4 - Beaujolais Flashcards

1
Q

Describe the situation, climate and soils of Beaujolais

A

Situation: immediately south of Maconnais

Climate: continental, bit warmer than Burg

  • Adequate rain (740mm)
  • Saone moderates temps
  • Mistral –> flowering + damage due to Gamay’s thin skins
  • Hillier in the north (200-500m) –> S/SE slopes + Mistral = ??

Soils: north has granite, schist and sand, south has richer soils

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2
Q

Describe Gamay including budding/ripening, vulnerabilities, and yields

A

Early budding, early ripening

Thin skin –> rot

Vulnerable to: spring frost, millerandage, rot, wind

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3
Q

How can growers mitigate the impact of the Mistral? (3)

A

Mistral can cause millerandage and damage ripe Gamay due to thin skins

  1. Plant on sloped sites with a southerly orientation
  2. Orientate row N-S
  3. Train low to the ground
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4
Q

How does Gamay express differences in vineyard sites?

A

Ripeness variation esp skins/seeds

Slopes –> sunlight + drainage + Mistral

Orientation –> sunlight + Mistral

Soils –> granite is warmer

Fruit ranges from green leafy to intense fruit

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5
Q

How can you control the yield of Gamay to improve ripeness?

A

Reduce number of buds by pruning shorter

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6
Q

Why might a grower switch from bush vines to trellising?

A

Bush vines provide protection from wind and have lower yields –> better suited to HQ wine production

Trellised vines allow for mechanisation e.g. canopy trimming –> reduce labour costs

Bush vines common for top quality wines and on slopes (as mechanisation not possible)

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7
Q

How are most grapes harvested?

A

By hand, even for inexpensive wine, as whole bunch used frequently

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8
Q

Where is Chardonnay grown?

A

North of Beaujolais on the border is Maconnais - does best on marl/limestone soil - why?

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9
Q

What proportion of production is from Gamay?

A

98%

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10
Q

How much wine does Beaujolais produce?

A

Similar level to the whole of Burgundy

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11
Q

Which organisation was founded in Beaujolais?

A

Terra Vitis - lots of interest in sustainable, organic viticulture

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12
Q

Describe the winemaking for most Beaujolais (5)

A
  • Chaptalisation common
  • Semi-carbonic - short maceration of 4-5 days
  • Press and free-run blended –> impact on colour and tannin
  • Short ageing in SST
  • Released young
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13
Q

How does the winemaking of Beaujolais-Village and cru differ from most?

A

Longer maceration - 6-9 days for BV and 10-20 days for cru

Destemmed + crushed fruit may be used instead of wholebunch

Ageing in small/large oak, with some % of new oak

Result: deeper colour, more body, more tannin

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14
Q

What flavours does semi-carb add?

A

Kirsch, banana and blueberry

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15
Q

Describe the winemaking and style of Beaujolais Nouveau

A

Carbonic or semi-carbonic

Malo is optional given they are bottled 3-5 days after alcoholic ferment

Fining + sterile filtration + high SO2 for stability

Very light-bodied and fruity

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16
Q

Compare the wines of Beaujolais and Beaujolais Village in terms of vineyards, yields, style and quality/price.

A

Vineyards: most of Beaujolais in the south (richer soil, flatter), B-V mostly in northern area (slopes, poorer soils)

Yield: max yield 60 hL/ha in B vs slightly lower 58 hL/ha in B-V

Style: Beaujolais are fresh and fruity and some have low flavour intensity, B-V are deeper in colour with more intensity, more body and slightly more complexity. Best B-V may be oak-aged and made from old vines.

Quality-Price: Beaujolais is good/inexpensive, B-V is good-VG/inexpensive-mid-priced

17
Q

Compare the style of regular Beaujolais-Village and top quality B-V

A

B-V: purple, med intensity, red fruit + semi-carbonic flavour, med(+)-high acid, light-med(-) body, med alcohol, light-med tannin. Good-VG/inexpensive-mid-priced.

Top-quality - old vines and oak combined with organic viticulture and low intervention –> med(+) - pronounce, med tannin. VG-out/premium-SP

18
Q

What are the ten crus of Beaujolais

A

SOME

JAPANESE

CANADIANS

MARRY

FRENCH

CANADIANS

MAKING

REALLY

BEAUTIFUL

CHILDREN

19
Q

Compare and contrast the following crus and their wines:

Moulin-a-Vent

Fleurie

Chiroubles

Morgon

Brouilly

A

Moulin-a-Vent - powerful, similar to Cote d’Or

Fleurie

  • north has clay –> less acid, more body
  • south has sand –> lighter, fragrant

Chiroubles - highest altitude, more acid, less body, fragrant

Morgon - pronounced black cherry, more tannin –> ageability

  • Home to S-facing Côte de Py vineyard

Brouilly - most southerly –> warmth but makes wine in a lighter style

20
Q

Where has investment in Beaujolais come from and what have been the effects?

A

Cote d’Or winemakers looking to diversify –> cheap land –> bringing less carbonic and more oak esp in crus

21
Q

Describe the structure of Beaujolais

A

Large landholdings - 10ha

Most growers sell to co-op (25% of sales) or negociants

22
Q

Where is most Beaujolais sold?

A

60 domestic / 40 export

Domestic: most via direct and specialist wine shops

Export: Japan (loves Nouveau), USA, UK (Villages and cru)

23
Q

Outline trends in Beaujolais sales since the 1950s (3)

A

Beaujolais Nouveau - promoted by George Duboeuf since 1964 –> new markets and better awareness of region

Crus - attention from high involvement wine consumers and prices have risen

More demand as cost of Burgundy red has risen

24
Q

How much Beaujolais by volume is Nouveau?

A

~1/4