WEST D3 - Bordeaux Flashcards
What’s the top 10 grape varieties planted in France.
1.Merlot
2.Ugni Blanc
3.Grenache Noir
4.Syrah
5.Chardonnay
6.Cabernet Sauvignon
7.Cabernet Franc
8.Carignan
9.Pinot Noir
10.Sauvignon Blanc
What’s the role of INAO?
Founded 1935.
Institut national de l’origine et de la qualité.
Oversaw creation of Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) system and from 2009, also included oversight of Indication géographique protégée (IGP) wines.
The AOC system is based on the idea of ?
Terroir.
What’s the average size of vineyard holdings in France?
10.5 ha.
What’s the largest company in France?
Castel Frères, followed by Carrefour France and ITM Enterprises.
Where is Bordeaux located?
South-west France, close to Atlantic Ocean.
Traversed by River Garonne and River Dordogne, which merge to Gironde estuary.
What’s the allocation of AOC wine styles in Bordeaux ?
Red: 85%
White (dry): 10%
White (sweet): 1%
Rosé: 4%
What are the top varieties planted here?
1.Merlot
2.Cabernet Sauvignon
3.Cabernet Franc
4.Other reds
5.Sémillon
6.Sauvignon Blanc
7.Muscadelle
How did Bordeaux become a productive land?
17-18th centuries large Médoc peninsula north of city, which had been marshy and unsuitable for agriculture, was drained by Dutch residents in city of Bordeaux and planted.
What has led to an entrepreneurial class of merchants whose origins lay in Britain, Ireland, Germany, Holland and elsewhere?
Mid 18th century , wines from such properties as Lafite and Margaux widely appreciated across Europe and America also city had long been a centre for wine exports from other regions such as Bergerac.
Distribution system undertaken by specialised merchants rather than proprietors-remains in place today.
Explain 1855 clasisification.
1855, Exposition Universelle de Paris.
Bordeaux chamber of commerce asked region’s brokers compile a classification of wines. Based on price, and estates of Médoc + Haut - Brion in Graves Into 5 bands, Sauternes into 3.
How many hectares is Bordeaux under vine?
111,000 ha.
What’s the climate in Bordeau?
Moderate maritime.
Cool Atlantic Ocean gives cooling influences.
In best years: gentle heat, sufficient rainfall, fine, relatively dry and warm early autumns.
What is protecting parts of the left bank from Atlantic storms?
Pine forests, the Landes.
What parts of Bordeaux are cooler than others?
Fringe of forests: Cooler, more marginal (eg: Domaine de Chevalier in Léognan and many in Listrac in Médoc.
Northern Medoc: Cooler than Southern Médoc and Graves. Forest is less a feature and landscape more open to maritime influence.
What’s the rainfall like here?
Variable. Average 950mm a year.
How does rain affect the vine?
Flowering - poor fruit set.
Growing season - disease pressure.
Véraison - unripe fruit and fungal diseases.
Harvest - dilute flavours.
How did climate change affect Bordeaux?
Led to hot, dry summers with insufficient rainfall. Hardy varieties can resist extremes temperature but hot dry years such as 2003 can led to wines with low acidity that lack balance, more alcoholic.
Name some years that the vineyards were affected by frost and crop was decimated.
1956, 1991, 2017.
Is hail a problem here?
Yes , sporadicly.
What is gravel mounds known as ?
croupes.
What are the soils types here?
Médoc and Graves: deposits of gravel and stony.
All top estates of left bank planted on gravel mounds: croupes. (gravel mixed with clay and sand). Also some pockets of clay on Left Bank especially in Saint-Estèphe.
Right bank: More clay, Some significant patches of gravel in certain sectors of Libournais. best wines from grapes grown on limestone plateau or gravel section that borders Pomerol.
What is the advantages of gravel soil in Bordeaux?
- Drains well, even after showers and storms ( prone to left bank), roots of vine soon dry out and grapes continue ripen. But hot year can put some vines at drought stress risks (eg: 2003, 2005), especially shallow parts (eg: Pomerol , 2016)
2.Heat retention. Pebbles and stones retain warmth and continue gradually to release it upwards onto vines, facilitating slow ripening.
Describe Merlot.
Early budding (spring frosts) mid ripening (can be picked before early autumn rain).
Susceptible: Coulure, drought, botrytis.
Can ripen fully in cooler year in comparison to CS. Dominates whole right bank and cooler northern Médoc (more fertile soils with high clay content).
It produces large berry size, also reach high sugar level and therefore higher potential alcohol levels.
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.
Describe Cabernet Sauvignon.
Late budding, some protection from frosts.
Small-berried, thick-skinned with high tannin.
Prone to fungal diseases, especially powdery mildew and trunk diseases, Eutypa and Esca. Ripens late (needs to grown on warmer soils) , vulnerable to early autumn rain. Produces highest quality fruit on warm, well drained soils, such as gravel beds of Médoc.
Contributes pronounced violet, blackcurrant, black cherry and menthol or herbaceous flavours, M alcohol, high acidity and tannins to Bordeaux blends.
Why do Cabernet Sauvignon always blended in Bordeaux wine?
Cooler seasons especially in past cooler climate, growers could struggle to ripen CS fully, resulting wines with high acidity, unripe tannin and little fruit so it is always blended with earlier ripening CF and Merlot.
What does Cabernet Franc contribute to the blend?
It contributes red fruit, high acidity and medium tannins to the Bordeaux blend.
Describe Petit Verdot.
Early budding, ripens later than CS.
Prone to spring frosts, failure to ripen in cool years and rain around harvest.
Does best in warmer parts Médoc, less than 5% when used.
Contributes powerful, deeply coloured wines with spice notes and high tannins.
Describe Sémillon.
Mid ripening, susceptible to botrytis bunch rot & noble rot in right conditions. Can carry high yields.
Low intensity apple, lemon and if under ripe grassy flavours , M body, M alcohol and M to M+ acidity.
Softens SB’s more intense flavours and high acidity. Strong affinity with vanilla and sweet spice flavours from new French oak.
For Botrytis: Contributes pronounced honey and dried fruit (lemon, peach) and a waxy texture.
eg: Ch. Climens or Ch. d’Yquem.
Sémillon also prized for its ageability, developing toast and honeyed notes with age in contrast to SB that can hold but flavours do not evolve.
What does Sauvignon Blanc contributes to Bordeaux blend?
Grassy and gooseberry fruit, high acidity to dry white blends and to sweet botrytis-affected wines.
Describe Muscadelle.
Needs to be planted on well-exposed site, as is very susceptible to botrytis . Mostly used in sweet wines contributes flowery and grapey notes.
Why does close planting adds costs?
1.More plants and more trellising have to be bought.
2.Specialest over-the-row tractor has to be bought.
3.More time needed for training, ploughing and spraying.
What are the planting densities like in Bordeaux?
Top quality vineyards:10,000 vines pre hectare.
Basic Bordeaux AOC: 3-4,000 vines per hectare.
What’s the most common system of managing the vine?
Head-trained, replacement cane-pruned.
Left bank: Double Guyot.
Right bank: Single Guyot.
Rarely, cordon-trained, spur-pruned.
What is increasingly used to combat Eutypa dieback and Esca in Bordeaux?
Soft pruning: making only small cuts if at all possible, leaving some extra wood at cut site to allow wood to dry out and maximising opportunity for sap to flow around plant.
What can be used to treat Flavescence dorée?
Insecticides. but making the growing band of organic and biodynamic producers uneasy.
What are the fermentation vessels used for red wines here?
Wood, stainless steel and concrete.
Closed vats with pump-overs as usual practice.
All fitted with temperature control.
