WHAT IS BORDEAUX? Major wine regions of France. Wine Appreciation from Grapes to Glass, Lecture 6: The Bordeaux Region. Dennis Swaney, Karin Limburg

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1 Major wine regions of France Wine Appreciation from Grapes to Glass, Lecture 6: The Bordeaux Region Dennis Swaney, Karin Limburg Vineyard outside of St Emilion, France, Fall, WHAT IS BORDEAUX? From the French bord de l eau or bord d eaux : edge of the water A city Bordeaux: Vineyard area ~ ha population ~ 250,000 A region (largely coincides With the departement of Gironde ~ km 2 ) A wine (or a class of wines) (For some great online maps of wine regions in France and elsewhere go to: 1

2 Major grape varietals of Bordeaux Red varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon is the major grape of Medoc/Graves Red: Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Merlot Malbec Petit Verdot White: Sauvignon Blanc Semillon Muscadelle Merlot is the major grape of St Emilion/Pomerol White varietals: Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon are the main grapes of white Graves Semillon is the dominant grape of Sauterne (sweet dessert wine) Others are blended in varying degree, depending upon vintage, terroir, etc Some Bordeaux History 122 BC Romans establish extensive vineyards in Languedoc (1 st in France but not Bordeaux) ~48 AD Wine production begins in St Emilion by the Romans for soldiers posted there ( east bank ) 71 AD Pliny the Elder notes vineyards of Bordeaux in his writings 4 th Century AD Ausonius (Roman poet, teacher and vineyard owner) lived in and around St Emilion (associated with the famous Ch. Ausone) 12 th Century AD- Bordeaux wine ( claret ) begins to be exported in quantity to Britain after the marriage of Henry Plantagenet and Eleanor of Aquitaine Some Bordeaux History 1787 Thomas Jefferson, as Minister to France, tours Bordeaux and begins collecting Bordeaux wines, including Medoc, Graves, and Sauternes (he lived in France from ) 2

3 Some Bordeaux History Mid to Late 19th Century Bordeaux was attacked by powdery mildew in the 1850s and downy mildew in the 1880s the mildews were controlled by the use of sulfur and copper sulfate; These and other fungicides are still in use in the wine industry. Some Bordeaux History Mid to Late 19th Century Bordeaux (and, later, Europe in general) attacked by several biological agents including phylloxera, an aphid relative (1869); Phylloxera was gradually overcome by grafting Vitis vinifera grapes onto resistant American rootstock (mainly V. riparius and V. rupestris) Phylloxera larvae on grapvine Powdery mildew surface of grape leaf. Photo: Jack Kelly Clark White downy mildew spore masses on the underside of grape leaf Young downy mildew lesions on the surface of grape leaf Photos: A. Schilder Phylloxera adult on grapevine Phylloxera galls on grape leaves Le Terroir Terroir (adapted from Wikipedia): a French wine term used to denote special characteristics that geography bestows upon grapes. It also refers to a group of sites in same region which share the same soil, weather conditions and farming techniques, which each contribute to the unique qualities of the grapes. Terroir can be very loosely translated as "a sense of place" which is embodied in certain qualities, and the sum of the effects that the local environment has on the manufacture of the product. The concept of terroir is at the base of the French wine Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) system that has been model for appellation and wine laws across the globe. At its core is the assumption that the land from which the grapes are grown imparts a unique quality that is specific to that region. The amount of influence and the scope that falls under the description of terroir has been a controversial topic in the wine industry Some components of terroir: Le terroir Climate Microclimate Soil type & geology (drainage, heat retention minerals, clay content,etc) Topography (relates to slope, aspect and thus microclimate) Terroir has been romanticized in many cases, ascribing almost mystical relationships between subtle flavors (le goût de terroir) and the character of the land and soil...this has commercial implications (value goes up if terroir is unique to small areas) Terroir has some scientific basis in that the success of particular grape varietals in certain regions, or in particular soils and microclimates, is due to their selection over time for features that favor these characteristics and the flavors associated with these wines come to be associated with the terroir though there is no evidence that flavors are directly associated with corresponding flavors of soil components Image: winescale.com 3

