Bordeaux

Question 1

BORDEAUX

Answer 1

France’s largest AOC/AOP region

300,000 acres of total vineyard area

Second in volume of production to the Languedoc

Question 2

What years was Bordeaux ruled by England?

Answer 2

1152-1453

Question 3

What is a Negociant?

Answer 3

Someone buying fruit or wine in barrel to age in their own cellars before selling the bottled wine

Question 4

What are Coutiers?

Answer 4

Brokers of wine. Supplying the Château with financial backing while gaining total control over the actual trade of wine.

Question 5

What is en primeur?

Answer 5

Sales, the yearly offering of Bordeaux wine as futures.

Question 6

What does the term “second wine” mean?

Answer 6

A less expensive wine comprised of fruit considered inappropriate for the grand vin.

Question 7

What is the climate of Bordeaux?

Answer 7

Maritime, with both the Atlantic and Gironde estuary acting as moderating influences, protecting the vines from winter freezes and spring frost.

Question 8

What type of climate change happens toward St Emilion and Pomerol?

Answer 8

Continental

Question 9

What type of weather causes a celebration for Graves?

Answer 9

Autumn humidity causes the development of noble rot.

Question 10

What is the Bordeaux mixture?

Answer 10

A mix of lime, copper sulfate, and water.

It is applied throughout the region to avoid fungal problems.

Question 11

MERLOT

Answer 11

The most widely planted grape and the earliest to ripen. Prefers clay based soils, as they delay its natural vigor.

Question 12

CABERNET SAUVIGNON

Answer 12

Prefers well drained gravel which allows the vine’s root system to dig deeply while slight water stress adds concentration to the fruit.

Cabernet Sauvignon has difficulty ripening in colder limestone and clay soils.

Question 13

Bordeaux Supérieur AOP

Answer 13

Red and off-dry white with a higher minimum alcohol content

Question 14

Cremant de Bordeaux AOP

Answer 14

Traditional method sparkling wines produced in Bordeaux.

Question 15

MEDOC AOP

Answer 15

Covers the entire wine producing left bank of the Gironde Estuary. The actual appellation is typically used by those chateaux who do not qualify for a more precise appellation.

Merlot is grown in higher proportion

Question 16

The Haut-Medoc AOP

Answer 16

The best vineyards have well drained gravely soils perfectly suited for Cabernet Sauvignon.

Question 17

Haut-Medoc AOP communes

Answer 17

Saint-Estephe

Pauillac

St. Julien

Listrac-Médoc

Moulis-en-Medoc

Margaux

Question 18

What is jalles in the Medoc AOP?

Answer 18

Draining channels

Question 19

Cru Artisan

Answer 19

Recognized in 2002, approval of the first 44 Château did not occur until 2006.

44 small Producers have the right to use this designation, denoting their place as exceptional stewards of the land and craft of winemaking, without the financing or apparatus of large scale operations.

Must be smaller than 5 hectares and reviewed every ten years.

Question 20

Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, Cru Bourgeois Superieur, Cru Bourgeois

Answer 20

Originally introduced in 1932. Not official until 2003 when only 247 of the original 444 properties retained their status.

In 2008 Cru Bourgeois was reinstated but the higher designation of Exceptionnel and Superieur were eliminated

In 2018 Château may once again apply for all three including Exceptionnel and Superieur

The terms will appear on labels in 2020. The classification will be reviewed every 5 years.

Question 21

St-Estephe AOP

Answer 21

Northern most appellation in Haut-Medoc

Slightly higher percentage of Merlot due to higher proportion of clay amongst the gravel

Host to only five classified growths overall. No first growths

Château Cos d’Estournel (Second Growth)

Château Montrose (Second Growth)

Château Calon Segur (Third Growth)

Château Lafon-Rochet (Fourth Growth)

Château Cos Labory (Fifth Growth)

Question 22

Pauillac AOP

Answer 22

Considered classic claret and boasts three first growths

Château Lafite Rothschild

Château Mouton Rothschild

Château Latour

Gravel topsoil at highest point. Cabernet Sauvignon based wines are structured and long lived.

