3 - Burgundy Flashcards
Describe the plantings with Burgundy including within the different sub-regions (3)
(Excluding Beaujolais)
- 50% Chard
- >40% PN
- 7% Aligote
Yonne (incl. Chablis) - 80% Chard
Côte d’Or - 60% PN
Describe the situation and history of Chablis (5)
Valley of river Serein, 110km north of Dijon
Popular during c19th due to proximity to Paris - 40,000ha
Phylloxera and powdery mildew + new railways (transport wine from further afield) in middle of c19th
WWI and depopulation, 1945 frost –> 500ha
Recovery –> 5,500ha
Describe the climate of Chablis (4)
Cool, continental –> winter and summer temps
Northerly latitude –> ripening in cooler years –> VV + Chardonnay
Rainfall 670mm spread throughout year –> moist climate –> disease
Spring frost and hail storms –> VV
Describe the soils in Chablis (3)
Limestone and clay –> concentration of fossilised seashells is called Kimmeridgian soil
Portlandian –> hard limestone with less clay
Best sites have a precise balance between chalky limestone and clay
How can the threat of spring frost be managed? What are the advantages/disadvantages of each? (3)
• smudge pots: smoky, causes air pollution, requires staff in the vineyard
• sprinklers (‘aspersion’): most popular option, though the installation and
maintenance costs mean that it is only a realistic option for vineyards with a good return
on investment (premiers crus, grand cru) or for well-funded companies
• pruning choices: later pruning promotes later bud-burst, reducing the chance of damage
to the new buds from early spring frosts.
Describe vineyard management in Chablis included rootstocks, training systems, yields, and harvesting.
Rootstocks:
- 41B: tolerant of limestone soils with high pH
- 420A: low vigour and tolerance of pH
Pruning/training: Double Guyot RCP: if one cane fails the other may live
Yields: Higher than elsewhere in Cote d’Or –> but frost and hail
Harvesting: machine harvesting, GC too steep so handpicked
Outline the differences between the location, meso-climates and soils of these Chablis appellations:
Petit Chablis
Chablis
Chablis PC
Chablis GC
Petit Chablis: Higher, cooler vineyard with Portlandian soil (hard limestone, less clay), flat/gentle slopes with some north-facing sites
Chablis: mix of aspects, Kimmeridgian soil, flat/gentle slopes with some north-facing sites
Chablis PC: 40 named vineyards, S/SE slopes with Kimmer soils, mid-slope, wines named after site or larger climat
Chablis GC: single GC with seven named vineyards, on bank of river Serein on Kimmer soil, south-facing, mid-slope, treeline protects from northerly winds, marl/clay –> balance of drainage and water retention
Describe the style of wine produced by PC, Chablis, Chablis PC and Chablis GC
PC
- High acid, light-bodied
- Light intensity green apple and lemon
Chablis
- High acid, medium alcohol, light-bodied
- Med intensity green apple and lemon
Chablis PC + GC
- More body
- More concentration
Describe the typical style and quality range of wine produced in Chablis
Structure: dry, high/zesty acid, med alcohol, med body
Flavour: apple, green fruit, no/low oak influence
Quality: good - outstanding
Price: mid-price - SP
Describe the winemaking of Chablis (4)
Chaptalisation: used regularly except in warm years
Fermentation: SS or concrete for a few months
Malo: common –> balance and texture
Oak: uncommon except for occasional PC and some GCs –> crisp, lean style
Old oak: Raveneau
New oak: William Fevre
SS/Concrete: Jean-Marc Brocard
Outline planting and yield regulations in Chablis
Only Chardonnay
PC/Chablis - 60
Chablis PC - 58
Chablis GC - 54
Outline the structure of wine production in Chablis (2)
Divide between merchants and estates is blurring - negociants buying land and domaines making some negociant wine
1/3 of production by co-op La Chablisienne - all levels of quality
Name two important industry bodies in Chablis and describe what they do.
Le Syndicat de Défense de l’Appellation de Chablis (1993)
- Founded by William Fevre to tackle fraud and environmental issues
L’Union des Grands Crus de Chablis
- Promotion of GC with charter for sustainability and hand harvesting
What prices do different levels of Chablis usually achieve?
Generally lower than Cote d’Or
Domaine and level of appellation key drivers
PC/Chablis - mid-priced, occasionally premium
PC/GC - premium/super-premium
Highly regarded producers are extremely £££ e.g. Francois Raveneau and Vincent Dauvissat
Where is Chablis sold?
