Bordeaux

Vineyards lying to the west of the Rivers Garonne and Dordogne

Vineyards lying to the east of the rivers Garonne and Dordogne Entre

Between the two rivers (Garonne and Dordogne)

Coastal pine forest

GRAVEL, sand and clay

LIMESTONE, sand and clay (plus some gravel which borders Pomerol)

Well drained, but heat retaining - gets released upwards onto the vines = facilitating slow ripeness

Delivers more sugar and thus Alcohol than Cab Sauv and Franc

Loves clay soil

Early ripener (vulnerable to spring frosts)

Susceptible to rot (botrytis) plus coulure (failure of grapes to develop after flowering)

Can ripen fully even in cooler years (which can sauv can’t being later ripener)

Contributes to the Bordeaux blend: medium tannins and medium to high alcohol

Late budding variety (some protection from spring frosts)

Small berry/thick skinned/high tannin

Prone to fungal diseases (powdery mildew)

Likes warm soils as ripens late (gravel in medoc)

Contributes violet, black currant, black cherry, herbaceous flavours - masculine and backbone!

Medium alcohol, high acidity and tannins

Contributes red fruit, high acid and med tannins

Early budding (prone to spring frosts)

Prone to coulure

Winter hardy (good for cool areas)

Red fruit flavours, violet and leafy aromas

Contributes perfume and silky tannins

Light to med body, med tannins, high acid

Ripens even later than Cab Sauv! Making it unpopular with growers in past (but see final comment)

Prone to spring frosts

Failure to ripen in cooler years

Does best in warmer parts of Medoc

Often only used as 5% of the blend

Contributes powerful deeply coloured wines (think machete), spicy notes, HIGH TANNINS

Warmer climate /climate change is making it more valued as more likely to ripen in most years

Susceptible to botrytis and noble rot in right conditions

Can be high yielding

Style is apple, lemon, med body, med alc, med to med+ acidity

Think SOFT as in high quality white Bordeaux blends contributes low body and low to med intensity aromas hence

For botrytis affected sweet wines semillon is main grape for Sauternes (ch d’Yquem for eg)

AGE WORTHY grape (more than SB whose flavours can god buy not evolve)

Susceptible to botrytis and noble rot in right conditions

Can be high yielding

Style is apple, lemon, med body, med alc, med to med+ acidity

Think SOFT as in high quality white Bordeaux blends contributes low body and low to med intensity aromas hence

For botrytis affected sweet wines semillon is main grape for Sauternes (ch d’Yquem for eg)

AGE WORTHY grape (more than SB whose flavours can god buy not evolve)

Early ripening - suitable to be grown in cool climates

Poor soils best as GROWS VIGOROUSLY

Canopy management important here as too shady = too green/grassy vs fruit grown in more sunlight= more tropical fruits flavours

MUST be planted on well exposed site as PRONE TO BOTYRTIS bunch rot

Mostly used in sweet wines blend to contribute flowery/grapey notes.

NOT related to muscat!!!

Canopy management important!! - leaf removal in summer to improve aeration and deter diseases eg powdered mildew/botrytis bunch rot) = AIDS ripening as more exposure to sun! BUT best to do late season to reduce grapes raisoning/ sunburn

Mostly machine harvested but some hand pick for quality control

Quality wines sorted by hand in vineyard or in winery

Large F vessels (cement/concrete/s steel) - temp controlled which depends on style required

Cultured yeasts

Post F maceration on skins - extent dependent on style (around a week for young wines or 14-30 days for wines intended to age for many years in btl)

Juice drained off, remaining skins pressed (pneumatic common)

Press wine (and free run) poured into separate 225L barriques- winemaker will decide what proportion of press wine goes into the final blend (dependant on whether free-run needs more structure and tannins)

MLF in tank or oak barrels (better integration in wood)

Simple wines typically aged in s steel or concrete for 4-6 months with oak chips for oak flavour added

High quality wines matured in French oak barriques (most prestigious use up to 100% new oak)

Wines matured for 18-24 months (wines of higher tannins/greater concentration need longer)

Wines racked every quarter by tradition (some leave wines un disturbed on the lees)

Blending- over winter for en primeur tastings

A minority blend few months before bottling (many properties work with winemaking consultants to assist with blending process)

X2 styles in Bordeaux made:

Deeper coloured, traditional Clairet and lighter Rose

Main varieties: merlot and Cab Sauv

Traditional style: short maceration and bleeding off method (by-product of red wine production - aim to produce deeper colour reds)

New style: direct pressing

After picking, grapes either pressed immediately (= max freshness) or left on skins for up to 24 hours before pressing (more aromatic and phenolic complexity)

Early drinking wines = cool F temps in SS tanks for few months then clarified and bottled

Mid priced left on fine lees 6-12 mnths

High quality fermented and aged in barriques - varying proportion of new oak (eg Pessac Leognan as best whites from here)

Mostly made from Botrytis affected fruit

Low yielding vineyards to ensure higher sugar levels in grapes - acheived by pruning to low number of buds and removal of those showing signs of disease or damaged fruits (wd be prone to grey mould at end of season).

