3.2 Cote Dor

Question 1

What is the climate in Côte d’Or?

Answer 1

Continental, cold winters and warm summers. Early ripening varieties such as PN and Ch suitable.
Protection from Morvan hills to the west.
About 700 mm of rainfall.

Question 2

How is the climate different in Mâconnais compared to the Côte d’Or?

Answer 2

It’s slightly drier and hotter in mâconnais.

Question 3

What is the priority for PN growers?

Answer 3

To promote ripeness. Even in these warmer days, its a challenge. Unripe wines get unwanted tannins, therefor ripeness in skins and pips is a priority.

Question 4

Why is vintages important i Burgundy?

Answer 4

Northern sites have more varied weather, why vintage variation is a thing.

Question 5

What are the hazards in vineyard management in burgundy?

Answer 5

Frosts, Ch and PN har early budding. The warmer winters we have nowadays promote earlier ripening, increasing the risk of spring frosts.

Hail throughout growing season. If it happens before harvest it’s crucial to remove damaged berries to avoid grey rot. Sorting table important.

Rain in early growing cycle can disrupt bud burst, flowering and fruit set. Lowering yields and lead to uneven ripening. Fungal diseases and rot.

Drought-stress have occurred in recent years. Clay vineyards benefit then since irrigation is forbidden.

Question 6

What can be done in burgundy to protect from hail?

Answer 6

Nets allowed since June 2018.
Seed thunderclouds with silver iodide to induce precipitation away from the vineyard.
2012 and 2015 Volnay and Pommard had big problems with hail.

Question 7

What are two of the most crucial factors determining the style and quality of a burgundy wine?

Answer 7

Aspect and elevation.

Question 8

Describe the topography of the Côte d’Or

Answer 8

It lies on hills oriented north-south between 200-400m. Side valleys with different aspects can be found. Best sites on mid-slope.

Question 9

What site on a slope is the best and why?

Answer 9

Mid-slope as they benefit from well-draining shallow soils, good sunlight interception and better frost protection and ripening potential.

Question 10

Why are some sites on a slope considered worse for quality wine?

Answer 10

Top slope can have poor, thins soils and are exposed to cooling winds whereas bottom slopes have deeper soils and are vulnerable to frost.

Question 11

What is usually grown at the less favorable slopes?

Answer 11

Aligoté or crémant de bourgogne.

Question 12

What slopes are the best in cote châlonnaise and mâconnais?

Answer 12

Chal - south east facing in bouzeron and rully.

Mac - pouilly-fuisse. Soon to be pc.

Question 13

How do the soils differ between the cote de nuits and cote de Beaune and what varieties do therefor excel there?

Answer 13

CdN - more limestone and thus PN

CdB - more clay and deeper and hence Chardonnay.

Question 14

What is the challenge in Clos de Vougeot?

Answer 14

The depth of soil above bedrock varies significantly due to erosion. Thinner soils at higher elevation, to little for the vine to thrive, and deeper at the bottom which gives bad drainage and more fertility. At the bottom vigour happens and increased risk of shading, giving less ripening. Not only here.

Question 15

Where is there best regarded Aligoté grown?

Answer 15

In Bouzeron and Cote Châlonnaise.

Question 16

Give the key points about Chardonnay.

Answer 16

Buds early - spring frosts
Ripens early - suitable to cool regions
Versatile - wide range of soils and climates. Best examples limestone or clay.
Prone to grey rot, powdery mildew, millerandage and grapevine yellows
Cool climate chardonnay, Chablis - light to med body and high acidity with apple pear, lemon, lime and wet stone.
Moderate climate, Côte d’Or - ripe citrus, melon and stone fruit. Medium to medplus body and med plus to high acidity.

Question 17

Give the key points to Pinot Noir

Answer 17

Buds early - spring frosts
Ripens early - suitable cool regions
Must limit yield to produce high quality.
Prone to millerandage, downy and powdery mildew, botrytis bunch rot, fan leaf and leaf roll viruses.
Warm climates - ripens fast reducing aromas and berries can shrivel and suffer from sunburn.
In cool climate like burgundy - ripening more of an issue.

Question 18

How is the relationship between yields and quality with chardonnay? What challenge can there be in Burgundy?

Answer 18

It can produce generous yields without affecting quality to much, however in good vintages in burgundy growers have to make sure that the vigour is in check so shading and excessive yields wont decline quality.

Question 19

How does a red burgundy taste?

Answer 19

Red berries, light oak flavours (smoke, clove) and low to medium tannins.
GC can show medium plus tannins, med alcohol and high acidity.
With age earth, game, mushroom.

Question 20

What does Dijon clone mean?

Answer 20

PN and Ch from clones developed at the Uni of Burg in Dijon.

Question 21

What training systems are used in Burgundy and why?

Answer 21

Cordon systems since it limits vigour & yields. Mainly Guyot (VSP) or Poussard-Guyot (soft pruning?). The latter helps prevent trunk disease and canopy mgt.

Question 22

How is Burgundy’s relationship with acidification, de-acidification and Chaptalisation?

