Level 3 wine exam practice · Learning outcome 2

Bordeaux and the South-West: practice questions

31 original multiple-choice questions on this chapter, each with an explanation. Five are below; the rest, plus timed mocks and written-answer drills with mark schemes, are in the app.

Sample questions

Which grape variety forms the backbone of most Sauternes blends?
  1. Sémillon
  2. Sauvignon Blanc
  3. Muscadelle
  4. Ugni Blanc
Answer: Sémillon. Sémillon's thin skin makes it highly susceptible to noble rot and it gives the rich, waxy texture of the style. Sauvignon Blanc adds acidity and freshness in a minor role, Muscadelle brings a grapey perfume in small amounts, and Ugni Blanc is not a Sauternes grape.
Which of these appellations lies on the Left Bank of the Gironde estuary?
  1. Pomerol
  2. Saint-Émilion
  3. Pauillac
  4. Entre-Deux-Mers
Answer: Pauillac. Pauillac is a communal appellation of the Haut-Médoc, on the left bank of the Gironde north of the city. Pomerol and Saint-Émilion sit on the Right Bank near Libourne, and Entre-Deux-Mers is the land between the Garonne and the Dordogne, on neither bank of the Gironde.
The 1855 classification ranked the châteaux of which areas?
  1. The red wines of the Médoc, with a single Graves estate, and the sweet white wines of Sauternes and Barsac
  2. The red wines of Saint-Émilion and Pomerol
  3. The dry white wines of Graves
  4. Every appellation in Bordeaux
Answer: The red wines of the Médoc, with a single Graves estate, and the sweet white wines of Sauternes and Barsac. The classification was drawn up for the Paris exhibition from the Médoc reds and the Sauternes and Barsac sweet wines, with one Graves red included among the reds. Saint-Émilion was classified a century later and Pomerol has never been classified.
Which late-ripening variety is used in small proportions in Médoc blends for its deep colour, tannin and spice?
  1. Petit Verdot
  2. Malbec
  3. Carmenère
  4. Merlot
Answer: Petit Verdot. Petit Verdot ripens so late that it only succeeds in warm years on the best gravel sites, but a few percent adds colour, firm tannin and a spicy, floral note. Malbec and Carmenère are permitted but now rare in Bordeaux, and Merlot is a principal variety rather than a seasoning.
Why does Cabernet Sauvignon lead the blends of the great Haut-Médoc communes while Merlot leads in Saint-Émilion and Pomerol?
  1. The Médoc's warm, free-draining gravel ripens late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, while the cooler, water-retaining clay and limestone of the Right Bank suit earlier-ripening Merlot
  2. Appellation law forbids Merlot in the Médoc and Cabernet Sauvignon on the Right Bank
  3. The Right Bank is too hot for Cabernet Sauvignon to keep its acidity
  4. Merlot cannot tolerate a maritime climate so it is planted furthest from the ocean
Answer: The Médoc's warm, free-draining gravel ripens late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, while the cooler, water-retaining clay and limestone of the Right Bank suit earlier-ripening Merlot. Cabernet Sauvignon ripens late and needs the heat stored and the drainage offered by the Médoc's gravel mounds. Merlot buds and ripens earlier and copes with cooler, moister clay soils, so it dominates where those soils dominate. Both grapes are permitted everywhere in Bordeaux; the split is about soil, not law.
Drill all 31 in the app