1/3 Domestic
2/3 Export - UK (largest by far), US, Japan, Sweden, Canada
Describe the prevailing climate of the Côte d’Or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais (6) including the main climatic threats (4)
Moderate, continental
Cooler in north near Dijon, warmer and drier in the Mâconnais
Short summers –> early ripening varieties
Côte d’Or - protected from rain by westerly Morvan hills
Rainfall: 700mm, autumn usually dry
Significant site and vintage variation - e.g. underripe tannins in cool years in PN
Climactic threats:
- Frost
- Hail
- Untimely rainfall
- Drought
Describe each climatic challenge and what growers can do to combat it.
Frost
Spring frost post budburst –> yields esp. as Chard and PN bud early
Warmer weather encourages early growth and makes frost damage more frequent e.g. 2021 causing production down 50% in Burgundy vs 2020
Hail
April-May - damage to early growth –> yields and loss of crop
Summer - fruit damage –> yield and disease –> grey rot might taint wine
Highly localised damage - e.g. Volnay and Pommard in 2012 and 2015
- Sorting tables to remove diseased fruit
- Netting - limited use since 2018, but may cause shading
- Cloud seeding - silver iodide to induce precipitation away from vineyards
Rain
May disrupt flowering/fruit set –> yields and ripeness
Growing season –> fungal disease
Harvest - dilution and fungal disease
Drought-stress
- Berries shrivel in summer, halts ripening
- Less of a problem on clay soils
- Irrigation not permitted
Describe the role of topography in Côte d’Or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais.
Côte d’Or
- Hills orientated north-south with east-west valleys –> most slopes facing east but many pointing south
- Elevation 200-400m
- Top slope: thin soils, exposed to wind
- Mid-slope best - shallow soil, sunlight, frost protection
- Bottom slope: deeper soils, vulnerable to frost
Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais
- Varied topography
- CC: best sites are south-east facing near Bouzeron and Rully
- Maconnais: best sites are slopes, south facing e.g. Pouilly-Fuisse
The coolest sites in the Côte d’Or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais may be used for what?
Planting Aligote or grapes for cremant
Describe the soils of Côte d’Or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais. Describe the difference in soils between different parts of a slope. (7)
Mix of limestone and clay in varying proportions
Côte de Nuits - more limestone –> better for PN
Côte de Beaune - more clay, deeper soil –> Chardonnay
Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais - varying mixture of limestone and clay
Soil thinner at higher elevation, deeper at lower
- Top slope: soil too thin for vines to thrive
- Bottom slope - poor drainage, more clay = greater fertility –> vigour –> shading –> ripeness
Where can you find the most well-regarded Aligote?
Bouzeron in the Côte Chalonnaise.
Describe the characteristics of Chardonnay including budding/ripening, yields, vulnerabilities, main growing challenge, flavour and structure.
Early budding / early ripening
Yield: well without loss of quality
Vulnerabilities: prone to grey rot, powdery mildew, millerandage, grapevine yellows
Challenge: managing vigour to avoid excessive yield and shading
Flavour: Apple, pear, lemon, wet stone –> ripe citrus, melon, stone fruit
Structure: Light-med body, high acidity –> med-med(+) body, med(+)-high acid
Describe the characteristics of Pinot Noir including budding/ripening, yields, vulnerabilities, main growing challenge, flavour and structure.
Early budding/ripening
Yields: limited to ensure ripeness
Vulnerable to: millerandage, downy and powdery mildew, bot, fan leaf and leafroll viruses, shrivelling and sunburn
Challenges:
- Ripens too quickly in warm conditions –> harvest earlier so lacks aromatic intensity
- Lack of ripeness - tannin colour and flavour - cool vintage
Flavours: strawberry, raspberry and red cherry, light oak (smoke, clove) for HQ wines, earth, game and mushroom with age
Structure: high acid, med alcohol, low-med tannin (up to med+ for GC)
How are vines trained and trellised within Côte d’Or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais?
Cordon training incl Cordon du Royat - limits vigour (more buds per vine) and yields but cordons can habour disease
Guyot (replacement cane with VSP) - traditional, many growers returning as can help combat trunk disease
Poussard-Guyot becoming more popular - softer pruning and maintains sap routes, pruning wounds only on upper part of cordon, reduce number of wounds
+ helps reduce risk of Esca and other trunk diseases
+ helps with canopy mngt
- requires skilled workers
How is clonal selection used with Burgundy? (3)
Clones vary in yield, disease tolerance, speed of ripening, fruit characteristics
Pick single clone to encourage uniform ripening or plant variety of clones for diversity of characteristics and disease resistance
Mass selection also used
What density are vineyards usually planted?
