Ep 261 - Bordeaux Wine Region | French Wine Deep Dive for WSET Diploma D3

If you're studying for the WSET Diploma D3 exam, or you simply want to deepen your understanding of one of the world's most iconic wine regions, this episode is your essential listen. Janina takes you on a deep dive into Bordeaux, delivering everything you need to know in an engaging, audio flashcard format. She asks the questions, you pause and think (or just absorb it all), and by the end you'll have a solid command of everything from the rivers that shape the region to the soils beneath the vines.

By the end of this episode, you'll be able to confidently name Bordeaux's key grape varieties and explain what each brings to a blend, describe the major appellations on both the Left Bank and Right Bank, understand how climate, vintage variation, and soil type influence wine style, and walk through the winemaking decisions -from vineyard to bottle - that define great Bordeaux. Whether you're revising for an exam or just want to sound impressively knowledgeable at your next dinner party, this one's for you.

💡 Want more flashcard-style episodes? Previously, Janina has also produced episodes to help with Fortified Wine and Sparkling Wine exams along with several other wine regions for D3 exams. You can find them here:

Ep 253: Rhône Valley

Ep 256: Languedoc- Roussillon

Ep 113: Shery, VdNs, Rutherglen Muscat

Ep 120: Port & Madeira

Ep 129: Sparkling Wine Production

Ep 136: Champagne

Ep 142: All other sparkling wines

Timestamps

0:30 — Bordeaux Overview: production split (85% red, 9% dry white, 5% rosé)

2:24 — Location & Geography — The Garonne, Dordogne & Gironde Estuary; Left Bank vs. Right Bank

3:26 — History — The Dutch, wine merchants & brokers, and how Bordeaux built its global reputation

4:29 — The 1855 Classification — How it came about and why it still matters today

(Listen to Ep 239 - 4mins in for more details on this classification)

6:07 — Climate — Maritime influence, the Gulf Stream, and what makes a great vintage

7:21 — Forests, geography & Left Bank climate protection (the Landes pine forests)

7:24 — Rainfall variability and its impact on vine health and vintage quality

8:26 — Climate change: hotter summers, lower acidity, higher alcohol

9:17 — Extreme weather: frost, hail & vintage variation

10:20 — Soils — Why gravel is king on the Left Bank; heat retention, drainage & the croupe

13:43 — Right Bank soils: clay, limestone plateau & Merlot's natural home

14:07 — Grape Varieties: Merlot — Growth cycle, risks, flavour profile & why it dominates the Right Bank

17:33 — Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon — Late budding, thick skins, disease risks & what it contributes to blends

18:46 — What happens when Cabernet Sauvignon doesn't ripen fully

19:20 — Grape Varieties: Cabernet Franc — Bud break, coulure risk, herbaceous character & canopy management

20:29 — Grape Varieties: Malbec — Vineyard behaviour, the 1956 frost & why it declined in Bordeaux

21:41 — Grape Varieties: Petit Verdot — Late ripening, small blending amounts & why climate change is reviving it

23:20 — Grape Varieties: White — Sémillon — Noble rot susceptibility, flavour profile, aging potential & its role in dry and sweet blends

25:39 — Grape Varieties: White — Sauvignon Blanc — Its contribution to dry and sweet Bordeaux wines

26:33 — Grape Varieties: White — Muscadelle — Aromatic qualities, Botrytis risk & use in sweet wines

27:05 — Vineyard Management — Planting density, vine spacing & costs

28:22 — Pruning systems: double vs. single Guyot; cordon trained vines

29:12 — Canopy management, leaf removal, disease pressure & trunk diseases (Eutypa & Esca)

31:18 — Organic viticulture: Flavescence Dorée, certification & 18% of Bordeaux certified organic in 2021

32:08 — Yield management: bunch thinning, natural balance & why extreme low yields are falling out of favour

33:03 — Harvesting: hand vs. machine picking; labour shortages in northern Médoc

34:24 — Winemaking: Red Wines — Fermentation vessels, extraction, maceration times & pressing

37:13 — Barrel aging: barriques, new oak proportions, racking & blending timing

38:41 — Winemaking: Rosé — Saignée vs. direct press; traditional vs. modern styles

39:07 — Winemaking: White Wines — Early drinking, mid-priced & high quality approaches; lees aging, bâtonnage & new oak trends

40:53 — Winemaking: Sweet Wines — Yields, multiple harvest passes, noble rot selection & barrel aging for top estates

44:11 — Appellations: Overview — 65 appellations; Bordeaux AOC & Bordeaux Supérieur yields and styles

46:19 — Left Bank: Médoc & Haut-Médoc — Yield limits, style differences & the four famous communes

47:19 — Saint-Estèphe — Clay soils, higher Merlot, rustic tannins & no first growths

47:47 — Pauillac — High Cabernet Sauvignon, three first growths, exceptional aging potential

48:27 — Saint-Julien — Between Pauillac's power and Margaux's finesse

48:44 — Margaux — Elegance, perfume, silky tannins & earlier ripening

49:31 — Listrac-Médoc & Moulis — Further from the river, less gravel, good to very good quality

49:43 — Graves & Pessac-Léognan — Best white wines in Bordeaux; red/white split; yields & style

51:47 — Entre-Deux-Mers — White wine only; second-largest appellation; fresh and inexpensive

52:12 — Right Bank: Saint-Émilion — Merlot dominance, Grand Cru rules, classification system & satellites

53:55 — Pomerol — ~80% Merlot, no classification, tiny estates, super-premium pricing & wine style

55:35 — Lalande-de-Pomerol & Côtes de Bordeaux appellations

56:06 — Côtes de Bourg — Malbec focus

56:27 — Sweet Wine Appellations: Sauternes & Barsac — Noble rot conditions, Ciron River mists, 25 hl/ha yields & wine style

58:12 — Other sweet wine appellations: Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, Loupiac & Premier Côtes de Bordeaux

58:42 — What's NOT covered in this episode (classifications, En Primeur, La Place de Bordeaux) — so follow these links to other episodes to supplement your wine learning:

Ep 185 : La Place de Bordeaux

Ep 182 : En Primeur

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