Alsace/Jura/Savoie Flashcards
When did Alsace achieve AOC status?
1962
What was the last major French winemaking region to join the AOC?
Alsace
What 2 departements make up Alsace (north to south)?
Bas-Rhin
Haut-Rhin
Which departement makes up 2/3rds of Alsace’s Grand Cru vineyards?
Haut-Rhin
Which mountain range is located to the west of Alsace?
Vosges Mountains
How does the Vosges mountains affect the climate of Alsace?
Creates a rain shadow effect making it dry and sunny
What is the driest and sunniest region in France?
Alsace
What kind of climate does Alsace have?
Semi-Continental
What is the local pink sandstone of Alsace called?
grès de Vosges
What are the 3 common soils along the steeper mountain slopes of Alsace?
Schist
Granite
Volcanic Sediment
What are the common soils along the lower slopes of Alsace?
Limestone base
What are the common soils along the plain at the base of the Vosges in Alsace?
richer alluvial clay
gravel
What percentage of Alsace wine is white?
90%
What percentage of France’s total still white wine came from Alsace?
18% as of 2008
What are the 4 “Noble” grapes of Alsace?
Riesling
Pinot Gris
Muscat
Gewurztraminer
Name the 3 types of Muscat grown in Alsace
Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains
Muscat Rose a Petits Grains
Muscat Ottonel
Beside the noble grapes, which grapes are allowed in Alsace AOP or Vin d’Alsace AOP wines?
Pinot Blanc (Klevner)
Chasselas (Gutedel)
Sylvaner
Pinot Noir
Which grape is typically blended with Pinot Blanc in Alsace?
Auxerrois
What’s the min. % of a grape must be in varietal Alsatian wine?
100%
White wines labeled Pinot in Alsace may contain any proportion of what 4 grapes?
Pinot Noir
Pinot Blanc
Pinot Gris
Auxerrois
What 2 grapes make up the largest volume of Alsatian wines?
Pinot Blanc
Auxerrois
What is the most planted grape in Alsace?
Riesling
Which Alsatian noble grape ripens last?
Riesling
Alsatian Riesling vs German Riesling
more dry
more powerful
higher alcohol
What is Alsace’s quintessential wine made from?
Pinot Gris
What was Pinot Gris formerly known as?
Tokay d’Alsace or/
Tokay Pinot Gris
Describe Alsatian Pinot Gris
full bodied rich expression spicy-smoky qualities solid frame elevated acidity
Alsatian Muscat vs. Gewurztraminer
Muscat - fragrant floral and grapey notes
Gewurztraminer - more
perfumed, sweet spices, and tropical fruit
higher in alcohol
more likely to be off-dry
What vessel for fermentation and aging is common for Alsatian Muscat and Gewurz?
large neutral casks
What grape is Gewurztraminer a pink-berried clone of?
Traminer
What is another Pink variant of Traminer in the Jura?
Savagnin
What is Savagnin called in Alsace?
Klevener
Where is Klevener classically grown in Alsace?
Heiligenstein (Bas-Rhin)
Klevener vs Gewurztraminer
less aromatic, but higher acidity than Gewurz
Name the 5 communes in Alsace that may bottle Klevener varietally
Heiligenstein Bourgheim Gertwiller Goxwiller Obernai
What does Edelzwicker mean in French?
“noble mixture”
Edelzwicker vs. Gentil wine in Alsace
Edelzwicker in theory are blends, but don’t require it to have more than 1 grape or a vintage dated
Getil wines requires 50% noble grapes, if there are non-noble grapes they must be vinified separately
Which producer in Alsace is famous for producing field blends to express terroir?
Marcel Deiss
When was the Alsace Grand Cru AOP established?
1975
What was the first single vineyard of Alsace Grand Cru?
Schlossberg
How many additional Alsatian grand cru vineyards appeared in 1983?
24
How many additional Alsatian grand cru vineyards appeared in 1992?
25
What was the 51st grand cru established and when?
Kaefferkopf in 2007
Which grapes are allowed in Alsatian Grand Cru wines?
the nobles grapes, but it isn’t required by law anymore
Which Alsation grand crus are blends?
Altenberg de Bergheim
Kaefferkopf
Which Alsatian grand cru historically produces Silvaner?
Zotzenberg
What is the minimum potential alcohol for Riesling and Muscat for Alsace Grand Cru?
11%
What is the minimum potential alcohol for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer?
12.5%
When did the number of Alsace Grand Cru AOPs increase from one to 51?
2011
What is the smallest grand cru in Alsace?
Kanzlerberg (3 ha)
What is the largest grand cru in Alsace?
Schlossberg (80 ha)
Which 2 producers are known for not labeling as Alsace Grand Cru?
Trimbach
Hugel
Which grand cru did Trimbach started to label as of 2009?
Geisberg Grand Cru
What are the 2 late-harvest designations in Alsace?
Vendanges Tardives
Selections de Grain Nobles
SGN vs. VT wines
SGN shows more botrytis than varietal character, grapes are picked in tries, always dessert like
VT may show botrytis, but more focus on varietal character, but vary in sugar levels
VT minimum must weights for Muscat and Riesling
224 g/L
VT minimum must weights for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer
270 g/L
SGN minimum must weights for Muscat and Riesling
276 g/L
SGN minimum must weights for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer
306 g/L
What is the only red variety permitted for Alsace AOP wines?
