3. Burgundy Flashcards
What is the most planted variety in Burgundy?
Chardonnay
What is the name of the river that runs through Chablis?
Serein
Approximately how much land is currently under vine in Chablis?
5,800 ha
Describe Burgundy’s climate (2)
1) Chablis - cool continental
2) Cote d’Or et al - moderate continental
What three weather threats is Burgundy (including Chablis) vulnerable to?
1) Spring frost
2) Hail storms throughout the growing season
3) Growing season rainfall (680mm) increasing the risk of fungal diseases
What are the predominant soils in Chablis?
Kimmeridgian limestone and clay
What three preventative measures are employed in Chablis to mitigate spring frost?
1) Smudge pots - pollutant
2) Sprinklers (aspersion) - most popular but expensive
3) Later pruning, which promotes later bud-burst
What is the primary rootstock used in Chablis and why?
1) 41B (vinifera x berlandieri)
2) Due to its high lime tolerance
What training system is most popular and why?
1) Double Guyot
2) If one cane fails the other may survive frost
How are harvests in Chablis generally undertaken?
By machine except for the steep GC hill
Chablis has seven Gran Cru climates. Name them
1) Blanchot
2) Bougros
3) Les Clos
4) Grenouilles
5) Preuses
6) Valmur
7) Vaudésir
Describe a typical Petit Chablis vineyard (3)
1) Flat or gentle slopes
2) Higher and cooler than Chablis AOC
3) Predominantly Portlandian soil
What is Portlandian soil?
Hard limestone with less clay than Kimmeridgian
What aspect does the GC Chablis vineyard face and for what two reasons is this beneficial?
1) South-west
2) On the right bank of the Serein for temperature moderation
3) Afternoon sun for ripening
What two benefits does the mid-slope give 1er and GC vineyards?
1) Drainage
2) Frost protection
May Burgundy be chaptalised?
Yes
What are Chablis’s maximum yields? (3)
1) Petit Chablis and Chablis - 60 hL/ha
2) Chablis 1er - 58 hL/ha
3) Chablis GC - 54 hL/ha
Name two producers who use old oak for Chablis maturation
1) Vincent Dauvissat
2) Francois Raveneau
Name a producer who uses new oak for Chablis maturation
William Fevre
In what vessel types is Chablis typically a) fermented and b) stored?
a) Stainless steel
b) Stainless steel and concrete
What provides protection from rain to the Cote d’Or?
The Morven hills to the west
Burgundy’s best vineyards are found mid-slope. Why? (3)
1) Well-draining, shallow soils
2) Good sunlight interception
3) Comparative frost protection
What is exacerbating the risk of spring frost?
Warmer than usual winters that encourage earlier growth
What is the elevation range in Burgundy?
200-400m
What soil type is dominant in a) Cote de Nuits and b) Cote de Beaune, and which varieties do these soils best correspond to?
1) Limestone x Pinot Noir
2) Clay x Chardonnay
What Cote Chalonnaise village is known for high quality Aligote?
Bouzeron
How do the soils differ from top to bottom of a slop?
1) Top - thin, often too thin for vines to thrive
2) Mid - ideal drainage and soil depth
3) Bottom - more fertile with poorer drainage leading to excessive vigour
Chardonnay is prone to what four disease pressures?
1) Grey rot
2) Powdery mildew
3) Millerandage
4) Grapevine yellows
What is the main challenge in good growing seasons with respect to Chardonnay?
Controlled vigour to avoid excessive yield and shading
Pinot Nor is prone to what six disease pressures?
1) Millerandage
2) Powdery mildew
3) Downy mildew
4) Botrytis
5) Fan leaf
6) Leaf roll
Many of the clones used in red and white Burgundy are drawn from which clone?
Dijon
Why are some growers using Poussard-Guyot?
It reduces the number of pruning wounds restricting them to the top of the cordon, which seeks to reduce the incidence of trunk disease i.e. Esca
What planting density is common in Burgundy? Why?
1) 8-10,000 per hectare
2) To encourage root competition leading to higher quality
What are the advantages and disadvantages associated with de-budding and green harvesting?
1) Can promote good balance in the vine
2) Can reduce yields in hail, frost etc affected years
What are Burgundy’s regional yield limits for red and white?
1) Red - 69hL/ha
2) White - 75hL/ha
What are Burgundy’s village yield limits for red and white?
1) Red - 40-45hL/ha
2) White - 45-47hL/ha