4 Le goût de terroir (the taste of terroir ) terms such as terroir (to describe flavors supposedly derived from particular vineyard sites) are figments of the imagination thankfully so, as anyone who has put their nose to the soil or a compost pile can attest. - R. S. Jackson, 2002, Wine Tasting: A Professional Handbook French wine regions and naming conventions: the AOC system Appellation d origine contrôlée (AOC): = "controlled designation of origin" System of certification run by the French government bureau Institut National des Appellations d'origine (INAO) by which official geographical designations are granted to certain wines (and some other agricultural products). Appelationmerica.com Similar systems of official designations exist in other countries, including the US For a great discussion of terroir, see NYT article by McGee and Patterson: AOC Comments Barsac AOC in 1936 Blaye AOC in 1936 Bordeaux AOC in 1936 Bordeaux clairet AOC in 1936 Bordeaux Côtes de Francs AOC in 1936 Bordeaux moelleux AOC in 1936 Bordeaux rosé AOC in 1936 Bordeaux sec AOC in 1936 Bordeaux supérieur AOC in 1943 Cadillac AOC in 1973 Canon Fronsac name changed to Canon Fronsac in 1964 Cérons AOC in 1936 Côtes de Blaye AOC in 1995, formerly part of Blaye Côtes de Bourg AOC in 1936 for red in 1941 for white wines Côtes de Castillon Separate AOC in 1989, formerly Côtes de Castillon Crémant de Bordeaux AOC in 1990 Entre-Deux-Mers AOC in 1937 Fronsac AOC in 1976 Graves AOC in 1937 Graves de Vayres AOC in 1937 Graves Supérieures AOC in 1937 Haut-Médoc AOC in 1936 Lalande-de-Pomerol AOC 1936 Listrac-Médoc Separate AOC in 1986 Loupiac AOC AOC in 1936 Lussac-Saint-Émilion AOC in 1936 Margaux AOC in 1936 Médoc AOC in 1936 Montagne Saint-Émilion AOC in 1936 Moulis or Moulis-en-Médoc AOC in 1938 Pauillac AOC 1936 Pessac Léognan Separate AOC 1987, previously part of Graves AOC Pomerol AOC 1936 Premières Côtes de Blaye AOC in 1994, formerly part of Blaye Premières Côtes de Bordeaux AOC in 1937 Puisseguin Saint-Émilion AOC in 1936 Saint-Émilion AOC in 1936 Saint-Émilion grand cru AOC in 1936 Saint-Estèphe AOC in 1936 Saint-Georges Saint-Émilion AOC in 1936 Saint-Julien AOC in 1936 Sainte-Croix-du-Mont AOC in 1936 Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux AOC 1937 Sauternes AOC in 1936 List of official AOC regions within Bordeaux (each region determines standards and levels of quality for wines within its geographical area) There are currently > 300 AOCs in France Origine_Contr%C3%B4l%C3%A9e_wines Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 For the 1855 Exposition Universelle de Paris, Emperor Napoleon III requested a classification system for France's best Bordeaux wines which were to be on display for visitors from around the world. Brokers from the wine industry ranked the wines according to a château's reputation and trading price, which at that time was directly related to quality. The result was the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 (it has since been modified slightly) which classifies vineyards ( crus or literally, growths ) of the Medoc and Graves into 5-levels: Premier crus (first growths the best!) Seconds Crus, sometimes written as Deuxième Crus (second growths) Troisièmes Crus (third growths) Quatrièmes Crus (fourth growths Cinquièmes Crus (fifth growths) etc 4

5 Other AOCS of Bordeaux have their own classification systems St Emilion (revised 2006) Premier Grand Cru Classé A Premier Grand Cru Classé B Grand Cru Classé Grand Cru Pomerol has none Image: CutisNP Entre-deux-Mers between two seas (actually rivers) ~ ha vineyards Mainly Sauvignon blanc Semillon Muscadelle Most of AOC Bordeaux white wine is from here Relatively inexpensive red and white wines Dordogne R Garonne R Located in the village of Targon in the heart of the Entre-Deux- Mers region, southeast of the city of Bordeaux. Barthe family has owned the estate since Veronique Barthe has installed modern vinification and aging equipment. Estate bottled and is sold around the world. The clay-limestone soil in rolling hill terrain 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Semillon, 25% Muscadelle Average vine age of 25 years, Vinified in temperaturecontrolled, stainless steel tanks. Jackson,

6 Sauternes 1700 ha vineyards Sémillon grapes Mainly Semillon for dessert wines Relies on noble rot fungus (botrytis cinerea) to remove water and concentrate sugar and flavors in the grapes White (mainly dessert wines) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/sémillon In Napa valley, without noble rot In Bordeaux with noble rot The Medoc ha vineyards Gravelly soil Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc Merlot Main inner appelations : Haut Medoc St Estephe Pauillac St Julien Margaux Moulis Listrac The greatest of Sauternes: Ch. D Yquem Only red wines 6

7 Graves/ Pessac-Leognan ~5000 ha vineyards Gravelly soil ( graves =gravel) Red & white wines Cabernet sauvignon, Cabernet franc Merlot Sauvignon blanc Semillon The five premier crus of Bordeaux (Medoc & Graves): Ch. Mouton Rothschild, Ch. Margaux, Ch. Haut-Brion, Ch. Lafite Rothschild, & Ch. Latour Photo by Bob Howarth Stony soils ( graves ) of Ch Haut-Brion 7

8 Jackson, 2002 St. Emilion ~5500 ha vineyards Clayey, limestone soil Mainly Merlot Cabernet Franc Malbec Cab. Sauvignon Only red wines The two greatest of St Emilion: Ch. Cheval Blanc & Ch. Ausone 8

9 Pomerol 760 ha vineyards Dense clayey, limestone soil with high iron crasse de fer (iron dirt or iron filth) Mainly Merlot Cabernet Franc Malbec Cab. Sauvignon Photo by Bob Howarth Harvest (2006) in St Emilion note clayey soils Only red wines 2005 a generally excellent vintage for Bordeaux In the Lussac-St Emilion AOC About 45 km NE of St Emilion near village of Lussac Clay-limestone soil Mostly merlot (> 70%) Otherwise Cab. Sauvignon, The greatest of Pomerol: Ch. Petrus 9

10 Everyone in France loves leetle dogs! (Dogs at a restaurant) Jackson, 2002 References Coates, Clive Grands Vins. The Finest Chateaux of Bordeaux and their Wines. U. California Press, Berkeley Gale, George Saving the vine from Phylloxera: a never-ending battle. Chapter four in Sandler, M. and Pinder, R. (eds) Wine: A scientific exploration. Taylor & Francis, London & New York. Johnson, Hugh The World Atlas of Wine.Simon & Schuster, New York (newer editions available) Zraly, Kevin Windows on the World Complete Wine Course. Sterling Press, New York. (and see various websites noted on previous pages) 10