Alsace, Jura, & Savoie Flashcards
How far back does Alsatian winegrowing date to?
160 Alsatian vineyards were growing vines by the year 1000
When did Alsace achieve AOC status?
1962; it was the last major French winemaking region to do so
Name for the two major subregions in Alsace
departments
What is France’s smallest region?
Alsace
2 departments of Alsace
Haut-Rhin & Bas-Rhin
Which department is known for quality wines?
Haut-Rhin; over two-thirds of Alsace’s Grand Crus are located here
What seperates Alsace from the rest of France
the Vosges Mountains
What do the Vosges Mountains do to Alsace?
Provide a rain shadow effect
Driest city in France
Colmar, capital of Haut-Rhin department
Climate of Alsace
semi-continental
Which way do the better vineyards of Alsace face
South, Southeastern, or Warm Eastern exposures
Why is the northerly location of Alsace not an issue to ripeness?
because of the sheer number of sunlight hours in the summertime
Soil types of Alsace
granite, limestone, schist, clay, gravel, chalk, loess, and local pink sandstone (grès de vosges)
Unique local soil type in Alsace
grès des Vosges - local pink sandstone
Generally where are the different soils found in Alsace?
steep mountain slopes: schist, granite, volcanic sediment
lower slopes: limestone
plain at base of mountains: richer alluvial clay and gravel
4 noble grapes of Alsace
Riesling
Pinot Gris
Muscat (either Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains, Muscat Rose a Petits Grains, or Muscat Ottonel)
Gewurztraminer
Other grapes allowed in Alsace AOP?
(vin d’Alsace AOP)
Noble Grapes Pinot Blanc (Klevner) Chasselas (Gutedel) Sylvaner Pinot Noir
Requirement to be varietally labeled?
must contain 100% of stated variety
exception – Pinot Blanc, which is often blended with the similar but not synonymous Auxerrois, but still labelled Pinot Blanc – even if 100% Auxerrois
Most produced grape in Alsace
(when considered together it would be Pinot Blanc & Auxerrois)
Riesling – most planted and last noble grape to ripen
Difference between German and Alsatian Riesling
Alsatian Rieslings are characteristically dry, more powerful, and higher in alcohol
Alsatian law for Riesling as of 2008
Rieslings must be dry in style
Alsatian name for Pinot Blanc
Klevner
Alsatian name for Chasselas
Gutedel
Former Alsatian name for Pinot Gris
Tokay d’ Alsace
Tokay Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris profile in Alsace
perhaps Alsace’s quintessential wine: the grape here achieves its fullest, richest expression, with spicy-smoky qualities and a frame solid - though hardly high - acidity
Muscat/Gewurztraminer in Alsace
Both highly aromatic
- Muscat shows fragrant floral and grapy notes
- Gewurztraminer tends toward perfumed, sweet spices, and tropical fruit
Both lower in acidity, but Gewurztraminer is higher in alcohol and more likely to be off dry
What is Gewurztraminer a clone of?
Traminer
What is another name for pink variant of Traminer?
Savagnin
Savagnin Rose
Klevener de Heiligenstein
less intensely aromatic than Gewurztraminer but higher in acidity
5 communes to bottle Klevener varietally?
Heiligenstein Bourgheim Gertwiller Goxwiller Obernai
Edelzwicker
noble mixture - usually indicates its own inverse: an inexpensive, blended wine (field blend)
Edelzwicker requirements
do not need to be vintage dated
do not legally have to contain more than one grape
In practice, they are blends, however, and do not need to indicate any percentages of grapes on the label
Gentil
Superior designation for blends, requiring a minimum of 50% noble grapes
Any other Alsatian grape may compose the remainder and base wines must be vinified seperately
How many Grand Cru in Alsace?
51
Original Grand Cru of Alsace
Schlossberg
51st Grand Cru of Alsace
Kaefferkopf
Requirements for Alsace Grand Cru
- only noble grapes, typically single varietal (not required by law)
- hand-harvesting mandaory
- minimum potential alcohol 11% for Riesling/Muscat & 12.5% for Pinot Gris/Gewurztraminer
Grand Crus that may produce blends
Altenberg de Bergheim
Kaefferkopf
Grand Cru that produces Sylvaner
Zotzenberg
Change in Cru organization in 2011
Pivoted from the Chablis model to the Cote d’Or model
Each vineyard recieved its own appellation and cahier des charges
Cahier des charges
document that specifies all rules recognized by a decree
Largest and Smallest Grand Cru in Alsace
Largest: Schlossberg (80ha)
Smallest: Kanzellerberg (3ha)
2 designations for Alsace late harvest wine
Vendanges Tardives
Selections de Grains Nobles
two terms imply sweetness
Vendanges Tardives
- single noble variety
- pass a blind tasting panel
- may show botrytis character but emphasizes varietal purity
- usually originate from vines in a state of passerillage
passerillage
French term for leaving grapes on the vine past normal harvest so that they can dry up and concentrate their flavors. Passerillage is distinct from noble rot in that these grapes are not exposed to the botrytis fungus
Selections de Grains Nobles
- generally picked in tries
- suppress varietal character in return for the complexities of botrytis
tries
Trie (Plural of Tri) French term meaning a “sweep” or tries through a vineyard picking grapes. In the harvesting of botrytized grapes, a team will go through the vineyard several times (several tries) over a couple weeks picking only the individual grapes that have been sufficiently rotted
Are VGT/SGN always sweet?
