atop Fronsadais molasse
Why is Pomerol unique for right bank?
Gravel terraces
Pomerol gravels washed down by Isle river
Higher elevation than Médoc = gravel terraces still above water
When did button of clay push through gravel topsoil in Pomerol (i.e. Pétrus)?
Last Ice Age
Lalande de Pomerol topography
Alluvial terraces (post Ice Age)
St Emilion plateau
Weathered starfish limestone
Erosion so extreme = was 4.5m higher mya
How many different variations of sand-silt-clay-limestine in ST Emilion?
17
St Emilion satellites are formed on what topographical feature?
4 starfish limestone buttes
A butte is a flat topped hill with steep escarpments or slopes.
What is a butte?
Flat topped hill with steep escarpments or slopes
Sainte Foy topography
Series of weathered freshwater limestone buttes formed from Calcaire de l’Agenais
Highest elevation in Bordeaux, 115m
Minimum temperature needed for photosynthesis?
10°
Characteristics of gravel soils on wine (2)
Generally speaking
Firm tannins
Minerality
Günz/Garonne gravels give what sort of wines?
Structured, built to last
Dumb or closed in youth
Need a decade or more
Marked minerality
Big Günz
Pyrenean (small) gravel produces what kind of wine
Less structure
More fruit forward
More approachable in youth
Mature in 5 years (Vs 10)
Limestone soils give what character in wine?
Pronounced acidity
Lean polished tannins (BB ball bearing…satin smooth but firm)
Iron soil gives what character
Prune
Black walnut
Clay soil give what character
Needs time to mature and evolve
Dense, suede tannins
Open up after 5 years
Silt and sand character in wine?
Opulent, soft, fruit forward
Easy drinking
Simple
High quality gravels (2010 Sciences Agro study)
Peyrosol
Planosol
Brunisol
Arenosol
All weakly weathered
Low quality soils (Sciences Agro study)
Redoxisol
Luvisol
Reductisol
Higher yielding soils (Sciences Agro)
Colluviosol
Planosol
Luvisol
Redoxisol
