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CMS Advanced Sommelier Exam > Alsace/Jura/Savoie > Flashcards

Alsace/Jura/Savoie Flashcards

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1
Q

When did Alsace achieve AOC status?

A

1962

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2
Q

What was the last major French winemaking region to join the AOC?

A

Alsace

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3
Q

What 2 departements make up Alsace (north to south)?

A

Bas-Rhin

Haut-Rhin

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4
Q

Which departement makes up 2/3rds of Alsace’s Grand Cru vineyards?

A

Haut-Rhin

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5
Q

Which mountain range is located to the west of Alsace?

A

Vosges Mountains

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6
Q

How does the Vosges mountains affect the climate of Alsace?

A

Creates a rain shadow effect making it dry and sunny

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7
Q

What is the driest and sunniest region in France?

A

Alsace

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8
Q

What kind of climate does Alsace have?

A

Semi-Continental

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9
Q

What is the local pink sandstone of Alsace called?

A

grès de Vosges

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10
Q

What are the 3 common soils along the steeper mountain slopes of Alsace?

A

Schist
Granite
Volcanic Sediment

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11
Q

What are the common soils along the lower slopes of Alsace?

A

Limestone base

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12
Q

What are the common soils along the plain at the base of the Vosges in Alsace?

A

richer alluvial clay

gravel

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13
Q

What percentage of Alsace wine is white?

A

90%

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14
Q

What percentage of France’s total still white wine came from Alsace?

A

18% as of 2008

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15
Q

What are the 4 “Noble” grapes of Alsace?

A

Riesling
Pinot Gris
Muscat
Gewurztraminer

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16
Q

Name the 3 types of Muscat grown in Alsace

A

Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains
Muscat Rose a Petits Grains
Muscat Ottonel

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17
Q

Beside the noble grapes, which grapes are allowed in Alsace AOP or Vin d’Alsace AOP wines?

A

Pinot Blanc (Klevner)
Chasselas (Gutedel)
Sylvaner
Pinot Noir

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18
Q

Which grape is typically blended with Pinot Blanc in Alsace?

A

Auxerrois

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19
Q

What’s the min. % of a grape must be in varietal Alsatian wine?

A

100%

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20
Q

White wines labeled Pinot in Alsace may contain any proportion of what 4 grapes?

A

Pinot Noir
Pinot Blanc
Pinot Gris
Auxerrois

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21
Q

What 2 grapes make up the largest volume of Alsatian wines?

A

Pinot Blanc

Auxerrois

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22
Q

What is the most planted grape in Alsace?

A

Riesling

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23
Q

Which Alsatian noble grape ripens last?

A

Riesling

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24
Q

Alsatian Riesling vs German Riesling

A

more dry
more powerful
higher alcohol

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25
Q

What is Alsace’s quintessential wine made from?

A

Pinot Gris

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26
Q

What was Pinot Gris formerly known as?

A

Tokay d’Alsace or/

Tokay Pinot Gris

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27
Q

Describe Alsatian Pinot Gris

A 
full bodied
rich expression
spicy-smoky qualities
solid frame
elevated acidity
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28
Q

Alsatian Muscat vs. Gewurztraminer

A

Muscat - fragrant floral and grapey notes

Gewurztraminer - more
perfumed, sweet spices, and tropical fruit
higher in alcohol
more likely to be off-dry

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29
Q

What vessel for fermentation and aging is common for Alsatian Muscat and Gewurz?

A

large neutral casks

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30
Q

What grape is Gewurztraminer a pink-berried clone of?

A

Traminer

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31
Q

What is another Pink variant of Traminer in the Jura?

A

Savagnin

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32
Q

What is Savagnin called in Alsace?

A

Klevener

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33
Q

Where is Klevener classically grown in Alsace?

A

Heiligenstein (Bas-Rhin)

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34
Q

Klevener vs Gewurztraminer

A

less aromatic, but higher acidity than Gewurz

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35
Q

Name the 5 communes in Alsace that may bottle Klevener varietally

A 
Heiligenstein
Bourgheim
Gertwiller
Goxwiller
Obernai
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36
Q

What does Edelzwicker mean in French?

