7.0 The Rhone Valley Flashcards
1
Q
Describe the contribution by the various appellations to the vol of wine in the region.
A
2018 figures:
Total Area
- Plantings North <4000ha : South 66000 ha
-
North, on slopes overlooking river: range of aspects
- Several clearly defined AOC’s called “Crus”
-
South considerable distance from river
- Individual AOC (CNdP) as well as large vol of basic “Cotes du Rhone AOC
All Wine
- 69% is AOC : 31% is IGP
AOC Production
- 46% Cote du Rhone
- 11% Cotes du Rhone Villages
- 8% South Rhone Crus
- 6% North Rhone Crus
- Other AOC 24%
Styles:
- 74% is Red
- 16% is Rose
- 10% is White
- 8% is Organic
2
Q
The IGP that covers the Northern Rhone?
The IGP that covers the Southern Rhone?
A
Collines Rhodaniennes IGP (‘hills of the Rhone’)
- Used for red, white and rose
- For wines made from grapes outside of the AOCs of Northern Rhone
- Yields of 80 hL/Ha.
- Allows wines from other varieties to be made
Southern Rhone IGP
- IGP wine may be made from Rhone var or international varieties
- e.g. Costieres de Nimes AOC grows Merlot and CS
3
Q
Syrah?
A
- Syrah
- Late bud, early ripe (rel to position)
- Vigourous
- yield control for aromas and acid
- Stakes protect frm Mistral (hand work - cost)
- Sus to mites, BBR, and “Syrah decline/disorder - leaves turn red, graft point breaks, vine dies)
Character
- High levels of anthocyanins, respond well to oak
- deep ruby, m/h acid, m/h tannin
- m/pron int violet, plum, blackberry, black pepper, herbal notes (red if cool, black fr if warm)
Rules
- only red grape authorised in N Rhone
- Syrah adds structure, fruit and colour to Southern Rhone blends
4
Q
Grenache Noir?
A
Grenache Noir
- High yield Vigorous – does better on poorer soils
- Late ripe, needs warm site (autumn rain=risk)
- Good drought resistance, but prone to coulure, D MD, phomopsis, BBR
- bacterial necrosis, bacterial blight (event kills the plant)
- In ripening can accumm sugar very quickly - issue for dry, but good for VDN
Character
- Major component in southern Rhone blends (“GSM”)
- Pale ruby, ripe red sberry, plum, cherry, spicy, herbal.
- Hi alc, l/m tannin, Low acid
5
Q
Mourvedre?
A
Mourvèdre
- Low yields,
- late bud, late ripen, needs warm/hot climate to ripen
- underripe if late summer not hot
- Not drought resistant, needs small + regular water (calcareous soils perfect)
- Trained short, and grown on a cordon or bush vine
- prone to mites, leafhoppers, sour rot
Winery
- prone to reduction - must have adequate access to O2 (punch & pump)
- Typically aged in oak - cost
- Usually part of a blend:
- deep ruby, pron blackberry, blueberry, violets, hi alc, hi+firm tannin
- By contrast - principle variety for red/rose of Bandol AOC, Provence
6
Q
Cinsaut
A
Cinsaut
- late bud, high yield (restrict for quality)
- Good drought and disease resistance
- Prone to esca (trunk disease) and Eutypa, mites, grapemoth
- Lime soils - chlorosis
Winery
- Small part of red blend,
- Usually vinified to preserve the fruit:
- SS vessels, with mid range fermentation temperature
Character
- Light ruby, m/m+ raspberry, cherry; hi alc, l/m tannin
- aromas most prom in first year after wine is made - therefore suitable for early drinking reds/rose
7
Q
Describe the Carignan variety
A
Carignan
- high yield - control for flavour concentration - best from old vines (nat red yield)
- late bud, late ripe needs long warm summer
- Prone to P MD, grape moth
- Not suited to mech harvest - bunches cling to vine
Character
- hi acid, hi tannin - softened by use of carb mac / blending
- Not old vine: med ruby, simple blackberry, hi acid,hi tannin, unoaked: a/g, inexp
- Old vine: vg/OS intense black fruit, spice and earth for prem & sprm prices
8
Q
Viognier
A
Viognier
- Early bud (frost) - trellis/poles to protect from wind
- Coulure, poor flowering > low and unpredictable yields
- Must be fully ripe to have true flavours - picking time !!
- rapidly loses flavour, acid, accumm sugar if left too long.>unbalanced wine
Character
- med lem, pron honeysuckle, apricot, peach; m/hi alc, lo acid.
- 20% Viognier allowed in N Rhone Syrah
9
Q
Marsanne?
A
Marsanne
- Late bud, vigourous, productive - control for hi q wines
- Performs best on stony/low fert soils (lowers the yield)
- > good on the slopes of the N Rhone Valley.
- Prone to P MD, mites, BBR
Character
- M Lemon / Gold, lo int honeysuckle, lemon, apricot, oily texture, med acid, full body, m/hi alc.