8-10,000 VPH - although higher densities exist - encourages root competition –> smaller berries and more intensity
How do growers manage yield?
Growers manage yield via winter pruning, de-budding, green harvesting
De-budding: promotes vine balance but early reduction of potential yield can leave final yield more vulnerable to vineyard to hazards
Green harvesting: allows growers to assess the potential of each bunch and make decisions later in season accounting for any weather earlier in season but can impact vine development and cause dilution in grapes (need more explanation here)
Outline the differences in max yields between appellation levels.
Regional (red/white) - 69/75
Village - 40-45/45-47
GCs - some as low as 35/40
NB wide range within these levels between different areas
What are some issues preventing more growers from adopting organic practices?
Climate - rainfall
Fragmented vineyard ownership - organic practices require minimum area of be effective
What are the main pest and disease threats and how are they treated?
Grape moths - pheromone capsules
Fungal disease - canopy mngt and sprays
Grapevine yellows - monitoring
Esca - changing pruning methods
How are grapes usually harvested? What decisions must be made around harvesting?
Marginal climate means storms/rain can damage or dilute crop
Harvest early for lower risk of damage and to keep acid, harvest later for more ripeness and softer tannin
Most fruit picked by hand - labour shortages
Outline winemaking interventions common in the production of white winemaking within CdO, CC and Maconnais (6)
Acidification - permitted (deacidification used but rare)
Chaptalisation - if sugars too low to meet min ABV, max is 2% (less common now due to better CM and warmer climate)
Clarification - sedimentation for HQ wines, must clarified via adding pectolytic enzymes or centrifugation
Hyperoxidation - reduce risk of oxidation
Cultured yeast - favoured by producers of inexpensive wines
Malo: may be blocked for fresher wines
Filtration: more common than in reds
Describe the main winemaking choices made when producing white wine in the CdO, CC or Maconnais (6) including options for maturation (5)
Sorting tables –> why?
Wholebunch pressed - is skin contact desirable? (aromatics, tannins)
Clarification dependent on desired solids - what kind of wines have more solids?
Yeast: ambient yeasts common as brings terroir, ferments must be closely monitored - why?
Ferment Vessel:
- Cheaper: SS 16-18c –> preserve primary, avoid banana
- HQ: fermented in barrels for creamier style, 20c
Malo: usually allowed in either neutral vessel or oak
Maturation:
- Cheaper: shorter time, less oak, less new oak
- HQ: 8-12 mnths, on lees, more oak and more new oak
- Size: 228L common but 500-600L also used –> style impact?
- Age: regional 20-25% new, 30-50% for PC, >50% for GC
- Lees: contact typical, batonnage once - several times –> reduces reductive flavours, creamy texture
Explain the reasons why some producers favour gentler clarification and others use more aggressive measures of clarification (4)
- Gentle clarification e.g. sedimentation takes time and tank space
- Gentle clarification leads to higher proportion of solids in the must during ferment
- More solids means texture and greater aroma complexity (e.g. reduction), also provide nutrients for yeast
- More solids can cause ferments to stick - reductive compounds out of control –> sulfur
What is premox, what vintages has it affected and what are some proposed explanations?
Premature oxidation - advanced flavours and colours after a relatively short time in bottle
Impact greater on 1996 - 2000 (roughly), remains but at lower levels
- changes in vineyard practices leading to higher yields and different chemical composition of the grapes
- warmer vintages or later picking times
- the use of over-clean musts resulting from the use of pneumatic presses
- overzealous bâtonnage
- lower levels of sulphur dioxide at bottling
- quality of corks and changes in cork treatment before use
Outline the winemaking decisions made by producers of red wines.
Sorting
Wholebunch or destemmed
Cold soaking
Fermentation
Cap management
Post-ferment maceration
Pressing
Maturation
Malo
Fining and filtration
PN: delicate, aromatic and has light tannins - careful vinification –> maintain primary fruit and not overwhelm with new oak
Sorting: common for all but cheapest wine esp with rot or hail
Wholebunch or destemmed: wholebunch the norm but destemmed increasingly popular since 1980s
Cold soaking: extracts colour due to naturally low anthocyanin levels
Fermentation: usually ambient in open-top vessels up to 30c
Cap management: remontage and pigéage –> oxygen (yeast metabolism), reduction, acetic acid, extraction, regulate temp
Post-ferment maceration: depends on the ripeness of fruit (why?) - 2-3 weeks for greater concentration and structure
Pressing: pneumatic or vertical basket - separating free run and press for different maturation
Maturation: 228L oak, >1yr for cheap, 12-20 for prem/SP, % of new oak higher in premium but varies widely between producers
Malo: spontaneous, takes place in spring as cellar warm
Fining and filtration: for mid-priced wines, many HQ wines not –> why?
