Study Bordeaux: Cinquième Cru

Question 1

How many of the 5 First Growths are in Pauillac?

Accepted Answer

3: Lafite Rothschild, Latour and Mouton Rothschild. Pauillac also holds 18 of the 61 classified growths. No other appellation has more than 1 First Growth.

Question 2

How big is Pomerol, and what is it planted to?

Accepted Answer

813 hectares, less than 1% of the Bordeaux vineyard, about 80% Merlot.

Question 3

Who drew up the 1855 Classification, and what was it for?

Accepted Answer

The brokers of the Bordeaux exchange, at the request of the Chamber of Commerce, for the Exposition Universelle in Paris. It was published on April 18, 1855.

Question 4

Which major Bordeaux appellation has never had a classification?

Accepted Answer

Pomerol. There is no Pomerol cru classé and no grand cru tier.

Question 5

Name the 5 First Growths of the 1855 Classification and their appellations.

Accepted Answer

Lafite Rothschild, Latour and Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac; Margaux in Margaux; Haut-Brion in Pessac-Léognan.

Question 6

Château Haut-Brion: which rank in the Classification of 1855, and which appellation?

Accepted Answer

Premier Cru Classé, Pessac-Léognan AOC. The estate sits in the commune of Pessac.

Question 7

Château Lafite Rothschild: which rank in the Classification of 1855, and which appellation?

Accepted Answer

Premier Cru Classé, Pauillac AOC. The estate sits in the commune of Pauillac.

Question 8

Château Latour: which rank in the Classification of 1855, and which appellation?

Accepted Answer

Premier Cru Classé, Pauillac AOC. The estate sits in the commune of Pauillac.

Question 9

Château Margaux: which rank in the Classification of 1855, and which appellation?

Accepted Answer

Premier Cru Classé, Margaux AOC. The estate sits in the commune of Margaux-Cantenac.

Question 10

Château Mouton Rothschild: which rank in the Classification of 1855, and which appellation?

Accepted Answer

Premier Cru Classé, Pauillac AOC. The estate sits in the commune of Pauillac.

Question 11

Château d’Yquem: which rank in the Sauternes classification of 1855, and which appellation?

Accepted Answer

Premier Cru Supérieur, Sauternes AOC. The estate sits in the commune of Sauternes.

Question 12

Who drew up the Classification of 1855, and for what occasion?

Accepted Answer

The brokers of the Bordeaux exchange, at the request of the Chamber of Commerce, for the Exposition Universelle in Paris.

Question 13

Where does Pétrus sit in the Pomerol classification?

Accepted Answer

Nowhere. Pomerol has never been classified and there is no Pomerol cru classé. Any rank printed on a Pomerol label means nothing official.

Question 14

Which Bordeaux wine region is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and since when?

Accepted Answer

The Jurisdiction of Saint-Émilion, inscribed in 1999 under criteria iii and iv, as a historic vineyard landscape that has survived intact and still working.

Question 15

Which 2 rivers meet to form the Gironde, and where?

Accepted Answer

The Garonne and the Dordogne, at the Bec d'Ambès, about 25 km downstream of Bordeaux. From there the Gironde runs about 75 km to the Atlantic, out between the Pointe de Grave and Royan.

Question 16

The Médoc is on which bank of the Gironde, and who faces it across the water?

Accepted Answer

The left bank, to the west. Across the estuary, on the right bank, lie Blaye and Bourg. Left and right are taken looking downstream, toward the sea, which is why the Right Bank of Bordeaux is the eastern one.

Question 17

At what temperatures should red Bordeaux, dry white Bordeaux and Sauternes be served?

Accepted Answer

Red at 16 to 18 °C, cooler for a young one. Dry white at 8 to 12 °C, the barrel-fermented Pessac-Léognan at the top of that range. Sauternes at 6 to 8 °C, the CIVB range for sweet whites: cold enough to hold the sugar in check, not so cold that the aromas close.

Question 18

What shape is a Bordeaux glass, and why?

Accepted Answer

A tall tulip: a big bowl that narrows to the rim. The bowl gives a tannic wine air, the height carries the cedar and cassis up to the nose, and the narrowing rim holds them there. The Burgundy balloon is wider and shorter, built for a lighter, more aromatic wine.

Question 19

What are the 3 main geographical divisions of Bordeaux?

Accepted Answer

The 3 main geographical divisions of Bordeaux are the Left Bank (Médoc & Graves), the Right Bank (Libournais), and Entre-Deux-Mers. Bordeaux’s structure is built around these 3 regions.

Question 20

Is Bordeaux mainly a red or a white wine region?

Accepted Answer

Red: red varieties cover the large majority of the vineyard, and dry and sweet whites, rosé and sparkling share the rest.