Pinot Noir
What is the workhorse grape of Cremant d’Alsace AOP blends?
Pinot Blanc
What is the only grape used for rose Cremant d’Alsace AOP wines?
Pinot Noir
What 2 methods are used to gain color for rose Cremant d’Alsace AOP wines?
maceration
saignee method
What is the only Alsatian appellation to allow Chardonnay?
Crémant d’Alsace AOP
What are the 5 white grapes are authorized for Cremant d’Alsace wines?
Chardonnay Riesling Pinot Gris Pinot Blanc Auxerrois
What region in Germany is across from Alsace?
Baden
Who produces “Clos Saint Landelin” Pinot Noir?
Domaine Muré
What grapes are used in Albert Mann’s ‘Les Saintes Claires’?
Pinot Noir
Which grand cru is Zind-Humbrecht’s “Clos Saint Urbain” Pinot Gris from?
Rangen de Thann Grand Cru
Where does the Jura region gets its name from?
the Jurassic era, because of the Jurassic Limestone and Marl soils found in the region
What is the standard appellation in the Jura?
Cotes du Jura AOP
What are the 3 main red grapes of the Jura?
Poulsard (Ploussard)
Trousseau
Pinot Noir
What are dry white wines from the Jura typically made from?
100% Chardonnay
What is Chardonnay known as in the Jura?
Gamay Blanc
What grape may be allowed in Jura dry whites with Chardonnay?
Savagnin (Naturé)
What is Savagnin known as locally in the Jura?
Naturé
What grapes are allowed in vin gris wines of the Jura?
Poulsard (Ploussard) Trousseau Pinot Noir Chardonnay Savagnin (Naturé)
What are 2 local specialty wines of the Jura?
vin jaune
vin de paille
What grape is excluded from vin de paille wines?
Pinot Noir
What is the sole grape of vin jaune wines?
Savagnin
Besides Cotes du Jura, what are the 3 communal appellations of the Jura?
Arbois AOP
L’Etoile AOP
Chateau Chalon AOP
How many communes make up Arbois?
12
What is the only commune that may append its name to Arbois?
Pupillin
Which Jura appellation is the only white wine-only appellation?
L’Etoile AOP
Where does L’Etoile AOP gets its name from?
a local fossil shaped like a five-pointed star
What grapes are used for L’Etoile AOP wines?
Chardonnay
Poulsard (w/o skins)
Savagnin
What is the style of L’Etoile AOP wines?
oxidative whites that are bottled late
How long are vin jaune wines from Chateau Chalon AOP kept in barrel?
until December 15th of the sixth year following harvest
What develops on the wines surface in the barrel for vin jaune wines?
voile
What is a voile?
film-forming yeast that covers the wines surface similar to flor in Jerez
How are vin jaune wines described as?
aldehydic
with a nutty/curried flavor
delicate/dry on the palate
What is the difference between vin jaune vs. sherry?
vin jaune isn’t fortified and isn’t made using a solera system
What is the name of the bottle Chateau Chalon wines must be bottled in?
clavelin (62 cl bottle)
Which appellations in Jura are allow vin de paille wines under their label?
Arbois
L’Etoile
Cotes du Jura
How long are grapes for vin de paille wines left to dry?
min. 6 weeks after harvest
What is the minimum must weight of vin de paille wines?
320 g/L
What is the minimum alcohol content of vin de paille wines?
14%
How long are vin de paille wines aged?
min. 3 years before release with min 18 months in neutral wood
What is the methode traditionelle wine appellation in the Jura?
Cremant du Jura AOP
What is the Vin de Liqueur appellation in the Jura?
Macvin du Jura AOP
What is a vin de liqueur?
sweet, unfermented grape must fortified with aged Marc (distilled grapes)
How long must Macvin du Jura VdLs age for?
min. 10 months in oak after mutage
Name 4 top producers in the Jura
Pierre Overnoy
Jean-Francois Ganevat
Domaine de Pelican
Stephane Tissot
Poulsard vs. Trousseau
Poulsard has thinner skin, lighter body, higher acidity and red fruit
Trousseau has thicker skin, more tannin, less acidity than Poulsard and darker fruit quality
What 2 lakes moderate the climate of Savoie?
Lake Bourget
Lake Geneva
What is Lake Geneva known as in France?
Lac Léman
What is the general appellation in Savoie?
Vin de Savoie AOP
What color grapes make up the majority of Vin de Savoie AOP?
White
What is the most common white grape in Savoie?
Jacquère
What 3 white grapes produce high quality wines in Savoie?
Altesse (locally, Roussette)
Roussanne (locally, Bergeron)
Chardonnay
What are the 3 main red grapes of Savoie wines?
Gamay
Mondeuse
Pinot Noir
Which cru in Savoie produces 100% Roussanne wines exclusively?
Chignin-Bergeron
What are the two 100% Altesse appellation in Savoie?
Roussette de Savoie AOP
Roussette de Bugey AOP
What wines are produced in Seyssel AOP?
dry to mousseaux wines from either 100% Altesse or Molette
sparkling wines with min. 10% Altesse + Molette and Chasselas
What is the method ancestrale rose wine appellation in Savoie?
Bugey Cerdon