Which winemaker was responsible for popularising destemming. What difference does destemming vs wholebunch fermentation make?
Remi Jayer - 1980s
Wholebunch - less extraction of tannin, colour and flavour, herbal stemmy flavours from the stems, fruitier
Crushed fruit - more extraction –> more colour, tannin, body
When was most of Burgundy’s appellation system established?
Formalised in 1930s when lieux-dits where placed into a hierarchy based on soil, aspect and mesoclimate
Outline the four tiers of the Côte d’Or
Regional or generic appellations (e.g. Bourgogne AOC, Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de
Beaune AOC)
An additional regional appellation, Bourgogne Côte d’Or, was introduced in
2017
Communal or village appellations (e.g. Meursault AOC, Gevrey-Chambertin AOC)
Premier cru (e.g. Pommard Premier Cru Les Rugiens AOC, Vosne Romanée Premier Cru
Aux Malconsorts AOC)
Grand cru (e.g. Richebourg Grand Cru AOC, Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru AOC. (Note,
for grand cru wines in the Côte d’Or, the labelling term is the name of the grand cru; the
related village name does not appear.)
Give the % volume of production attributed to each Cote d’Or appellation tier
52% regional
47% village and 1er
1% Grand
How do the tier appellation in Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais differ from Cote d’Or?
CC - stops at 1er cru
Maconnais - final stages of formalising 1er cru status
What type of wines are produced in Côte Chalonnaise and what distinguishes 1er crus from lesser sites?
Mainly red but some white
Many wines labelled Bourgogne AOC - offer good value
Village and 1er crus have risen in quality substantially
1er crus: warmest sites, S/SE/E facing with limestone soils
Across the whole of Burgundy how many of each tier of appellations are there?
- Regional: 7
- Village: 44
- 1er: 640
- GC: 33
N.B. Each GC in Cote d’Or is its own appellation, while the seven climats of Chablis’ one GC is a single appellation
How may a wine coming from more than one 1er cru vineyard be labelled?
Village Name + Premier Cru
Give four examples of additional geographic denominations used in Burgundy
• regional appellation plus additional geographical denomination that can be a general area
• village appellation followed by the name of a premier cru vineyard, e.g. Meursault
Perrières AOC
• Mâcon + village name, e.g. Mâcon Verzé AOC
• Grand cru vineyard + climat e.g.
Chablis Grand Cru Valmur AOC or Corton-Les Bressandes Grand Cru AOC.
(e.g. Bourgogne Hautes-Côtes de Beaune AOC) or a village (e.g. Bourgogne Chitry AOC)
Why is the classification system itself not a guarantee quality?
- Napoleonic inheritance laws mean vineyards divided between multiple domaines - skill and resources of each varies
- Some areas are large e.g. Clos Vougeot is 50ha with difference between middle/top section and lower section
Within the Cote d’Or which factors reflect the difference between vineyards in different appellation tiers?
Regional - flat land at bottom of slopes - D974
Generic- higher altitude, lack of protection from wind, less sun, richer soil
Village - bottom of best slopes with richer soils and less drainage
1er - surrounding GCs
GC - mid-slope with shallow soil, well-drained, protection from weather, sunlight
Name the six key villages and their most notable GCs from north to south in the Côtes de Nuits
Grand Marnier Cuts Various Vinous Nightcaps
Gevrey-Chambertin AOC – Red wine only. It is the largest village in the Côte de Nuits.
- GCs: Charmes Chambertin AOC and Chambertin Clos de Bèze AOC.
Morey-Saint-Denis AOC – Almost exclusively red wine.
GCs: Clos de Tart AOC and Clos de la Roche AOC.
Chambolle-Musigny AOC – Red wines only for the village wine.
GCs: Bonnes Mares and Musigny AOC.
Vougeot AOC – This is a tiny village appellation for red and white wines.
GCs: Clos de Vougeot AOC and is much larger than the village appellation.
Vosne-Romanée AOC – Red wine only.
GCs: La Tâche AOC and Romanée-Conti AOC.
Nuits-Saint-Georges AOC – Almost exclusively red wines.
No GCs but 1ers include Les Saint-Georges and Les Vaucrains.
What type of wine does the Côtes de Nuits specailise in. Which villages offer well-priced wines?
Pinot Noir. Marsannay (red, rose and white) and Fixin offer good value (red)
Name the 10 most important villages, whether they make red or white and their notable GCs within the Côte de Beaune.