They are not obligated by statute to be sweet.
SGN are always dessert-like, but VT may vary in actual sugar and can be dry
What is the only permitted red variety for Alsace AOP?
Pinot Noir
Cremant d’ Alsace grapes
Pinot Noir (sole grape for Rose) Pinot Blanc is the major component Chardonnay Riesling Auxerrois Pinot Gris
Only Alsatian region to allow Chardonnay
Cremant d’Alsace
What does Jura share a border with?
Switzerland
Where are the Jura vineyards located
On the the mountain’s lower slopes
Soil of Jura
Jurassic limestone and marl, with a substantial amount of clay at the lowest sites
Climate of Jura
continental, turning harshly cold in the wintertime
Standard appellation of Jura
Cotes du Jura AOP
5 grapes of Jura
Red
-Poulsard (Ploussard), Trousseau, and Pinot Noir
White
-typically 100% Chardonnay (Gamay Blanc), although Savagnin, known locally as Nature and elsewhere as Traminer may be added as a blending partner
vin gris
Rose made from red grapes, but in a white wine style. No maceration which leads to a pale style of rose
vin jaune
“Yellow wine”
like sherry, matured in barrel under a ‘flor’ (aka: voile) Not Fortified
Grape of vin jaune
Savagnin
Grape of vin de paille
Chardonnay, Poulsard, and Savagnin
No Pinot Noir
vin de paille
“straw wine” (made only in the ripest vintages) – grapes allowed to dry on mats for months and final wine has 10-20% RS very heavy and sweet)
3 communal appellations of Jura
Arbois AOP
L’Etoile AOP
Chateau Chalon AOP
Jura’s leading wine village
Arbois
Home of Louis Pasteur
Arbois
How many communes are in Arbois
12
Which commune may amend its name to Arbois
Pupillin
L’Etoile
white wine only appellation named for a local fossil shaped like a five pointed star
Grapes of L’Etoile
Chardonnay, Poulsard, and Savagnin
generally bottled in an oxidative style
Chateau Chalon AOP
Commune – not a producer – specializing in the vin jaune, or yellow wine of the Jura
Vin Jaune production
produced exclusively from Savagnin grapes grown on the local limestone and marl, the wine is deliberately oxidized and may age for decades
Another name for Savagnin
Nature
How long is Savagnin kept in barrel following fermentation?
until December 15 of the 6th year following the harvest
What forms on top of the wine?
A voile or veil
Voile
Film-forming yeast that covers the wine’s surface, similar tot he flor of Jerez
Flavors of vin Jaune
nutty, almost curried flavor carried on a delicate, dry palate
Difference between sherry and vin jaune
vin jaune is not fortified
What type of bottle is utilized in Chateau Chalon
Clavelin
Clavelin
a squat 62 cl bottle
What can vin de paille be labeled as?
Arbois, L’Etoile or Cotes du Jura
How is vin de paille produced?
to produce this rare nectar, ripe but not botrytised grapes are left to dry for a minimum of six weeks after harvest; Traditionally the grapes are dried on straw mats, although they are often hung to dry or boxed in modern winemaking. As the grapes shrivel and raisinate, they achieve a must weight surpassing 320 g/L.
Style of vin de paille
Every element of the structure is concentrated; thus the final wine maintains acidity, giving balance to the high levels of residual sugar and pronounced alcohol content of at least 14%
Minimum aging for vin de paille
minimum 3 years
18 months neutral oak barrels
Traditional method sparkling wines in Jura
Cremant du Jura AOP (established in 1995)
Vin de liqueur
produced as Macvin du Jura AOP
wherein aged Marc is added to unfermented grape must, resulting in a sweet, unfermented but alcoholic grape juice
Macvin du Jura may be red, white or rose, and must be aged for one year in oak following mutage
mutage
is a procedure of making sweet wine by adding alcohol to the musts, which contains yeast formation and stops the fermentation process. This process gives wine a sweet taste. As a result, this wine making process is used to produce sweet wine with higher alcohol content.
