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Bordeaux Primer This is a basic run down of things you should be comfortable with moving forward onto some of the videos I will post, as well as a second Bordeaux Intermediate level presentation that will be posted very soon.
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Bordeaux

May 08, 2015

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Page 1: Bordeaux

Bordeaux Pr ime r

This is a basic run down of things you should be comfortable with moving forward onto some of the videos I will post, as well as a

second Bordeaux Intermediate level presentation that will be posted very soon.

Page 2: Bordeaux

This map is property of the Guild of Sommeliers

Page 3: Bordeaux

This map is property of the Guild of Sommeliers

Page 4: Bordeaux

The Basic Run Down:

Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, & Petit Verdot are the main red varietals.

Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle are the main white varietals.

The great soil (gravel, sandstone and clay), perfect climate (influenced by the Gironde estuary, the Garonne and Dordogne Rivers) and hundreds of years of experience in fine wine production makes this region second to none in the wine world.

Page 5: Bordeaux

The Bordeaux Wine Label:

The name of estate -(Image example: Château Haut-Batailley)

The estate's classification -(Image example: Grand Cru Classé en 1855) This can be in reference to the 1855 Bordeaux classification or one of the Cru Bourgeois.

The appellation -(Image example: Pauillac) Appellation d'origine contrôlée laws dictate that all grapes must be harvested from a particular appellation in order for that appellation to appear on the label. The appellation is a key indicator of the type of wine in the bottle. With the image example, Pauillac wines are always red, and usually Cabernet Sauvignon is the dominant grape.

Whether or not the wine is bottled at the chateau (Image example: Mis en Bouteille au Chateau) or assembled by a Négociant.

The vintage Alcohol content

Page 6: Bordeaux

Classifications:

The 1855 classification ranked the top Château from the Medoc, Sauternes and Barsac

In 1955, the Château of St. Émilion were classified

In 1953, and revised in 1959, the Château of Graves were classified

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1855 Classification:

The first growths are: Château Lafite-Rothschild, in the appellation Pauillac Château Margaux, in the appellation Margaux Château Latour, in the appellation Pauillac Château Haut-Brion, in the appellation Péssac-

Legonan Château Mouton Rothschild, in the appellation

Pauillac, promoted from second to first growth in 1973.

(This should be common knowledge, and it never hurts to know what the ‘second’ wine of the Chateau is!)

Page 8: Bordeaux

Point of Interest:

Where is the almighty Château Petrus in all of this? Pomerol, where Petrus (and Le Pin) hail from, were never officially ranked like the Medoc or St. Emillion

This area is extremely small, and production levels can be a fraction of it’s left bank counterparts

For testing purposes, you should have a few Pomerol wines in your pocket! There is a lot more to Pomerol than Petrus and Le Pin!

Page 9: Bordeaux

The ‘sweetness’ of Bordeaux: Sauternes is a French dessert wine from the Sauternes

region of the Graves section in Bordeaux. Sauternes is made from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by Botrytis cinerea, also known as noble rot. This causes the grapes to become partially raisinated, resulting in concentrated and distinctively flavored wines. Sauternes is one of the few wine regions where infection with noble rot is a frequent occurrence, due to its climate. Even so, production is a hit-or-miss proposition, with widely varying harvests from vintage to vintage. Wines from Sauternes, especially the Premier Cru Supérieur estate Château d'Yquem, can be very expensive, due largely to the very high cost of production.

Page 10: Bordeaux

Botrytis cinerea aka ‘Noble Rot’

Page 11: Bordeaux

Another glance at the Map of Bordeaux:

Page 12: Bordeaux

Test questions we should know!

This information should be researched and become second nature!

What are the first growths of pauillac? Where is Ch. Ausone located? What is the primary blend of a wine from St. Estephe? Who does the wine Les Pagodes des Cos? What are the major rivers of Bordeaux? Name a sweet wine AOC besides Sauternes from the Bordeaux

region. Do any of the first growth Chateau make white wine? Graves is located on the right or left bank? Has Pomerol ever had their chateau classified? What bank is Listrac and Moulis on? What famous Chateau wine maker produces Dominus of the

Napa Valley?