A

“noble mixture”

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37
Q

Edelzwicker vs. Gentil wine in Alsace

A

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

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38
Q

Which producer in Alsace is famous for producing field blends to express terroir?

A

Marcel Deiss

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39
Q

When was the Alsace Grand Cru AOP established?

A

1975

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40
Q

What was the first single vineyard of Alsace Grand Cru?

A

Schlossberg

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41
Q

How many additional Alsatian grand cru vineyards appeared in 1983?

A

24

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42
Q

How many additional Alsatian grand cru vineyards appeared in 1992?

A

25

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43
Q

What was the 51st grand cru established and when?

A

Kaefferkopf in 2007

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44
Q

Which grapes are allowed in Alsatian Grand Cru wines?

A

the nobles grapes, but it isn’t required by law anymore

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45
Q

Which Alsation grand crus are blends?

A

Altenberg de Bergheim

Kaefferkopf

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46
Q

Which Alsatian grand cru historically produces Silvaner?

A

Zotzenberg

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47
Q

What is the minimum potential alcohol for Riesling and Muscat for Alsace Grand Cru?

A

11%

48
Q

What is the minimum potential alcohol for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer?

A

12.5%

49
Q

When did the number of Alsace Grand Cru AOPs increase from one to 51?

A

2011

50
Q

What is the smallest grand cru in Alsace?

A

Kanzlerberg (3 ha)

51
Q

What is the largest grand cru in Alsace?

A

Schlossberg (80 ha)

52
Q

Which 2 producers are known for not labeling as Alsace Grand Cru?

A

Trimbach

Hugel

53
Q

Which grand cru did Trimbach started to label as of 2009?

A

Geisberg Grand Cru

54
Q

What are the 2 late-harvest designations in Alsace?

A

Vendanges Tardives

Selections de Grain Nobles

55
Q

SGN vs. VT wines

A

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

56
Q

VT minimum must weights for Muscat and Riesling

A

224 g/L

57
Q

VT minimum must weights for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer

A

270 g/L

58
Q

SGN minimum must weights for Muscat and Riesling

A

276 g/L

59
Q

SGN minimum must weights for Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer

A

306 g/L

60
Q

What is the only red variety permitted for Alsace AOP wines?

A

Pinot Noir

61
Q

What is the workhorse grape of Cremant d’Alsace AOP blends?

A

Pinot Blanc

62
Q

What is the only grape used for rose Cremant d’Alsace AOP wines?

A

Pinot Noir

63
Q

What 2 methods are used to gain color for rose Cremant d’Alsace AOP wines?

A

maceration

saignee method

64
Q

What is the only Alsatian appellation to allow Chardonnay?

A

Crémant d’Alsace AOP

65
Q

What are the 5 white grapes are authorized for Cremant d’Alsace wines?

A 
Chardonnay
Riesling
Pinot Gris
Pinot Blanc
Auxerrois
66
Q

What region in Germany is across from Alsace?

A

Baden

67
Q

Who produces “Clos Saint Landelin” Pinot Noir?

A

Domaine Muré

68
Q

What grapes are used in Albert Mann’s ‘Les Saintes Claires’?

A

Pinot Noir

69
Q

Which grand cru is Zind-Humbrecht’s “Clos Saint Urbain” Pinot Gris from?

A

Rangen de Thann Grand Cru

70
Q

Where does the Jura region gets its name from?

A

the Jurassic era, because of the Jurassic Limestone and Marl soils found in the region

71
Q

What is the standard appellation in the Jura?

A

Cotes du Jura AOP

72
Q

What are the 3 main red grapes of the Jura?

A

Poulsard (Ploussard)
Trousseau
Pinot Noir

73
Q

What are dry white wines from the Jura typically made from?

A

100% Chardonnay

74
Q

What is Chardonnay known as in the Jura?

A

Gamay Blanc

75
Q

What grape may be allowed in Jura dry whites with Chardonnay?

A

Savagnin (Naturé)

76
Q

What is Savagnin known as locally in the Jura?

A

Naturé

77
Q

What grapes are allowed in vin gris wines of the Jura?

