Alsace, Jura, Savoie Flashcards
When did Alsace receive AOC status?
1962 - it was the last major French region to do so
What percentage of Cremant d’Alsace Rosé must be Pinot Noir?
100%
Where are the vineyards of Alsace located? What is the best exposure?
- Thin strand along the lower slopes and foothills of the Vosges
- Aspect is very important
- Southern, southeastern, & warm eastern exposures
Alsace is said to be a geological mosaic, what different soil types are located there?
- Granite
- Limestone
- Schist
- Clay
- Gravel
- Chalk
- Loess
- The local-pink sandstone (Grés de Vosges)
Can VT wines show bortytis?
Yes, but emphasize varietal purity
Are Vendange Tardive wins required to be dry?
Not obligated by statute to be sweet, the wines can vary in actual sugar, and can be quite dry
What is the workhorse for Cremant d’Alsace?
Pinot Blanc
Since when must standard Alsatian AOP Riesling be dry?
2008 vintage forward
What was Pinot Gris formerly known as in Alsace?
Tokay d’Alsace or Tokay Pinot Gris
What are the major requirements in the vineyard for Grand Cru wines?
- Hand-harvesting
- Min sugar must be higher than Alsace AOP
- Yields are more restrictive than Alsace AOP
What are the min ABV’s for Alsatian Grand Cru wines?
- Riesling & Muscat - 11%
- Gewurztraminer & Pinot Gris - 12.5%
What is France’s smallest “région”?
Alsace
What are the two departments of Alsace? Which is generally considered the best?
- Bas-Rhin
- Haut-Rhin (Best)
What steadily replaced Traminer in Alsace through the latter half of the 19th century?
Gewurztraminer (a pink berried clone of Traminer)
What is the synonym for Savagnin in Alsace?
Klevener
What is “Grés de Vosges”?
A local pink sandstone that can be found throughout Alsace
What soil is generally found on the steeper mountain slopes?
- Schist
- Granite
- Volcanic Sediment
What AOP in Alsace allows for noble and some non-noble grapes to be bottled varietally? What percentage must it contain? What is the exception?
- Alsace AOP aka Vin d’Alsace AOP
- 100%
- Except Pinot Blanc - often blended w/the similar, but non synonymous, Auxerrois
- Even if Auxerrois is bottled as a single variety, it may be labeled Pinot Blanc
What non-noble varieties may be bottled varietally as Alsace AOP?
- Pinot Blanc
- Chasselas
- Sylvaner
- Pinot Noir
What are the permitted varieties for Cremant d’Alsace?
- Pinot Blanc
- Pinot Noir
- Riesling
- Pinot Gris
- Auxerrois
- Chardonnay
What are the min must weights for VT wines?
- Muscat & Riesling - 244 g/l
- Pinot Gris & Gewurztraminer - 270g/l
What is the smallest & largest Grand Cru vineyards in Alsace?
- 3ha (Kanzlerberg)
- 80ha (Schlossberg)
What are the main points of controversy for the Alsatian Grand Cru system?
- Rapid development of the system
- The lack of intermediary premier cru level
Klevener vs Gewurztraminer
Klevener is less intensely aromatic than GW but higher in acidity
What is edelzwicker?
An inexpensive blend
- Do not need to vintage dated
- Not required to be more than one grape (in practice they are blends)
- Do not need to indicate any % of grapes on the label
What portion of Alsatian production is sparkling?
Nearly a quarter
Where is Lorraine located?
Neighboring region to Alsace
What Grand Cru does Trimbach’s Clos-Ste-Hune Riesling come from?
Rosacker
What is the synonym for Pinot Blanc in Alsace?
Klevner
What is the synonym for Chasselas in Alsace?
Gutedel
What is Gentil?
- A designation for blends
- Min 50% noble grapes - any other Alsace AOP grape may make up the rest
- Base wines are vinified separately
Who is the staunchest advocate for field blends as the best approach for emphasizing Alsatian terroir?
Marcel Deiss
What soil do the lower slopes of Alsace sit on?
Limestone base w/rich alluvial clay and gravel
What portion of Alsace AOP wine is white?
- 90%
- 18% of France’s still white production (2008)
Wine simply labeled “Pinot” may contain any proportion of what related varieties?
- Pinot Noir
- Pinot Blanc
- Pinot Gris
- Auxerrois
What varietal is the largest volume of production for Alsace?
Pinot Blanc & Auxerrois - when considered collectively
What house chooses not to promote admissible wines as Alsace Grand Cru AOP?
Hugel
Trimbach does not label their Clos Ste Hune as Rosacker, but as of ‘09 they released Geisberg Grand Cru
What is the only red variety permitted to be Alsace AOP?
Pinot Noir
What are the AOPs of Lorraine?
- Côtes de Toul AOP
- Moselle AOP
What is Côtes de Toul AOP?
(Lorraine)
- Red - Pinot Noir (light)
- Rosé - pale vin gris style
- From a high proportion of Gamay & Pinot Noir
- White - Auxerrois & Aubin
Describe Alsace’s climate. What is the major moderating influence?
- Vosges Mountains - provides a rain shadow
- Semi-continental
- One of France’s driest & sunniest climates
What are the two designations for late-harvest wines? When were they created?
- 1984
- Vendanges Tardive
- Sélections de Grain Noble’s
What are the major requirements for VT and SGN to be labeled either Alsace AOP or Grand Cru AOP?
- Contain a single, noble variety
- Pass a blind tasting panel
What is the capital of Haut-Rhin?
Colmar
What is Alsace’s most planted noble grape?
Riesling
What is last noble grape to ripen?
Riesling
When was Alsace Grand Cru system first proposed? When did the first appear? When were the rest promoted?
1975 - first decreed- Schlossberg
- 1983 - 24 vineyards received the designation
- 1985 - Another 25 vineyards promoted
- 2007- 51st was promoted - Kaefferkopf
-2011- the actual number of Alsace Grand Crus increased from 1 to 51 as each received their own AOP
What is the Moselle AOP?
(Lorraine)
Red, white, rosé
-Principally from Auxerrois and Pinot Noir
Klevner vs Klevener
- Klevner - Pinot Blanc
- Klevener - Savagnin
What is the only AOP in Alsace to allow Chardonnay?
Cremant d’Alsace AOP
What is Savagnin Rose?
A pink berried clone of Traminer - aka Klevener
- Five communes may bottle this varietally under the Alsace AOP
- but vineyards may not be replanted
- designation expires in 2021
What are the noble grapes of Alsace?
- Riesling
- Pinot Gris
- Muscat
- Gewurztraminer
What clones of Muscat are permitted as a noble variety?
- Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains
- Muscat Rosé à Petits Grains
- Muscat Ottonel
Where are there still a few plantings of Klevener?
Heiligenstein in the Bas Rhin
Are SGN wines required to be sweet?
No, but in practice are always dessert-like
What are the min must weights for SGN?
- Muscat & Riesling - 276g/l
- Pinot Gris & Gewurztraminer - 306g/l
(@306 amongst the highest min must weights in France)
What 2 Grand Cru vineyards allow for blending according to prescribed proportions?
- Altenberg de Bergheim
- Kaefferkopf
What is the historical site for Sylvaner?
- Zotzenberg
- Allows for Sylvaner varietal Grand Cru wines
What are the two designations for Alsatian blends?
Gentil & Edelzwicker