Two Second Growths (Pichon Longueville Baron) and (Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande)

Question 23

St-Julien AOP

Answer 23

Produces less wine than the other communes

No first growths but five second growths

Château Leoville-Las Cases(“super-second”)

Château Leoville-Poyferre

Château Leoville Barton

Château Gruaud-Larose

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou (“super-second”)

Question 24

Listrac-Medoc AOP and Moulis-en-Medoc AOP

Answer 24

Lesser appellations without classified growths

Château Chasse-Spleen In Moulis-en-Medoc is the most famous estate

Question 25

Margaux AOP

Answer 25

The largest communal appellation of the Haut-Medoc spread throughout five villages: Soussans Margaux Cantenac Labarde Arsac Largest number of classified growths (21) including one first growth (Margaux)

Question 26

Graves AOP

Answer 26

Soil is similar to the Medoc only it becomes sandier toward the south Château Haut-Brion (First Growth) Graves wines first classified in 1953, 16 Château in total are included Château La Tour Haut-Brion (final vintage in 2005) and Château Laville Haut-Brion (final vintage in 2008) now supply fruit for a second red and new white under the Château La Mission Haut-Brion label

Question 27

Pessac-Leognan AOP

Answer 27

Created in 1987 in northern Graves All cru classe properties are located within the communes of Pessac-Leognan AOP

Question 28

Graves Superieur AOP

Answer 28

Three smaller sweet wine appellations: Cerons, Barsac, and Sauterns are located within the region Produced from Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle

Question 29

What is Botrytis Cinerea called in Graves?

Answer 29

Pourriture noble-the noble rot

Question 30

What five villages does Sauterns AOP cover?

Answer 30

Sauterns Barsac Fargues Preignac Bommes

Question 31

What is the Côtes soil on the right bank?

Answer 31

Steep limestone slopes

Question 32

What is the graves soil on the right bank?

Answer 32

A gravelly limestone plateau resembling soils of the Medoc

Question 33

St-Emilion Grand Cru AOP

Answer 33

An appellation rather than a classification Required to show an additional 0.5% alcohol and must undergo a longer elevage than wines of St-Emilion All Grand Cru Classe wines must meet the requirements of the St-Emilion Grand Cru AOP

Question 34

Pomerol

Answer 34

A tiny AOP Soil is dominated by sand, clay, and gravel Merlot is most successful due to the subsoil clay rising very close to the surface There is no classification in Pomerol

Question 35

What term is Cabernet Franc known as in Pomerol?

Answer 35

Bouchet

Question 36

What is the new trend the “microchateau” or garagistes movement?

Answer 36

Le Pin In Pomerol, and Valandraud and La Mondotte in St-Emilion were among the vanguard of small Château making powerful ripe and polished modern wines from just a handful of acres. Le Pin only produces around 6000 bottles of grand vin a year

Question 37

What are the four satellite appellations for St-Emilion?

Answer 37

Lussac St-Georges Montagne Puisseguin

Question 38

Lalande-de-Pomerol AOP

Answer 38

Pomerol’s neighboring red wine district Contains the communes of Lalande-de-Pomerol and Neac

Question 39

Fronsac AOP and Canon Fronsac AOP

Answer 39

Red wine district near Pomerol Min. 80% combined Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot

Question 40

Bourg and Côtes de Bourg

Answer 40

The oldest vineyards in Bordeaux Romans brought viticulture to the limestone slopes Finally faded by those of the Medoc and Graves in the late 1600s

Question 41

Château Roc de Cambes

Answer 41

Leads the appellation of Côtes de Bourg

Question 42

Blaye AOP

Answer 42

Reds: Min. 50% combined Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot

Question 43

Côtes de Blaye AOP

Answer 43

Whites: Blanc sec 60-90% combined Colombard and Ugni Blanc, plus Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, and Semillon

Question 44

Côtes de Bordeaux AOP

Answer 44

An alternative to the luxury priced grand vins Predominantly red and may list the area of origin: Francs, Castillon, Blaye, Cadillac, Sainte Foy on the bottle

Question 45

Entre-Deux-Mers AOP

Answer 45

The “land between two seas” the Dordogne and Garonne rivers Produces dry whites Enter-Deux-Mers May use the geographical designation Haut-Benauge, but the wines must be dry in style

Question 46

Loupiac AOP

Answer 46

A sweet wine appellation that may or may not be affected by Botrytis

Question 47

Sainte-Croix-du-Mont AOP

Answer 47

A sweet wine appellation that may or may not be affected by Botrytis

Question 48

Cadillac AOP

Answer 48

Grapes are affected by Botrytis and or passerillage, and must be harvested by hand in successive tries

Question 49

Premiers Côtes de Bordeaux AOP

Answer 49

Sweet wines in the department of Gironde

Question 50

Cotes de Bordeaux-Saint-Macaire AOP

Answer 50

South of Loupiac May produce white wines in sec, moelleux, or liquereux styles Liquereux must be affected by Botrytis, chaptalization is prohibited for Liquereux

Question 51

Graves de Vayres AOP

Answer 51

Releases both red and white wines Blanc: Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, and Semillon. Plus max. 30% Merlot Blanc Red: All six Bordeaux red grapes allowed