AC PV LS B P V M PM CM SA
Aloxe-Corton AOC, Pernand-Vergelesses AOC and Ladoix-Serrigny AOC – cluster round the hill of Corton. Village and 1ers make red. GC: Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru AOC (white only), Corton Grand Cru AOC (mostly red)
Beaune AOC – mainly red, some white. No GCs. 1ers: Le Clos des Mouches and Les Grèves.
Pommard AOC – Red wines only, no GCs, 1ers: Les Rugiens and Clos des Épeneaux.
Volnay AOC – Red wines only, no GCs, 1ers: Clos des Chênes and Les Caillerets
Meursault AOC – Mostly white wines, 1ers: Perrières and Genevrières.
Puligny-Montrachet AOC and Chassagne-Montrachet AOC – mostly white. GCs: Le Montrachet AOC and Bâtard-Montrachet AOC.
Saint-Aubin AOC – Mostly white wines. 1ers: Sur le Sentier du Clouand En Remilly.
Name the five most important village appellations in the Côte Chalonnaise. What type of wines do they produce? What % of the vineyard area is 1er?
Bouzeron AOC – 100 per cent Aligoté
Rully AOC – more white than red, 1ers for both, >25% is 1er. Also Crémant de Bourgogne.
Mercurey AOC – largest village by production, more red than white, 25% 1er
Givry AOC – Mostly red , >40% 1er
Montagny AOC – White only, 66% 1er
Name the appellations used to label wine from Mâconnais (decreasing in size, increasing in quality)
Bourgogne AOC
Mâcon AOC – mainly red (or rosé) wines
Mâcon-Villages and Mâcon-village (e.g. Mâcon-Lugny) – white
wines only
Named village – Pouilly-Fuissé AOC, Saint-Véran AOC and Viré-Clessé AOC
(along with the much smaller Pouilly- Vinzelles AOC, Pouilly-Loché AOC)
1ers - 22 climats in Pouilly-Fuisse
With examples, describe how small differences in soil, topography and situation can influence the style of wine produced (3)
Marsannay and Fixin - less protection from wind from south-west due to gentler slopes –> cooler –> lighter-bodied reds and allowed to make rose
Gevrey-Chambertin to Nuits-Saint-Georges - greatest protection from wind –> best for reds and most red GCs here
Some consistent differences in style are unexplained e.g. Volnay is fruitier and more fragrant whereas Pommard is fuller-bodied, Puligny-Montrachet is more floral and concentrated while Meursault is full-bodied and powerful
Describe recent trends in production structure in Burgundy (3)
Historically - negociants were largest producers - e.g. Albert Bichot, Joseph Drouhin, Faiveley, Louis Jadot and Bouchard Père et Fils.
1980s - move toward more domaine bottling
2000s - larger domaines acting as negociants e.g. Dujac
Describe five key types of organisation involved in production in Burgundy
• growers – businesses that have vineyard holdings and sell their grapes or unfinished
wines to négociants. Several thousand growers and typically their holdings are
divided in parcels in different vineyards and villages.
• domaines – businesses that own vineyards and make wine from them, which they sell
under their own label
• négociants – typically large businesses that buy grapes and/or wines, finish them and
bottle them for sale under their own name
• micro-négociants – smaller businesses that buy grapes from very good to top quality
vineyards, make the wines and sell them under their own name, for example, Benjamin
Leroux
• co-operatives – these businesses are less important in the Côte d’Or but have a more
predominant role in Chablis (La Chablisienne), the Mâconnais (e.g. the Cave de Lugny),
and, to a lesser extent, in the Côte Chalonnaise
Where is Burgundy wine sold? What roles does DTC play?
Domestic 50%
Export 25% in EU, 25% ex-EU
Largest export markets: US, UK, Japan
DTC and direct sale to retailer on the rise esp as en primeur has become more important
Premium-super-premium sold via specialist wine shops and fine dining
Generic and village via supermarkets and hospo
Name factors that can determine the price of a Burgundy wine (3)
Producer’s reputation e.g. Domaine Armand Rousseau
Village name and stylistic difference e.g. perfumed Volnay vs tannic Pommard
Reputation of particular cru e.g. within Meursault Perrieres steeliness vs body of Charmes
Describe the trends that have been responsible for price changes in Burgundy (4)
Prices for super-premium up 200% between 2003 - 16 on secondary market
- Increasing land prices - scarce + more demand from foreign firms
- Increased global demand for Burgundy
- Limited supply - volume 1/4 of Bordeaux
- Variable production due to weather hazards
