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WSET 3 > 19 - The Northern Rhône > Flashcards

19 - The Northern Rhône Flashcards

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1
Q

Where is the Northern Rhône

A

next to the River Rhône between Vienna in the north & Valence in the south

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2
Q

Climate in Northern Rhône

A

Moderate Continental

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3
Q

describe the northern part of the Rhône Valley

A
  • quite narrow & steep
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4
Q

vy in the Northern Rhône

A
  • mainly planted close to the river where the best sites occupy steep slopes with a south-facing aspect.
  • these sites often lie in lateral valleys that feed into the Rhône, valleys that also serve to protect the vines from the mistral
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5
Q

what is the mistral?

A

cold north winds

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6
Q

hazard in the Northern Rhône

A
  • the mistral
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7
Q

vines in Northern Rhône are …

A
  • supported either by an individual stake or by a tepee-like arrangement of stakes
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8
Q

temperatures in th Northern Rhône compared to the Southern Rhône

A

temperatures are noticeably cooler in the Northern Rhône

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9
Q

Grape varieties in the Northern Rhône

A
  • Syrah
  • Viognier
  • Marsanne
  • Roussanne
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10
Q

Syrah in the Northern Rhône

A
  • the only black variety permitted in the Northern Rhône
  • at the very northern limit of where it can ripen successfully (latitude + mistral)
  • the most prized sites for Syrah have sourherly exposures & are on very steep slopes (particularly important in the cooler northern reaches of the region)
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11
Q

The wines from Syrah in the Northern Rhône

A
  • deeply coloured
  • medium to high levels of tannin
  • black fruit
  • sometimes black pepper or floral aromas
  • some use a high proportion of new oak for their best wines, others prefer to use older oak or larger barrels
  • fermenting Syrah with white varieties has traditionally been practised in a number of the crus, but this technique is now rarely seen
  • the addition of the white grapes can help to stabilise the colour extraction from the red grapes
  • Viognier in particular can also add an extra aromatic intensity to the wine
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12
Q

why is white grapes added in red wine in the Northern Rhône?

A
  • fermenting Syrah with white varieties has traditionally been practised in a number of the crus, but this technique is now rarely seen
  • the addition of the white grapes can help to stabilise the colour extraction from the red grapes
  • Viognier in particular can also add an extra aromatic intensity to the wine
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13
Q

Viognier in the Northern Rhône
(char., wm)

A
  • full bodied
  • perfumed aromas of blossom & apricots
  • flavours of stone fruits
  • low acidity & high alcohol
    (the grapes do not develop their signature aromas until very late in the season when they have reached a very high level of sugar ripeness)
  • need careful handling in the winery
    –> not to develop an overtly oily character that can overwhelm the varietal aromas
  • new oak is increasingly being used, but also has to be handled carefully
  • a small number of wines are made in an off-dry style from late-harvested grapes
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14
Q

Marsanne & Roussanne in the Northern Rhône

A
  • Marsanne: richness & weight
  • Roussanne: acidity & perfumed fruit characteristic
  • do not have the aromatic intensity of Viognier
  • can age well & develop complex hazelnut aromas
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15
Q

Marsanne & Roussanne in the Northern Rhône

A
  • Marsanne: richness & weight
  • Roussanne: acidity & perfumed fruit characteristic
  • do not have the aromatic intensity of Viognier
  • can age well & develop complex hazelnut aromas
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16
Q

wines and crus in Northern Rhône
1. most generic or cru wine?
2. Size of the crus

A
  • most of the wines in the Northern Rhône come from one of the cru appellations, although theoretically generic Côtes du Rhone can be made here too
  • most of these crus are tiny, with only Saint-Joseph & Crozes-Hermitage covering a significant area
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17
Q

Regions in the Northern Rhône

A
  1. Côte Rôtie
  2. Condrieu
  3. Saint-Joseph
  4. Hermitage
  5. Crozes-Hermitage
  6. Cornas
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18
Q

where is Côte Rôtie

A
  • in Northern Rhône
  • around the town Ampuis
  • the most northerly appellation of the Rhône valley
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19
Q

what is the most northerly appellation of the Rhône valley?

A

Côte Rôtie

20
Q

appellation around the town of Ampuis

A

Côte Rôtie

21
Q

Côte Rôtie translates as …
why?

A
  • ‘roasted slope’
  • steep, sunexposed slopes
22
Q

what wines are made in Côte Rôtie?

