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     📩 Questions or feedback? janina@eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk 📸 Instagram: @eatsleep\_winerepeat 🎥 YouTube: Eat Sleep Wine Repeat 🌐 Website: www.eatsleepwinerepeat.co.uk THE EAT SLEEP WINE REPEAT PODCAST Featured in Decanter Magazine and Radio Times, and ranked among the Top UK Wine Podcasts by Feedspot. RECOGNITION: – Finalist, 67 Pall Mall Award for Best Global Wine Communicator in Audio (2025) – Shortlisted, IWSC Emerging Talent in Wine Communication (2025 and 2026)