19 - The Northern Rhône Flashcards
Where is the Northern Rhône
next to the River Rhône between Vienna in the north & Valence in the south
Climate in Northern Rhône
Moderate Continental
describe the northern part of the Rhône Valley
- quite narrow & steep
vy in the Northern Rhône
- 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
what is the mistral?
cold north winds
hazard in the Northern Rhône
- the mistral
vines in Northern Rhône are …
- supported either by an individual stake or by a tepee-like arrangement of stakes
temperatures in th Northern Rhône compared to the Southern Rhône
temperatures are noticeably cooler in the Northern Rhône
Grape varieties in the Northern Rhône
- Syrah
- Viognier
- Marsanne
- Roussanne
Syrah in the Northern Rhône
- 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)
The wines from Syrah in the Northern Rhône
- 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
why is white grapes added in red wine in the Northern Rhône?
- 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
Viognier in the Northern Rhône
(char., wm)
- 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
Marsanne & Roussanne in the Northern Rhône
- Marsanne: richness & weight
- Roussanne: acidity & perfumed fruit characteristic
- do not have the aromatic intensity of Viognier
- can age well & develop complex hazelnut aromas
Marsanne & Roussanne in the Northern Rhône
- Marsanne: richness & weight
- Roussanne: acidity & perfumed fruit characteristic
- do not have the aromatic intensity of Viognier
- can age well & develop complex hazelnut aromas
wines and crus in Northern Rhône
1. most generic or cru wine?
2. Size of the crus
- 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
Regions in the Northern Rhône
- Côte Rôtie
- Condrieu
- Saint-Joseph
- Hermitage
- Crozes-Hermitage
- Cornas
where is Côte Rôtie
- in Northern Rhône
- around the town Ampuis
- the most northerly appellation of the Rhône valley
what is the most northerly appellation of the Rhône valley?
Côte Rôtie
appellation around the town of Ampuis
Côte Rôtie
Côte Rôtie translates as …
why?
- ‘roasted slope’
- steep, sunexposed slopes
what wines are made in Côte Rôtie?
- only red wines
- how much Viognier can be added to the wines of Côte Rôtie?
- how much is usually added
- up to 20%
- only a small percentage
characteristics of wines from Côte Rôtie
- deeply coloured
- full-bodied
- spicy
- best: aromatic, floral freshness & textural elegance (that distinguishes them from Hermitage)
what distinguishes wines from Côte Rôtie from wines from Hermitage?
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
where is Condrieu
in Northern Rhône
what wines is made in Condrieu?
- white wine made solely from the Viognier grape
is the vine area in Condrieu growing?
yes
- the area under vine has grown significantly in recent years
the best wines in Condrieu comes from
- low-yielding old vines
- grown on steep, well-exposed, terraced vy
single property appellation within Condrieu
Château-Grillet
Where is Ch. Grillet?
- it is a single property appellation within Condrieu, Northern Rhône
- produces wines in a similar style
where is Saint-Joseph
- in Northern Rhône
- runs along the western bank of the Rhône from Condrieu in the north to Tournon in the south
what wines are made in Saint-Joseph?
- 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
where is Hermitage & Crozes-Hermitage
- 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
how is Hermitage divided?
- into a number of lieux-dits, named sites, which are not part of the appellation system
describe the lieux-dits of Hermitage
- 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
characteristics of Hermitage
Red
- generally the fullest-bodied of the Northern Rhône
- ages well
what wines are made in Hermitage?
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
the most important appellation in terms of volume
(North Rhône)
Crozes-Hermitage
vineyards in Crozes-Hermitage
- lie on mixed terrain around the hill of Hermitage
- north of Hermitage: on slopes
- south of Hermitage: most on flat plain
what wines are made in Crozes-Hermitage?
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
where is Cornas
- in the Northern Rhône
- the most southerly of the red wine crus
the warmest cru in Northern Rhône
Cornas
temperature in Cornas compared to the rest of Northern Rhône
by far the warmest
vineyards in Cornas
lie on the
- sheltered
- well-exposed
- sun-baked
- south-facing slopes
of the many lateral valleys that exist here
% white grapes in Cornas red wine
0%
Must be made from 100% Syrah
what wines are made in Cornas?
Only red wine from 100% Syrah
- deeply coloured
- full-bodied
- style & quality similar to Hermitage