A
  • only red wines
23
Q
  • how much Viognier can be added to the wines of Côte Rôtie?
  • how much is usually added
A
  • up to 20%
  • only a small percentage
24
Q

characteristics of wines from Côte Rôtie

A
  • deeply coloured
  • full-bodied
  • spicy
  • best: aromatic, floral freshness & textural elegance (that distinguishes them from Hermitage)
25
Q

what distinguishes wines from Côte Rôtie from wines from Hermitage?

A

Côte Rôtie
- deeply coloured, full-bodied, spicy
- best:
aromatic, floral freshness & textural elegance
–> that distinguishes them from Hermitage

Hermitage
- the fullest-bodied of the NR

26
Q

where is Condrieu

A

in Northern Rhône

27
Q

what wines is made in Condrieu?

A
  • white wine made solely from the Viognier grape
28
Q

is the vine area in Condrieu growing?

A

yes
- the area under vine has grown significantly in recent years

29
Q

the best wines in Condrieu comes from

A
  • low-yielding old vines
  • grown on steep, well-exposed, terraced vy
30
Q

single property appellation within Condrieu

A

Château-Grillet

31
Q

Where is Ch. Grillet?

A
  • it is a single property appellation within Condrieu, Northern Rhône
  • produces wines in a similar style
32
Q

where is Saint-Joseph

A
  • in Northern Rhône
  • runs along the western bank of the Rhône from Condrieu in the north to Tournon in the south
33
Q

what wines are made in Saint-Joseph?

A
  • the vast majority of the wines are reds made from Syrah
  • some white wines are made from Marsanne & Roussanne
  • best: generally come from the terraced vineyards near Tournon (fl.int & structure similar to Hermitage)
  • excellent wines are also produced just south of Condrieu
  • large volumes of relatively light-bodied wines (carb.mac.), come from the more fertile, flatter sites on the valley floor & the plateau above the slopes. Among the lightest-bodied of the NR, expressing the pepper-perfumed aspects of the Syrah grape
34
Q

where is Hermitage & Crozes-Hermitage

A
  • in the Northern Rhône

Hermitage:
- on a steep south-facing slope, behind the town of Tain-l’Hermitage

Crozes-Hermitage:
- around the hill of Hermitage

35
Q

how is Hermitage divided?

A
  • into a number of lieux-dits, named sites, which are not part of the appellation system
36
Q

describe the lieux-dits of Hermitage

A
  • named sites which are not part of the appellation system
  • vary in steepness & aspect
  • wines of subtly different style & body
  • best: traditionally been a blend of wines from these different sites, but some producers have started to release wines made from specific lieux-dits
37
Q

characteristics of Hermitage

A

Red
- generally the fullest-bodied of the Northern Rhône
- ages well

38
Q

what wines are made in Hermitage?

A

Red
- from Syrah and up to 15% R/M
- fullest-bodied of the NR

White
- from Roussanne & Marsanne

  • although up to 15% Roussanne & Marsanne may be fermented with Syrah, this is now rarely done and instead they are made into white wines that account for approximately 1/5 of Hermitage’s production
39
Q

the most important appellation in terms of volume
(North Rhône)

A

Crozes-Hermitage

40
Q

vineyards in Crozes-Hermitage

A
  • lie on mixed terrain around the hill of Hermitage
  • north of Hermitage: on slopes
  • south of Hermitage: most on flat plain
41
Q

what wines are made in Crozes-Hermitage?

A

Red
- from Syrah and up to 15% MR
- quality, style & price varies significantly depending on the location of the vy
- lighter wines from the higher yielding flatter sites in the south
- more concentrated, complex & tannic wines from the steeper slopes to the north
- some of the more expensive wines may be aged in oak
- overall the red wines of C-H do not enjoy the same reputation as those from Hermitage & Côte Rôtie

White
- some white wines are also produced

42
Q

where is Cornas

A
  • in the Northern Rhône
  • the most southerly of the red wine crus
43
Q

the warmest cru in Northern Rhône

A

Cornas

44
Q

temperature in Cornas compared to the rest of Northern Rhône

A

by far the warmest

45
Q

vineyards in Cornas

A

lie on the
- sheltered
- well-exposed
- sun-baked
- south-facing slopes

of the many lateral valleys that exist here

46
Q

% white grapes in Cornas red wine

A

0%
Must be made from 100% Syrah

47
Q

what wines are made in Cornas?

A

Only red wine from 100% Syrah
- deeply coloured
- full-bodied
- style & quality similar to Hermitage

WSET 3 (45 decks)

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