Low yields = increased production costs!!

Importance to identify NOBLE rot and not Black or grey rot which are negative.

For wines of high botrytis concentrations, Teams of pickers must go thru vineyard several times to select botrytis and ripe bunches.

NOTE- harvest can last from sept to nov!

Level of botrytis in final wines depends on vineyard factors:

1. Correct Conditions for the spread of noble rot (varies yoy)

2. Position of estates (proximity to areas where mist forms regularly)

3. Waiting times to Harvest (willingness of estates)

4. Willingness of estates to pay for multiple passes thru vineyard to select botrytis affected fruits

RESULT: wine may be made from pet botrytis/ part late harvested fruit (non botrytis affected)

Vini: as white wines :

F in SS/concrete or barriques and aged for varying periods in any of those containers

Top quality wines barrel fermented (beat integration of oak and fruit flavours) and aged for 18-36 months for top wines to encourage gentle oxidation for added complexity (can be up to 100% new oak for Ch d’Yquem) adding to production costs

Less expensive wines often unoaked and released year after harvest

Test

Bordeaux AOC and Bord Superieur AOC account for 50% of all wines produced (generally lighter wines, not for ageing)

Bordeaux Superior - more consistency of quality : 0.5% higher abv, lower yields, aged for longer in barrel

Medoc: covers N end of Bordeaux - equal cab and merlot plantings (red wine only)

Haut Medoc AOC (sub region, RED WINES only): location of 4 famous communes ( St Estephe, St Julien, Pauillac , Margaux). All adjacent to Gironde estuary and it’s moderating influence + high proportion warm gravelly soils to aid cab Sauv ripening. Cab (50% of plantings) and Merlot (44%).

St Estephe: most northerly / coolest of the 4 communes above as closest to Atlantic.

More Merlot than others above as can ripen fully on the clay soils. Cab Sauv performs best on gravel blocks close to estuary. Style: more rustic as cooler climate hence needs many years in btle to soften tannins. Softer wines come from the gravel soils or where high prop of blend is merlot. High prop of clay soil advantageous in hot dry summers as water retaining

Pauillac AOC

High Cab Sauv prop on gravel banks close to estuary = good ripening. Top estates have higher cab in blend (70-80%)= wines of high concentration/longevity, powerful (style- high tannin, high acid)Has x3 of the 5 1st growths!! - Lafayette, Latour, Mouton Rothschild

Saint Julien AOC

High Cab Sauv plantings

Gravel soils

Style: mid way between power of Pauillac and finesse of Margaux

Margaux AOC

Gravel soils

Ripens slightly earlier being more southerly than Pauillac and N appellations (advantageous if cooler years or when rain threatens)

Style: perfumes wines with silky tannins

X1 first growth

Listrac-Medoc & Moulis AOC

Further from the river than the big 4. Hence less moderating influence of estuary and less gravel soils

Able to release wine for consumption slightly earlier. Wines are good to very good, mid to prem priced

NOTE: All of the above are NORTH of the City of Bordeaux.

GRAVES Appellations

NOTE: all of the below are SOUTH of the city of Bordeaux

Large appellation famous for red and white wines

Pessac-Leognan AOC

Sub region within Graves.

Gravel soils and same moderating influences of Garonne as top communes in Medoc.

X1 first growth - ch Haut Brion

Known for high quality whites Best white wines of Bordeaux! - often barrel fermented and aged and high quality reds

Wines are Good to outstanding / premium to SP priced. Similar style to the 4 Medoc communes

ENTRE-DEUX-MERS

Entre-deux-mers AOC

White wines only - acceptable to good quality

Sending largest AOC to Bordeaux AOC

Mostly Merlot(60%) - (does well on clay soils), then Cab Franc then some Cab Sauv plantings

Saint Emillion and Saint Emillion Grand Cru AOC

Red wines only

Grand cru has lower maximum yields and longer min maturation time (20 months vs 6)

Range of quality - Simple early drinking wines to Top grand cru classe like first growths.

