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WSET Diploma D3 > Alsace > Flashcards

Alsace Flashcards

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1
Q

alsace main climatic influences

A

western winds
fohn wind
vosges mountain

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2
Q

western winds influences pro/cons

A

cool the area and are well spread out during the years they can bring problems during flowering and fruit set

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3
Q

fohn wind influence

A

warm wind raises temperature, reduce fungal

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4
Q

vosges mountain influence

A

rain shadow effect east side has 600mm of rain, the west side more than double the amount

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5
Q

growing season in alsace

A

long growing season (northern latitude) even if it’s sunnier

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6
Q

general climate

A

continental cold winters warm dry symmer (full ripening, high sunshine hours)

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7
Q

high quality site location

A

vosges foothills (200-250 up to 450mt)

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8
Q

high quality site aspect

A

south, south east, south west (facing the sun)

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9
Q

high quality sites soils

A

lower fertility bettert drainage, slower growth

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10
Q

low quality sites location

A

plain or foothills of the river rhine

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11
Q

soils in low quality sites and influence

A

deeper fertile soils high yields and vegetative growth

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12
Q

main marketing issue in alsace

A

a producer will make loads of different labels (sparkling to sweet) in every noble variety (up to 50 labels) can be confusing and wine is sold more for the producer or region rather than label

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13
Q

general holding per producer in alsace

A

3.5ha per winemaker most sold to co-op/larger wineries

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14
Q

alsatian bottles law

A

are mandatory no bag in box allowed

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15
Q

alsatian bottle problem

A

can be confused as a german wine

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16
Q

who produces most of the wine in alsace

A

40% co-op still high qulity production

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17
Q

primary market for alsace wines

A

75% sold in france export is EU (Belgium, Germany, Netherlands) then North America

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18
Q

most planted varieties in Alsace

A

riesling and pinot blanc then gewurz then pinot gris/noir, sylvaner

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19
Q

gewurztraminer quality and price

A

good to oustanding mid to premium price

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20
Q

gewurztraminer style/aromas

A

medium lemon pronounced (spices) dry to sweet high alcohol mid-full body low acidity

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21
Q

gewurztraminer is prone to…

A

coulure
chlorosis
stems dessication
powdery mildew
grape vine moth
grey rot

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22
Q

how to fight gewurztraminer diseases

A

virus free clones

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23
Q

vigour in gewurztraminer

A

high

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24
Q

how to reduce vigour in gewurztraminer

A

coulure is reducing production
pruning, canopy management

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25
Q

gewurz budding and ripening

A

early budding (spring frost risk) early ripening (no problems of autumn rains)

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26
Q

picking time in gewurztraminer

A

late (maximise aromas, avoid ripe tannins in ripe skins might have some problems of autumn rains if that is choosen as an option

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27
Q

suggested climate for Riesling

A

cool

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28
Q

riesling buds

A

late (spring frost protection)

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29
Q

usual yielding for riesling

A

high 70 hL/ha

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30
Q

riesling growing season

A

long (needs good aspect and sunshine)

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31
Q

diseases in riesling

A

is extremely resistant no downy/powdery mildew or botrytis bunch rot

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32
Q

riesling quality and price

A

good to oustanding, mid to high (small super premium) price

33
Q

riesling style

A

dry off dry high acidity mid-full body stone and steely notes

34
Q

pinot blanc usage in Alsace

A

blends with auxerrois or cremant d’alsace

35
Q

pinot blanc budding and ripening

A

early budding, early ripening

36
Q

pinot blanc diseases

A

prone to fungal diseases

37
Q

pinot blanc quality

A

acceptable to good, inexpensive to mid-price

38
Q

pinot blanc style

A

low intensity apple peach medium acidity medium alcohol

39
Q

pinot gris budding and ripening

A

early budding (risk spring frost) early ripening (avoid harvest rains)

40
Q

general yields and sugar for pinot gris

A

high sugar moderate yields

41
Q

pinot gris is prone to…

A

botrytis bunch rot downy mildew

42
Q

pinot gris prices and quality

A

good to outstanding, mid to premium prices

43
Q

pinot gris style

A

medium intensity peach apple full body medium acidity oily texture honey and smoke with ageing

44
Q

muscat ripening

A

late ripening

45
Q

muscat is tolerant to

A

dry sunny weather

46
Q

diseases in muscat

A

powdery mildew botrytis bunch rot mites

47
Q

why pinot noir is rising in alsace?

