20/21. Rhone Valley Flashcards
What city is considered the culinary heart of France?
Lyon
What is the origin of Syrah grape?
Rhone-Alpes department in France
What is the origin of Viognier grape?
France (related to Mondeuse Blanche)
What is the origin of Muscat a Petit Grains Blanc grape?
Greek or Italian
When were the French Popes in Avignon?
1309 to 1376
What is Vin de Medecine?
refers to wine from CDP sold to Burgundy in the 14th century (through the 19th century) to add tannin and pigment
What is “La Cote du Rhone”? When did it originate?
name of an administrative district in the Vicariate of Uzes in the 1600’s, wine from this district was referred to as “Cote du Rhone”
When did “La Cote du Rhone” become “Les Cotes du Rhone””?
in the 1800’s, stretching from Vienne to Avignon
When did term CDR originate?
1737, King Louis XV enforced branding of wine barrels
What is septentrionales?
northern [from (“seven ploughoxen”), a name for the constellations which appear in the northern sky]
What is meridionale?
southern
What are the 5 categories of CDR AOCs? And what is their relative production?
CDR AOC (regional - 65%), CDR Village AOC (5%), CDR-Named Villages AOC (10%), 16 Cru AOCs (19%), 2 Vins Doux Naturals AOC (1%)
The CDR AOCs produce what percent of the total wine production in the Rhone Valley?
75%, thus CDR regional AOC produces 50% (2/3 of all CDR AOCs) of all Rhone Valley wine production
What are the 8 northern Rhone Crus?
Cote-Rotie, Condrieu, Chateau Grillet, Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Cornas, Saint-Peray
What are the 8 southern Rhone Crus?
Vinsobes, Rasteau, Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Beaumes de Venise, CDP, Lirac, Tavel
The Southern Rhone produces what percent of the total CDR wine?
95%
What is the legal difference between blending formulas for CDR and CDR Village?
CDR formulas regulate percentage of vines in the ground, CDRV regulate percentage of bottle content
What is the signature difference between CDR and CDRV?
the required addition of Syrah or Mouvedre in the bottle gives more pigment and tannin in the CDRV products.
Which group of AOCs has the lowest minimum alcohol requirement?
Northern Rhone Crus
What percent of Les Cotes du Rhone wine production is red?
92% (4% white, 4% rose)
What grape variety was reduced dramatically in the Rhone Valley after phylloxera?
Mourvedre (difficult to find a proper rootstock partner) [think Bandol]
What are the predominant grapes in CDR?
Grenache (65%) and Syrah (18%) [Only 5% of CDR production is white wine, so no white grapes really predominate.]
What percent of Rhone Valley wine production is red?
86% (5% white, 9% rose)
What are common effects of the River Effect and Mistral Effect?
moderate summer temperature and prevents frost in the spring
What time of year does the Mistral blow?
year round
The Northern Rhone region produces what amount of total CDR wine?
5% (4% of total Rhone Valley wine)
How long is Northern Rhone region?
45 miles
What is climate of Northern Rhone?
moderate continental (diurnal and seasonal temperature swings)
What is coulure?
a potential viticultural hazard that is the result of metabolic reactions to weather conditions that causes a failure of grapes to develop after flowering, in English, shatter. [wiki]
What grapes are most susceptible to coulure?
Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, and Muscat Ottonel [wiki]
What is the most common weather hazard in the Northern Rhone in the fall?
hail
What type of ripening characteristics are favored in the Northern Rhone?
early ripening, Syrah and Viognier
The vine experiences winter dormancy in which area of the Rhone?
Northern
What are the characteristics of Northern Rhone soil?
basically granite (granitic subsoil with topsoil of mica-schist and granitic sand, allowing reflection of heat late in the day)
Vins de Paille is found in what Northern Rhone village?
Hermitage
Late harvest Viognier is found in what Northern Rhone village?
Condrieu
Which Northern Rhone white grape can produce age worthy wines?
Rousanne, Marsanne (Hermitage), Viognier (Chateau-Grillet)
Is blending allowed in Cote Rotie?
yes, up to 20% Viognier is co-planted and co-fermented
Name 2 Northern Rhone Crus located on left bank of the river.
Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage
Is blending allowed in Hermitage?
yes, up to 15% Marsanne a/o Rousanne
Is blending allowed in Cornas?
no (contrast to Cote-Rotie, Hermtage and Saint-Joseph)
Where is sparkling wine made in the Northern Rhone Crus?
Saint-Peray
What is the smallest Northern Rhone Crus?
Chateau-Grillet
What is the largest of the Northern Rhone Crus?
Crozes-Hermitage at 3700 acres (not Saint-Joseph at 2900 acres)
Name two Northern Rhone Crus that produce only red wine?
