4 - Beaujolais Flashcards
Describe the situation, climate and soils of Beaujolais
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
Describe Gamay including budding/ripening, vulnerabilities, and yields
Early budding, early ripening
Thin skin –> rot
Vulnerable to: spring frost, millerandage, rot, wind
How can growers mitigate the impact of the Mistral? (3)
Mistral can cause millerandage and damage ripe Gamay due to thin skins
- Plant on sloped sites with a southerly orientation
- Orientate row N-S
- Train low to the ground
How does Gamay express differences in vineyard sites?
Ripeness variation esp skins/seeds
Slopes –> sunlight + drainage + Mistral
Orientation –> sunlight + Mistral
Soils –> granite is warmer
Fruit ranges from green leafy to intense fruit
How can you control the yield of Gamay to improve ripeness?
Reduce number of buds by pruning shorter
Why might a grower switch from bush vines to trellising?
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)
How are most grapes harvested?
By hand, even for inexpensive wine, as whole bunch used frequently
Where is Chardonnay grown?
North of Beaujolais on the border is Maconnais - does best on marl/limestone soil - why?
What proportion of production is from Gamay?
98%
How much wine does Beaujolais produce?
Similar level to the whole of Burgundy
Which organisation was founded in Beaujolais?
Terra Vitis - lots of interest in sustainable, organic viticulture
Describe the winemaking for most Beaujolais (5)
- 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
How does the winemaking of Beaujolais-Village and cru differ from most?
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
What flavours does semi-carb add?
Kirsch, banana and blueberry
Describe the winemaking and style of Beaujolais Nouveau
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