Answer 22

All are permitted, de-acidification is very rarely used. Chaptalisation occurs when musts have insufficient sugars, mainly in order to achieve style of a more bodied wine than alcohol. It’s practiced more seldom due to climate change and better canopy management. Max chaptalisation is 1,5-2% alc.

Question 23

How are Burgundian green grapes mainly handled at harvest and why?

Answer 23

Mainly hand harvested since this achieves high quality grapes. They are sorted on sorting tables to remove diseased, damaged or unripe grapes which is crucial for constant quality in cool climates.

Question 24

How are green grapes usually pressed in burgundy and why?

Answer 24

Whole bunch as it helps to drain the must. They are usually pressed immediately and do not undergo skin contact to avoid extracting tannins. Reason is chardonnay being a non-aromatic variety. Overpowering?

Question 25

How is must for high quality white burgundy usually clarified?

Answer 25

By sedimentation, and lvl of solids vary depending on the winemakers choices of the desired flavours they can give the wine.

Question 26

How are simpler Burgundian whites usually clarified?

Answer 26

With quicker methods than sedimentation.

Question 27

What can be done to prevent premature oxidation?

Answer 27

Hyperoxidation. To expose the must to lots of oxygen before fermentation to target the components in the wine that are most sensitive to oxygen. This turns the must brown, which is rectified through fermentation.

Question 28

What is premox and what was has been suggested as reasons?

Answer 28

Premature oxidation. Early 2000s mainly for white burgundies. Reasons suggested were
Higher yields and different chemical composition of the grapes due to changed vineyard practices
Warmer vintages or later picking
Use of over-clean must due to pneumatic presses
Overzealous battonage
Lower levels of sulphur dioxide at bottling
Quality of corks

Question 29

How is yeast handled when it comes to fermenting white burgundies?

Answer 29

Mainly ambient yeasts, some will use cultured for high-volume regional wines. Ambient yeast most common in high quality wines where terroir is considered very important.

Question 30

What can winemakers to if a natural fermentation doesn’t take off?

Answer 30

Warm up the vessel to kickstart the ambient yeasts.

Question 31

How are inexpensive and mid-priced white burgundies fermented and aged usually?

Answer 31

Fermented in stainless steel or concrete in a mid-range temp to preserve primary fruit and avoid banana flavours that can occur in cool fermentation. Wines are aged in the same vessels or in older barrels.

Question 32

How are more expensive white burgundies fermented and aged?

Answer 32

Fermented and aged in oak barrel for a creamier and rounder style and the temp can rise to 16-20 degrees. They are aged for 8-12 months in these barrels in contact with fine lees. Some use new barrels and those wines show clove spice and vanilla.

Question 33

What is the general oak practice for white burgundies?

Answer 33

Regional see none or small part new oak barrels.
Village lvl about 25 percent use new oak.
30-50 percent on PC lvl
50 percent and above on GC, though 100% is unheard of.
Usually all use the 228 l Burgundian barrel pièce and some use larger barrels 500-600l.

Question 34

How is malolactic conversion used for white burgundies?

Answer 34

Usually used, sometimes partly blocked if the aim is a fresher character. Can be carried out in neutral vessels or oak.

Question 35

How and why is battonage used for white burgdundies?

Answer 35

Sometimes to reduce reductive flavours and add creamier texture.

Question 36

What does Poussard-Guyot mean?

Answer 36

It mainatins the same sap route inbetween years due to placing pruning wounds only at the upper part of the cordon. This cuts down the incidence os Esca and other trunk diseases.

Question 37

How is typically the planting density in Côte D’or?

Answer 37

8-10000 vines pha,

Question 38

Why do some growers have a higher planting density than average?

Answer 38

It promotes root competition which results in higher quality fruit, smaller berries with lots of flavour

Question 39

What options do growers have to manage and reduce yields?

Answer 39

Winter pruning
De-budding
Green harvesting

Question 40

What are the pros and cons with de-budding?

Answer 40

Pros are that it can give good balance to wines. Con is that since you limit your yield early in the season, you can suffer a substantial loss if subsequent growing conditions are harsh.

Question 41

What are the pros and cons with green harvesting?

Answer 41

Pros are that the decision is made later in the season, helping growers to balance unfavourable weather conditions that might have effect on the yields. cons are it can lead to changes in vine development and dilution in the grapes dute to compensation via exessesive growth in the remaining bunches.

Question 42

What are the max yields in Côte d’Or?

Answer 42

Regional 69 hl reds and 75 hl white
Village 40-45 hl red and 45-47 hl white
GC 35 hl red and 40 hl white
However, variations occur within quality lvls

Question 43

What obstacles are there toward organic grape growing in Burgundy?

Answer 43

Climate change (how?) and the fact that many vineyards are shared.

Question 44

What are common pests and diseases in Burgundy and hor are they met?

Answer 44

Grape Moths - pheromone capsules
Fungal diseases - canopy M and spraying
Grapevine yellows and Esca

Question 45

What affects the decision of harvest time in Burgundy?

Answer 45

Risk of storms that can lead to fruit damage and dilution.

The balance between high acidity and fully ripe fruit. Availability of workforce since most harvest is done by hand.