A

climate change makes it easier to grow important producers like Mure and Albert Mann is the only black varietal in the AOC

48
Q

sylvaner production

A

in decline as pinot blanc is easier to ripen very good quality mostly from oder vines (40+ yr) on Vosges foothills

49
Q

main winemaking consideration in alsace

A

reserve primary fruit character

50
Q

how do you preserve primary fruit in alsace?

A

1 avoid mlf
2 use single varietal
3 ambient yeast for extra terroir flavours

51
Q

is skin contact used in alsace? and why?

A

skin contact of longer press time is used to extract aromas and texture

52
Q

fermentation temperatures

A

cool or mid temperature depending on grapes

53
Q

low temperatures (grapes and vessels)

A

muscat, riesling, sylvaner usually stainless steel with temp control even if cellars are naturally cool enough

54
Q

mid temperature grape and why

A

gewurz high sugar content so needs temperature to ensure yeast eats it all aromas are not affected by heat in gewurz if too low unwanted banana flavours

55
Q

alsace fermentation vessels

A

large oak (very little new oak) stainless steel

56
Q

labeling residual sugar in alsace

A

is now indicated in back label since 2021 eu sweetness levels to don’t confuse buyers

57
Q

alsace main pests and diseases

A

powdery mildew grape vine moth downy mildew esca

58
Q

main influence to control vineyard management

A

small scale production allows more monitoring

59
Q

training requirements by AOC

A

needs to be single or double guyot

60
Q

planting density

A

4400, 4800 vines per hectare generally less dense on valley floor higher on slopes (terracing might be needed)

61
Q

why training is higher in alsace

A

sun exposure (with wider space to avoid shading) reduce frost risk humidity (region is dry)

62
Q

is organic practiced?

A

15% (french national is under 10% per region)

63
Q

harvesting is long or short and why?

A

long harvesting period because of different styles (from sparkling to sweet) and different sites (altitude, exposition, slopes) from early september to late october

64
Q

harvesting options

A

machine (reduce cost, mostly on gentle slopes or valley floor) hand (grand cru obliged by AOC laws), mostly on steep slopes

65
Q

sugar levels are set for sgn and vendage tardive at what alcohol level

A

set at 14/15% if fermented dry

66
Q

difference between vendage tardive and sng

A

vendage is focused on varietal (botrytis is not required) sgn is mandatory botrytis

67
Q

sng minimum sugar levels

A

pinot gris, gewurz = 276 g/L muscat, riesling = 306 g/L

68
Q

vendage tardive minimum sugar levels

A

pinot gris, gewurz = 235 g/L muscat, riesling = 257 g/L

69
Q

is chaptalisation allowed in alsace?

A

yes but within eu rules, especially in cold years

70
Q

maximum yields in Alsace AOC

A

pinot gris, gewurz = 80 hL/ha
riesling = 90 hL/ha
pinot blanc = 100 hL/ha (can result in low fruit concentration
pinot noir = 60 hL/ha
commune name = 72 hL/ha
lieu-dit name = 68 hL/ha

71
Q

Alsace Grand Cru AOC maximum yields

A

55hl down to 50hl in certain appellation like Rangen

72
Q

founding year of Grand Cru

A

1975

73
Q

2011 grand cru law change

A

from chablis system (one grand cru divided in lieu dits) went to the burgundy system (each cru has a different law)

74
Q

advange of having single AOC for every cru

A

can change yields or varietal used

75
Q

how many grand crus are in Alsace

A

51

76
Q

varietals used in Alsace Grand Cru AOC

A

only 4 noble varieties gewurz riesling muscat pinot gris some grand cru can blend (Altenberg de Bergheim) or use sylvaner

77
Q

most famous grand cru

A

Rangen Geisberg Schoenenbourg

78
Q

debates on grand cru labeling

A

many producers didnt believe in the rules restrinction or the high yields or some grand crus that were too big eventually even the big names like trimbach or hugel implemented the grand cru names on bottling

79
Q

is there a 1er cru status?

A

currently pending in review

WSET Diploma D3 (28 decks)

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