- In N Rhone made as varietal or blended with Roussanne
- S Rhone - part of blend
10
Q
Roussanne?
A
Roussanne
- Late bud, best on low fertility, well drained soil,
- Poor resistance to wind (coulure9- sites carefully chosen
- Variable yields -> coulure
- Susc to P MD, BBR, mites
- More diff to grow than Marsanne, > less common in Rhone Valley
Character
- med lemon - gold,
- m /m+ aroma pear, herbal, m/m+acid, m/h alc
- ages quicker than Marsanne
-
Normally blended (but single var also)
- N Rhone Marsanne
- S Rhone Clairette & Grenache Blance
- contributes acidity and perfume, with age develops hazelnut aromas
11
Q
Grenache Blanc?
A
Grenache Blanc
- early budding (no frost in South France/Spain)
- Good wind resistance with an erect habit
- Almost only grown in S Rhone
- dry white blends & VDN (it can reach hi alc levels)
Character
- Lo int green fruit and floral, hi alc, low acid
12
Q
Clairette?
A
Clairette
- Ripens late (aut rain!)
- Vigorous, best on low fertility, dry soil - suits S Rhone & its low rainfall
- Pruned short and buds removed to control vigour
- Grows upright - wind resistant, without staking
Character
- Handle with care - oxidises easily
- primarily white blends in S Rhone
- cont freshness and fruit - white flower, fennel, apple, gfruit,
- hi alc, l/m- acid
13
Q
Bourboulenc?
A
Bourboulenc
Blending partner s Rhone, S of France
- Late ripe, loose bunches, thick skins
- > BBR resistant (benefit resist aut rain)
- Grows well in warm, dry locations - suits S Rhone (South France)
Character
- S Rhone white blends
- Lemon, m+ acid, m alc
14
Q
What is the climate like in Northern /Southern Rhone?
A
Moderate continental, similar to Beaujolais.
Northern: Continental, Higher rainfall, fewer hours of sunshine.
- Continental climate cold winter, warm summer
- adequate rain falls mainly autumn & winter
- Cold Mistral wind blows from north
- Reduces fungal disease pressure
- decreases vine vigour ~ lowers yields = higher concentration BUT lower prod.
30 miles between N Rhone and S Rhone is the reason for better ripening in South.
Southern:
- Warm Mediterranean climate
- hot, dry summers, mild winter & most of the rain in the winter
- 700mm rainfall - adequate, but drought is becoming a problem
- Land flatter than in N Rhone
- Stony Galet soils absorb heat radiate at night > (ext ripening)
- In CNP Galet is signature feature
- Little protection from Mistral wind > bush trained Grenache
- Syrah grown tied to wires and trellises to protect from the wind
- Northerly Mistral wind generally chases away diseases
Irrigation
- with permission - if hydric stress to vines
- no irrigation after veraison, or to exceed yield
15
Q
What is the primary grape for the following appellations?
- Cote Rotie
- Condrieu
- Chateaneuf-du-Pape
- Hermitage Blanc
- Tavel
- Gigondas
- Cornas
A
Cote Rotie: Syrah (up to 20% Viognier)
Condrieu: Viognier
CNdP: Grenache-based blend
Hermitage Blanc: Rousanne/Marsanne
Tavel: Grenache
Gigondas: Grenache
Cornas: Syrah
16
Q
Production of Red Cru level wines?
A
PRODUCTION OF RED CRU-LEVEL WINES
- Hand harvest
-
Crush
- Ddestemmed, chilled and cold soaked ( 1-3 days - colour)
- OR vinified whole bunches (or partially destemmed) to promote lifted aromatics
-
Fermentation
- SS / large concrete tanks / open top wooden fermenters-
- warm temps enh extraction col/flav/tannin
- Cultured or ambient yeasts
- Maceration ( extraction), 20-30 days + punch/pump or rack and return
-
Maturation before bottling
-
12-24 months :
- large oak - Grenache;
- small barrels for Syrah and Mourvèdre, 20–30 per cent new.
-
12-24 months :
17
Q
Production of inexpensive red wines
A
PRODUCTION OF INEXPENSIVE HIGH-VOLUME RED WINES
- Machine harvest
- Maybe some hand pick/ carbonic maceration - enh colour/fruit flavours - keep tannin low, suitable for early drinking (esp if unripe)
- Large producers may use flash détente or thermovinification to gain low-tannin, fruity style, quickly
-
Fermentation
- Cultured yeast - for quick+reliabe ferm to dry
- Temps mid-range for avoiding tannin, pres fruit
- Maceration short for same reason
- Store wines SS for few months before bottling
Refresh on Flash Detente / Thermovinification
- Higher temp = more extraction of anthocyanins and flavours
- With FD and Thermo. extraction is achieved quickly, and some tannins may also be extracted, but to a lesser extent.
- With both juice may be pressed off the skins before fermentation for low tannin, fruity style.