Full body, high alc, high tannins, high acid. Due to high fruit concentration also, these make highly age worthy wines

E.g Ch Cheval Blanc (1er Grand Cru Classe) Leading estate in St Emillion. Produces most famous cab franc based wine in the world (min 10 yrs bottle age - best vintages can last for 50 yrs +)

Pomerol AOC

Small but prestigious red wine appellation

Merlot dominant (80%) then Cab Franc

Good to outstanding, prem- SP

Plum, notable vanilla new oak character. Full body, high alc, high tannins, acid. Very age worthy due to above and high fruit concentration

COTES DE BORDEAUX

Appellation for red and whites on right bank . Eg Blaye Cotes de Bordeaux

Cotes de Bourg AOC not under umbrella of Cotes de Bordeaux. Merlot dominant - similar style and price to Medoc AOC. Small amounts of Malbec also present

Sauturnes AOC & Barsac AOC

South Graves

Sweet, typically botrytis affected wines made from semillon (80% of plantings) SB and Muscadelle

Conditions ideal for noble rot as:

Cold Ciron River meets with warmer Garonne River, encourages MORNING MISTS

Mists then burn off by mid day with sun in the afternoon drying the grapes to avoid developments of grey rot

Sauturnes is largest sweet wine AOC making 50% production

Wines from Barsac AOC can be labelled as that or Sauturnes AOC.

Low yields to ensure fully ripened grapes

Sauturnes has been facing a crisis over 30 yrs as low demand hence many properties now making dry wines

= quality hierarchies for high quality wines

1. 1855 classification (cru classe)

Napoleon instigated to announce best growths

Based on prices being achieved for wines in Medoc (plus Ch Haut Brion in Graves) and Sauturnes

60 leading properties from Medoc and one from Graves (haut Brion) ranked in 5 tiers. Referred to as “crus or growths” from first growths (aka 1er crus) down time fifth growths

Ch haut Brion (Graves)

Ch Lafite (Medoc)

Ch latour (“)

Ch mouton Rothschild (“)

Ch Margaux (Margaux)

2. Graves classification

List established based on price, fame quality and judged by tasting

16 chatueax - red, white and all located within sub region of Pessac Leognan

3. St Emillion classification

1955 and revised at 10 yr intervals ever since!

Judged on terroir, method of production, reputation, blind tasting of 10 vintages plus.

4 tiers:

Premier grand cru classe A, premier Grand Cru Classe B, Grand Cru Classe and Grand Cru

4. Cru Bourgeois du Medoc

Created for other chateaux outside of 1855 classification but still of superior quality

2010 revised to reflect individual wines rather than chateau as a mark of quality based on assessment of production (visit to property) and final wine

From 2018 vintage on, wines to be classified as one of 3 tiers of quality : Cru Bourgeois, Cru Bourgeois superior and Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel

NB Pomerol is the only premium appellation not to have a classification system tho some estates have the highest reputation e.g Petrus

Annual production over 800 million btles (fluctuates on vintage)

Co-ops ac for over a 1.4 production

Vast majority of wines inexpensive to mid priced due to 47% of wines of Bordeaux AOC/ Bordeaux Superieur Appelated

Note Production costs hugely vary between Bord AOC, Medoc estate and classed growth = vine density, harvest costs, higher Viti costs, lower yield, grape selection, barrel ageing (cost of higher proportion new barrel and extended barrel time).

Robert Parker now an important tool of selling wines - scores easy way for consumers to understand

Trade structure (“La Place de Bordeaux”)

1. Producers (rarely sell wines directly)

2. Brokers - put producers in touch with Negociants

3. Negociants - handles 80% of wine by vol. Wine is sold to a Negociant who sells on to retailer/wholesaler. (The relationship betw producer and negociant is handled by broker who earns just 2%)

Co-ops account for a quarter of production and will buy the grapes from grower (vs wine already made applied to above structure) and will then use the broker and Negociants as above

En Primeur

Dates back from period after second WW

Classed growths and high quality wines sold mainly this way.

Sold as futures I.e wine is sold a year to 18 mnths before it is bottled

Sold in spring following harvest whilst still in barrel/unfinished

Why? So consumers can buy hard to find wines at lower prices vs bottles & on shelf prices

Estate benefits from early payment of wine

First tasting in April following vintage when barrel samples tasted by journos and wine buyers

Ch release prices in May and June

Price determined by the reputation of Ch and experts reviews - tNB first tranche to gauge what the market intends to pay, price adjusted for subsequent tranches depending on how it sells ((usual for price to increase) NB Tim Atkin exclaimed he felt he could be influencing what consumers pay and thinks its unfair to base pricing this way

Trade buyers confirm wines they will purchase and Journos publish scores and reviews to guide consumers who then buy from fine wine merchants

Become unpopular since 2010 due to rising prices (influences by interest in China) which led to prices falling meaning some lost money who invested (NB - Ch. Latour announced it is no longer selling its wines via en primeur and others have reduced selling vol in this way. Cost implications in terms of storage (only the top chateaux can afford to keep their wines and not sell en primeur)

Grapes Being picked later, made in a riper more approachable style - style has shifted!! From hugely tannic and austere/traditional