Cote-Rotie and Cornas
Name three Northern Rhone Crus that produce only white wine?
Condrieu, Chateau-Grillet, Saint-Peray.
Name three Northern Rhone Crus that produce both red and white wine?
Saint-Joseph, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage
What city marks the northern extent of the Northern Rhone?
Vienne
What city marks the southern extent of the Northern Rhone?
Valence
What city marks the northern extent of the Southern Rhone?
Montelimar
What city marks the southern extent of the Southern Rhone?
Nimes (CDR stops at Avignon)
What is the climate of the Southern Rhone?
moderate Mediterranean
What are galets?
large rounded river stones found in the Southern Rhone
Galet soil produces what types of wine?
dense, layered, powerful wines
Shingle clay soil produces what types of wine?
powerful, tannic age-worthy
Stony clay limestone soil produces what types of wine?
age worthy, good acidity, sleek polished tannins
Loess and molasse soil produces what types of wine?
wind blown slit and sands, bright whites and simple reds, fruit forward
Red sandstone soil produces what types of wine?
black fruit, spice and leather
What is the most common vine training system in Southern Rhone?
bush trained or gobelet
Which Southern Rhone cru is always hand-harvested?
Beaumes de Venise
Are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot allowed to be grown in Rhone Valley?
yes, but only for wines below the AOC category (i.e. IGP)
What is the difference between Muscat de Beaumes de Venise AOC and Beaumes de Venise Cru AOC?
Muscat crafts VDN and Cru crafts dry, red wine
The Southern Rhone produces what percent of all CDR wine?
95%
How many villages produce for CDRV?
95
How many villages produce for CDRV named village?
18
What percent of CDR Cru production comes from the North?
25%
What is the core red blend in the Southern Rhone Crus?
GSM + Cinsault
What is the core white blend in the Southern Rhone Crus?
Marsanne, Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Bourboulenc Viognier and Clairette
A taste of Kirsch suggests which Rhone Cru?
Gigondas or CDP
What is the largest Southern Rhone Cru?
CDP
Name two Southern Rhone Crus on the right bank.
Lirac, Tavel
Name the Southern Rhone Cru that is 100% rose.
Tavel
What is the vinification of Tavel wines?
via saignee
What are the primary grapes for Rasteau VDN?
Grenache family: Noir, Gris, Blanc, mostly red VDN produced
What is the largest non-CDR AOC in the Rhone?
Ventoux AOC
Which AOC is cooler and receives more rainfall than other Southern Rhone areas?
Cotes du Vivarais
What is the driest AOC in CDR region?
CDP
The VDN of CDR contains how much sugar and how much alcohol?
at least 11% residual sugar and 15% alcohol (contrast to Roussillon VDN which may contain much less residual sugar, but most contain more than 10% RS)
What color wines are made in Cote Rotie?
red only (but cofermented with up to 20% Viognier)
What color grapes are grown in Cote Rotie?
red and white (red wine can be cofermented with up to 20% Viognier)
What is the relationship between Condrieu and Chateau Grillet?
Both are northern Rhone crus that make white wine from Viognier. Chateau Grillet is a single property enclave within Condrieu.
What color wines are made in Cornas?
red only (same as Cote Rotie)
What color grapes are grown in Cornas?
red only (contrast with Cote Rotie where Viognier is coplanted)
What are the aroma markers for wine from Muscat de Beaumes de Venise?
grape, peach and perfumed aromas
What is the style of Muscat de Beaumes de Venise?
sweet, white wine best consumed young
What is the fullest bodied Northern Rhone red wine?
Hermitage (reflects more southern location and south facing aspect of hill)
What is the range of trellising in the Rhone Valley?
In Cote Rotie, vines are staked, often in a tepee configuration. In CDP, the vines are bush trained without trellising.
From a vinicutural standpoint, what is the advantage of cofermenting Violgnier with Syrah?
tannins from Viognier help stablize the color and tannin of the final red wine product in Cote Rotie
What is the role of carbonic maceration in the Northern Rhone?
minor role, but allows production of less tannic wine for early consumption
What is the difference between coulure and millerandage?
In coulure flowers stay closed and are not fertilized and grapes fail to develop. Coulure can also cause irregular bunches of grapes which are less compact than normal. These bunches are more sensitive to developing various grape diseases. Millerandage is when the flowers are pollinated but the resulting berries develop with seeds and remain small. Both coulure and millerandage are often caused by inclement weather during the flowering and fruit set period and cause reduced yields.
What are the grape varieties with high proclivity to coulure?
Grenache, Malbec, Merlot, and Muscat Ottonel.
