WSET4- Bordeaux (General Knowledge) Flashcards
Where is Bordeaux?
Southwest France near the Atlantic Ocean
Which river or rivers cross through Bordeaux?
The Dordogne (northern most) and the Garonne (southern most)
What estuary can be found in Bordeaux? How was it formed?
The Gironde estuary was formed by the merging of the Dordogne and Gironde
What is the area between the Dordorgne and the Garonne called?
Entre-Deux-Mers (‘Between two seas’)
What is the area to the east of the Gironde and Dordogne called?
The Right Bank
What is the area to the west of the Gironde and Garonne called?
The Left Bank
What happened in Bordeaux that expanded its area under vine? When?
Bordeaux, formerly dominated by marshland, was drained by Dutch residents in the 17th-18th centuries.
When did Bordeaux become fashionable? What boosted its success?
Bordeaux was appreciated across Europe and in America in the mid-18th century. The area was already a staging point for distribution of wines from Bergerac, making distribution easier.
Who distributed Bordeaux wines in the mid-18th Century? How is it distributed today?
Specialized merchants purchased the wines from distributors and resold them to merchants. They were primarily based out of Britain, Ireland, Germany, Holland, and elsewhere. The system is still in place, thoughtoday the merchants are based around the world.
What happened in Bordeaux in 1855?
The Exposition Universelle de Paris was scheduled, inspiring the Bordeaux chamber of commerce to ask wine brokers to classify the region’s wine by price. Five classification levels were made for Medoc and Haut Brion in Graves, with three levels in Sauternes. This official classification remains in effect.
How many hectares are under vine in Bordeaux?
Around 111,000
How much of Bordeaux’ production is dedicated to inexpensive and mid-priced wine?
70% is used in Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur
How much of Bordeaux’ production is used in premium and super-premium wines?
3%
How many hectares does Appellation Pomerol cover?
Around 800 hectares
What is the climate in Bordeaux?
Moderate Maritime
What provides the greatest cooling influence on Bordeaux?
The Atlantic Ocean
What is the ideal growing season in Bordeaux?
Gentle heat throughout the growing season
Sufficient rainfall to promote growth and ripening
Relatively dry and warm autumn
Is the Left Bank protected from Atlantic storms? Why or why not?
Yes. The Landes pine forest protects much of the Medoc by shielding it from oceanic influences. Estates nearer the forest are generally cooler than others. The Northern Medoc is less protected.
What amount of rain can be expected in Bordeaux?
The average is 950mm per year, but there is a significant deviation among vintages both in quantity and timing.
What effect has climate change had on Bordeaux?
Summers are hotter and drier with less rainfall.
How do Bordeaux varieties handle extreme dry, hot climates?
Well, though they produce wines that lack acidity and balance (as with 2003) and possess more alcohol
What is the Libournais?
An area of the Right Bank that includes Pomerol, Saint-Émilion, Fronsac, and the Côtes-de-Bordeaux
What is the influence of the Atlantic ocean on the Libournais?
Not as pronounced as on the Left Bank, but it remains a factor
Where would you typically find the vineyards for Bordeaux’ most prestigious wines? Why?
Close to the Gironde Estuary due to the moderating influence it has on the climate.
What happened in 1956, 1991, and 2017 in Bordeaux and what does it tell us about the growing conditions?
Vines in Bordeaux were decimated by frost in those years. The cool growing conditions lead to increased frost and hail risk that is often mitigated in vineyards close to the Gironde.
Have frost and hail conditions in Bordeaux improved over the past decade?
No. Climate change has worsened the frost risk in Bordeaux.
Is volume consistent from vintage to vintage in Bordeaux?
No. For example, the frost-affected 2017 vintage was 33% below the ten year average and 40% lower than 2016.
What type of soil pervades the Left Bank? Where did it come from? When was it deposited?
Gravel and stony soil brought to the region by floodwaters from the Pyrenees and the Massif Central many thousand years ago.
Depending on where the soils are from, the gravel may be mixed with clay, sand, and minerals.
Describe the depth and consistency of the gravel mounds in the Left Bank of Bordeaux.
The mounds of gravel deposits are not consistently deposited across Bordeaux and are somewhat shallow. The deepest gravel soil is in Margaux where it reaches 32m deep.
The best estates are on these gravel mounds, called ‘croupes’
Do vines in Pomerol risk drought stress?
Due to the shallow soils (rarely more than a meter deep), vines in Pomerol can suffer from drought as occurred in 2016.
What are the risks of growing on gravel soils in Bordeaux?
In drier years, the lack of water retention can cause drought stress.
Are there clay soils on the Left Bank?
Yes, particularly in Saint-Estèphe. The wines grown on these soils are robust and characterful, but have not achieved the same acclaim as those from gravel soils.
What type of soil dominates the Right Bank?
Clay, though there are significant patches of gravel in some parts of the Libournais.
Why is Merlot the dominant variety of the Right Bank?
Merlot is ideally suited to clay soils.
Why is Merlot prized in Bordeaux?
It ripens in almost all vintages and delivers more sugar than Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, thus providing more alcohol. This was a benefit in the past when temperatures were lower.
Where do the best Right Bank wines come from?
Vineyards on the limestone plateau or the gravel section bordering Pomerol.
What kind of soil do we find in the northern Medoc?
Fertile soils with a high clay content
What is the traditional planting density for top quality vineyards in Bordeaux? What is the vine and row spacing? Why?
10,000 vines per hectare. One meter between vines in a row, one meter between rows.
The soils are relatively infertile, resulting in moderate vine vigor.
How does vineyard density in Bordeaux affect costs of grape and wine production? How does it affect profitability?
Costs are higher. More vines need to be bought, more trellising used, more labor for training/ploughing/spraying, and over-the-top tractors for automation.
High densities improve profitability on expensive vineyard land.
How does vineyard density on less prestigious appellations compare to that of the most desired appellations?
Less prestigious vineyards are often planted at lower density.