A 
Poulsard (Ploussard)
Trousseau
Pinot Noir
Chardonnay
Savagnin (Naturé)
78
Q

What are 2 local specialty wines of the Jura?

A

vin jaune

vin de paille

79
Q

What grape is excluded from vin de paille wines?

A

Pinot Noir

80
Q

What is the sole grape of vin jaune wines?

A

Savagnin

81
Q

Besides Cotes du Jura, what are the 3 communal appellations of the Jura?

A

Arbois AOP
L’Etoile AOP
Chateau Chalon AOP

82
Q

How many communes make up Arbois?

A

12

83
Q

What is the only commune that may append its name to Arbois?

A

Pupillin

84
Q

Which Jura appellation is the only white wine-only appellation?

A

L’Etoile AOP

85
Q

Where does L’Etoile AOP gets its name from?

A

a local fossil shaped like a five-pointed star

86
Q

What grapes are used for L’Etoile AOP wines?

A

Chardonnay
Poulsard (w/o skins)
Savagnin

87
Q

What is the style of L’Etoile AOP wines?

A

oxidative whites that are bottled late

88
Q

How long are vin jaune wines from Chateau Chalon AOP kept in barrel?

A

until December 15th of the sixth year following harvest

89
Q

What develops on the wines surface in the barrel for vin jaune wines?

A

voile

90
Q

What is a voile?

A

film-forming yeast that covers the wines surface similar to flor in Jerez

91
Q

How are vin jaune wines described as?

A

aldehydic
with a nutty/curried flavor
delicate/dry on the palate

92
Q

What is the difference between vin jaune vs. sherry?

A

vin jaune isn’t fortified and isn’t made using a solera system

93
Q

What is the name of the bottle Chateau Chalon wines must be bottled in?

A

clavelin (62 cl bottle)

94
Q

Which appellations in Jura are allow vin de paille wines under their label?

A

Arbois
L’Etoile
Cotes du Jura

95
Q

How long are grapes for vin de paille wines left to dry?

A

min. 6 weeks after harvest

96
Q

What is the minimum must weight of vin de paille wines?

A

320 g/L

97
Q

What is the minimum alcohol content of vin de paille wines?

A

14%

98
Q

How long are vin de paille wines aged?

A

min. 3 years before release with min 18 months in neutral wood

99
Q

What is the methode traditionelle wine appellation in the Jura?

A

Cremant du Jura AOP

100
Q

What is the Vin de Liqueur appellation in the Jura?

A

Macvin du Jura AOP

101
Q

What is a vin de liqueur?

A

sweet, unfermented grape must fortified with aged Marc (distilled grapes)

102
Q

How long must Macvin du Jura VdLs age for?

A

min. 10 months in oak after mutage

103
Q

Name 4 top producers in the Jura

A

Pierre Overnoy
Jean-Francois Ganevat
Domaine de Pelican
Stephane Tissot

104
Q

Poulsard vs. Trousseau

A

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

105
Q

What 2 lakes moderate the climate of Savoie?

A

Lake Bourget

Lake Geneva

106
Q

What is Lake Geneva known as in France?

A

Lac Léman

107
Q

What is the general appellation in Savoie?

A

Vin de Savoie AOP

108
Q

What color grapes make up the majority of Vin de Savoie AOP?

A

White

109
Q

What is the most common white grape in Savoie?

A

Jacquère

110
Q

What 3 white grapes produce high quality wines in Savoie?

A

Altesse (locally, Roussette)
Roussanne (locally, Bergeron)
Chardonnay

111
Q

What are the 3 main red grapes of Savoie wines?

A

Gamay
Mondeuse
Pinot Noir

112
Q

Which cru in Savoie produces 100% Roussanne wines exclusively?

A

Chignin-Bergeron

113
Q

What are the two 100% Altesse appellation in Savoie?

A

Roussette de Savoie AOP

Roussette de Bugey AOP

114
Q

What wines are produced in Seyssel AOP?

A

dry to mousseaux wines from either 100% Altesse or Molette

sparkling wines with min. 10% Altesse + Molette and Chasselas

115
Q

What is the method ancestrale rose wine appellation in Savoie?

A

Bugey Cerdon

CMS Advanced Sommelier Exam (9 decks)

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