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WSET 4 > Beaujolais > Flashcards

Beaujolais Flashcards

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1
Q

Climate

A

Continental climate
- slightly warmer than Burgundy

Adequate rainfall (740mm)

Saone River moderates temperature

Subject to Mistral winds

  • can affect flowering
  • damage to grapes (Gamay has thin skins)
  • vine orientation and low training are necessary

Northern part is hilly, South is flatter

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2
Q

Soils

A

Hilly nothern part (200-500m)

  • fast draining granite, schist, sandy soils
  • south, south-east facing for maximum exposure

Southern part - flatter
- richer soils

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3
Q

Gamay Noir

A

early budding (spring frost)

Susceptible to millerandage (dump, cold, windy conditions)

Thin skins

Productive - yields have to be controlled

Expresses itself differently depending on topography and soil (varying levels of tannin and fruitiness)

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4
Q

Vineyard management

A

Yields have to be controlled

Short pruning

  • restraining vigour
  • protecting from winds

Traditionally trained as bush vines (protection from wind)
- still on steeper slopes
Now increasingly grown on trellises (mechanization)

Mostly picked by hand (carbonic macaration required)

Interest in sustainable and organic viticulture
- Terra Vitis organisation

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5
Q

Organisation for sustainable and organic viticulture founded in Beaujolais

A

Terra Vitis

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6
Q

Chardonnay in Beaujolais

A

Usually in cooler northern part
- marl and limestone soils
(slowing ripening and retaining acidity)

Only around 2%

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7
Q

Winemaking

A

Chaptalization is common

Beajolais and Beaujolais Village
- Majority made by semi-carbonic maceration
- Maceration time on skins 4-5 days (9 days very good)
(enhances fruitiness and colour)
- Press wine is blended with free-run juice
(added colour and tannin)
- Aged briefly in stainless and released early
- Kirsch, banana, blueberry

Cru Beajolais
- may have extended maceration (10-20 days)
- grapes may be destemmed and crushed
followed by maceration on skins
- may be aged in small/large barrels (% of new as well)
- sometimes refered to as ‘Burgundian style’
- deeper colour, more body, higher level of tannin

Centre for low intervention winemaking

  • Jules Chauvet
  • Jean-Paul Thevenet
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8
Q

Key natural wine producers from Beajolais

A
  • Jules Chauvet

- Jean-Paul Thevenet

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9
Q

Beaujolais Nouveau

A

Beaujolais Nouveau AOC
Beaujolais Nouveau Villages AOC

Primeur is authorised synonym for nouveau

Released 3rd Thursday in November following harvest
(normally no earlier than 15 December - all other AOCs)

Made by carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration
bottled 3-5 days after fermentation is finished
Some go through malo some not
Fining and sterile filtering is common
Moderate use of SO2 common (especially without MLF)

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10
Q

Appellations

A 
Beaujolais AOC
Beaujolais Village AOC
Beaujolais Crus
 - Brouilly AOC
 - Chiroubles AOC
 - Fleurie AOC
 - Moulin-a-Vent AOC
 - Morgon AOC
 - (Saint-Amour AOC)
 - (Julienas AOC)
 - (Regnie AOC)
 - (Cote de Brouilly AOC)
 - (Chenas AOC)
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11
Q

Beaujolais AOC

A

Regional appellation covering whole area
- in practise south of the region

max yield 60 hl/ha

Can be sold from mid January following harvest

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12
Q

Beaujolais Villages AOC

A

Typically better quality - higher levels of ripeness
- Northern part of region

max yield 58 hl/ha

Individual village name may be put on label (usually not)

Typically purple colour, med intensity (fresh red cherry, raspberry, red plum, kitsch, banana)
med+ (high) acidity, light (med-) body, med alcohol, light (med) tannins

Some low intervention wines
Some may be aged in oak

Producers: Jules Desjourneys, Yvon Metras

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13
Q

Premium producers

A

Jules Desjourneys

Yvon Metras

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14
Q

number of Beaujolais Crus

A

10

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15
Q

Brouilly AOC

A

marginally warmer

lighter, more pefumed style

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16
Q

Max yield in Crus

A

58 hl/ha

17
Q

Chiroubles AOC

A

highest altitude

lighter, fragrant, high acidity

18
Q

Fleurie AOC

A

Sandy soils

Lighter more fragrant

More clay north (close to Moulin-a-Vent)
- heavier, fuller wines

19
Q

Moulin-a-Vent AOC

A

most powerful, long-lived wines

Closer to Cote d’Or in style

20
Q

Morgon AOC

A

south facing ‘Cote de Py’ vineyard

- pronounced intensity black cherry, red fruit, sufficient tannin to age a decade

21
Q

Wine business

A

Region attracted investment from Burgundy (cheaper land, diversity of portfolio)

  • quality raise
  • less carbonic
  • more oak

Average size vineyard 10 ha

  • cooperatives 25%
  • negociants

60% sold in France 40% export (Japan, USA, UK)

As Burgundy prices rise more attention gets to Beaujolais

Negociant - George Duboeuf (1964 first Nouveau)

Quarter of production sold as Nouveau

22
Q

Important negociant and creator of Nouveau style

A

George Duboeuf

1964 Nouveau first release

23
Q

River flowing through the region

A

Saone

24
Q

Wind infuencing the region

A

Mistral

25
Q

Explain how a wine producer may try and achieve concentration of flavours in Gamay grapes?

A

Vineyard management:

  • Planting mid slope for optimum sun exposure/nutrients/water
  • Training the vine low to protect against strong winds and the added benefit to ripening from re-radiated heat from the ground.
  • Canopy management - Gamay is a vigorous variety and spur pruning is recommended to reduce the vigour.

Ensuring stalks are ripe as Beaujolais wines usually require whole bunch fermentation, and unripe stalks can add bitterness and astringency.

Ensuring both the skins and pips are ripe to avoid added bitterness and herbaceous flavours.

26
Q

How long do Beaujolais and Beaujolais Villages wines usually spend macerating on the skins?

A

4-5 days

27
Q

True or false?

Press wine and free run juice wine are rarely blended in Beaujolais.

A

False

28
Q

When can Beaujolais Nouveau be sold?

A

Third Thursday in November

29
Q

What is the maximum yield for Beaujolais AOC in hL/ha.

A

60 hl/ha

30
Q

How many Beaujolais Crus are there?

A

10

WSET 4 (32 decks)

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