- Neg - wines produced in this way tend to have issues with colour instability
- not enough tannin to bind with the anthocyanins and form more stable compounds.
- thus best suited to inexp wines for early drinking
- or for creating a fruity blending component in higher quality wines
Thermovinification
- heat must to around 50–60°C sometimes higher.
- Can macerate for minutes to several hours - the higher the temp, the shorter the time.
Flash détente
-
destemmed grapes quickly heated to 85–90°C then rapidly cooled under a vacuum.
- duration = two minutes.
- Process bursts the cells in the grape skins, allowing a very rapid extraction of anthocyanins and flavours.
- The short time at high temperatures limits the risk of ‘cooked’ flavours developing.
- Expensive, thus norm only hi vol & large throughput to justify cost.
18
Q
Rose winemaking?
A
ROSÉ WINEMAKING
- Typically grapes are pressed after a cold maceration on the skins for 12–48 hours (depends on depth of colour/flav/tannin rqd
- e.g. Tavel Rose
- Fermentation as for a white wine.
- Typically aged in oak/concrete/SS
- some producers age prem ex in old small oak barrels to add texture.
- This method sometimes referred to as saignée but in this case the idea is to make only rosé wine from the grapes and all of the juice extracted from them.
- Saignee essentially is when must is drawn off to make rosé as a by-product of concentrating what will become a red wine.
19
Q
White wine winemaking?
A
WHITE WINEMAKING
- Ferment mid range to retain fruit (some ferment in oak for integration if they will also mature in oak)
- Malo C may be avoided to retain natural acidity.
- Most aged in large old oak /SS.
- The natural full body of the white Rhône varieties means lees stirring is sometimes avoided,
- Some do stir the lees for fuller-bodied style (e.g. M. Chapoutier’s Hermitage).
- Some matured in oak, adding a layer of complexity
- Fermenting/ maturing in small oak barrels adds cost.
20
Q
Comment on growing env N. Rhone
A
- Valley is narrow and steep slopes, 40 miles long (south areas ripen better)
- Vineyards planted close to the river, on steep slopes and in lateral valleys with south-facing aspect - good sun intercept.
- Most appellations on the western bank of the river (better exposure)
- Granite in best sites, very long north to south appellation, over 60 kilometres long
- Steep slopes > soil erosion = constant threat.
- The slopes also assist with water drainage
- Vines supported by individual stake or by teepee arrangement of stakes
21
Q
Describe the Cote Rotie AOC
A
- Cote Rotie - Small AOC, most northern : Only reds
-
Growing Environment
- Steep slopes, narrow terraces face E / SE
- = manual vineyard maintenance
- terraces need repair time to time
- Erosion is a constant problem – have to cart soil back up the hill
- single or double guyot (cane) tied to one or more poles (echalas)
- high sunlight interc, heat, rapid drainage and poor soils result in fully ripe grapes
- Planting density 10,000/Ha. With maximum yield of 40hL/ha. (competition for resources, reduces yields, higher conc in fruit)
- Vines commonly propagates by mass selection
- Rootstock 3309 preferred - (productive + good colour)
Wines
- Syrah only
- up to 20% of Viognier permitted in blend
- if used, must be co-fermented
- in practice often 0 and if so, norm max 8%
- up to 20% of Viognier permitted in blend
- Winemaking emphasises aromatic potential (Viognier brings floral/fruity aromas)
- Frequently natural yeast for terroir expression
- Malo C in barrel
- Maturation usually 225l
- OR large wood “demi-muids ~500-600l for less overt oak notes in young wine
-
Stylistically wines known for pronounced aromas
- softer, less full bodied than other top appellations, hermitage, Cornas
- Revived by E. Guigal (La Mouline, La Landonne, La Turque)
22
Q
Condrieu - describe this AOC and its wines
A
Condrieu AOC (100% Viognier41 hL/ha)
- Small, 197ha
- Steep south facing rocky, low fertile slopes
- often terraced
- soils of granite and decomposed mica (“arzelle”)
- challenges - soil erosion, wind.
- sf = good ripening
Wine
-
Wine must be
- fermented SS/ large wood vessel
- few prod prefer small barrel for texture+flavour
- Malo C - producer choice & depends on vintage
- Lees 10 - 12 m with stirring
- Model for hiQ Condrieu wines around the world.
- F body, Low acid, h alc, Pron int peach, honeysuckle, apricot, rose water & candied citrus.
- Best drunk within 5yrs.
- Normally quite viscous texture
- F body, Low acid, h alc, Pron int peach, honeysuckle, apricot, rose water & candied citrus.
- fermented SS/ large wood vessel
- Guigal: ~40% of production
36
Q
lowest to highest permtted yields and blend rules, Southern Rhone….
A
- For Red: Yield hl/ha Blend %
CndP 35
Crus 36-38
CdR Village + Village 41
CdR Villages 44 66% of 2> (1 mb G)
CdR 51 60% GSM 30G+20SM