Climate of Savoie
Continental climate moderated by Lake Bourget and the larger Lake Geneva (known as Lac Leman in France)
Lake Geneva
Lac Leman - Western Europe’s largest body of freshwater
Appellation of Savoie
Vin de Savoie AOP
White wines of Savoie
Jacquere (most common)
Altesse
Roussane (Bergeron)
Chardonnay
Red wines of Savoie
Gamay
Mondeuse
Pinot Noir
Most common grape of Savoie
Jacquere
encepagement
amount of blend
Cru in Savoie
Chignin-Bergeron
Chignin-Bergeron
produces 100% Roussanes
Crus of Marignan, Ripaille, and Crepy
all located along the southern shores of Lake Geneva – mandate a minimum of 80% Chasselas
Other regional appellation in Savoie
Roussette de Savoie AOP
Rousette de Savoie AOP
Roussette is a synonym for the Altesse grape and the appellation’s wines are 100% varietal
Four communes of Roussette de Savoie
Frangy
Marestel
Monterminod
Monthoux
Seyssel AOP
north of Lake Bourget and provides dry and off-dry still and mousseux (sparkling) wines
Grape of Seyssel
typically 100% Altesse, although varietally labelled Molette is also permitted
Where will you find methode ancestrale roses
Bugey-Cerdon
Roussette de Bugey AOP
100% Altesse
Communes in Roussette de Bugey
Montagnieu
Virieu le Grand
Bottle shape in Alsace
Flute
Important Producers in Alsace
Trimbach, Zind-Humbrecht, Hugel et Fils, Leon Beyer, Josmeyer, Marcel Deiss
What river borders Alsace to the East?
Rhine
Climate of Alsace
Cool continental
What borders Alsace to the West?
Vosges mountains
Why is Alsace the driest region in France?
Because of the shield from the Vosges mountains
How much of a variety must be present to be varietally labeled in Alsace?
100%
What is the bottle shape used in Alsace?
Flutes
4 Noble grapes of Alsace
Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, Muscat
What grapes are allowed in Alsace Grand Cru?
only the 4 noble grapes of Riesling, Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, and Muscat
Clos Vineyards of Alsace
12 single vineyards, often monopoles that may or may not be within Grand cru limitations but are of great significance
Cotes de Toul AOC
Pinot Noir, Auxerrois, Aubin + Rose wines, in a pale vin gris style
Moselle VDQS/AOC:
Red, white, rose wines from Alsace grapes, + Gamay, Pinot Meunier
What does the Rhine river do for Alsace?
moderates temperature/provides misty conditions for botyrtis
Why does Alsace focus almost completely on white varieties?
Because despite the long growing season, the accumulated warmth is still relatively low. For this reason, the region focuses almost exclusively on white grape varieties.
What’s important to note about the soils of Alsace
Complex, with high mineral content
Foothill soils
thin topsoil with varied subsoils of granite, sandstone, or limestone
Flatland soils
Formed of alluvium, these soils are typically thick and fertile
Alluvium
Mix of silt, organic matter, and clay washed down from the mountains above
How much of Alsace is estate bottled?
25%
How much of Alsace is white wine?
90%
2 regions of Alsace
Bas Rhin
Haut Rhin
Bas Rhin
Lower temperature
More rain/less shadow effect as the Vosges is of lower altitude
More sparkling
Haut Rhin
In the south
Higher temperature
Lower rainfall
Grand Cru
Notable Grand Cru of Alsace
Kessler Kirchberg de Barr Kirchberg de Ribeauville Osterberg Schlossberg Shoenenbourg Steinert Rangen Geisberg Vorbourg Hengst Rosacker
Grand Cru exceptions
Grand cru Zotzenberg - No Muscat, but Sylvaner allowed
Altenberg de Bergheim - may blend according to certain proscribed proportions
Kaefferkopf - may blend according to certain prescribed proportions
Important producers of Alsace
Trimbach, Zind-Humbrecht, Hugel et Fils, Leon Beyer, Josmeyer, Marcel Deiss
Riesling in Alsace
Sunny, sheltered settings where light, loose-textured soils are found
Riesling can continue ripening in cool, autumn conditions, making it especially important for late-harvest and botrytis-affected wines
Ages well
Difference between German and Alsace Riesling
Alsace is drier and fuller
Gewurztraminer in Alsace
- Pink skinned
- Fussy and inconsistent
- Prefers richer soils high in minerals
- concentrated, full-bodied dry wines with intense aromatics and a thick, low acid, almost oily texture in the mouth
- good for Vendanges Tardives (VT) & Selection de Grains Noble (SGN)
Pinot Gris in Alsace
- Buds first, requiring particularly warm, sheltered sites to protect it from frost
- Dry, full bodied and intense, with aromas of pears, spices, musk, and canned mushrooms
- Also used for VT & SGN
Which grape buds first in Alsace
Pinot Gris
Former name of Pinot Gris?
Tokay d’Alsace
Muscat is Alsace
- often served as an aperitif in Alsace
- Highly aromatic
Other names for Muscat in Alsace
Ottonel
Blanc d’Alsace a Petits Grains
Other grapes of Alsace
Pinot Blanc (Klevner) Sylvaner Chasselas (Gutedel) Chardonnay Pinot Noir
What is one situation in which non-nobile grapes are used in Alsace?
In Cremant – 20% of production