Burgandy Flashcards
what varietals is Burgandy the home of?
PInot Noir and Chardonnay
explain the climate of Burgandy
wide range from cool continental in the north near Chablis and moderate continental further south. rain can frequently disrupt both flowering in early summer and harvest in autumn
which varietal is susceptible to gray rot in Burgandy due to the rains?
Pinot Noir - especially in a wet growing season
what is a natural hazard that vineyards can see in Burgandy especially in the Chablis region?
spring frosts - they can appear as late as May
also summer hail storms
Where are basic village level Burgandy vineyards located?
flat sites or at the bottom of slopes
where are premier cru and grand cru vineyards located in Burgandy?
mid slope which is less prone to frost then those on flat land.
where are the highest quality vineyards located in Burgandy.
have south or east facing slopes offering protection from prevailing westerly winds.
explain the soils in Burgandy
quite varied - a large number of small geological faults, combined with gradual erosion means precise soil types change significantly over an area. soils on hillsides seem to be shallower and have better drainage. whereas the soil on flat land is deeper and is more fertile.
what are the 4 main varieties produced in Burgandy?
Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Aligote and Gamay
how much percentage of grapes grown in Burgandy does PInot Noir account for?
over a third of total vineyard area
where are most important planting of Pinot Noir in Burgandy?
COte D’Or
describe a classic Pinot Noir from Burgandy
red fruits in youth, that evolve into earth, game and mushroom as the wine matures. high acidity, low to medium tannins,
what wine making technique has gradually become more popular for Pinto Noir in Burgandy?
whole bunch of grapes
how long is PInot Noir typically aged in teh barrel in Burgandy?
16-18 months - generally speaking the better wines will be aged in new oak
HOw much does Chardonnay account for in Burgandy
nearly half of the total vineyard area
describe the characteristics of Chardonnay in Burgandy
vary dramatically from lean, steely, high acid wines of CHablis in the north region via the often fabulously complex expressive wines of Cote D’Or to the more full bodied riper fruit wines of Macon in the South.
what are the techniques used with CHardonnay in Burgandy
barrel fermentation, barrel aging (typically 6-9 months) MLF for white wines and use of lees during maturation
describe best CHardonnay’s from Burgandy
well balanced, complex expressions of CHardonnay that can mature in the bottle for a decade or more.
What is aligote
a varietal in Burgandy that produces neutral wines with high acidity
Describe Gamay in Burgandy
produces early drinking wine with ripe berry flavors and low tannins. it can be used in some appellations, but only PInot Noir is used in villages and above.
What is CHablis?
a village appellation that lies in the valley of the River Serein in the northern most part of Burgandy.
Where are the best vineyars planted in Chablis?
on slopes with favorable south facing aspects
what are some of the less favorable vineyards in Chablis classified as?
Petite Chablis
What is the major climattic problem in Chablis
frost - sprinklers and heaters used to protect from
what is the only varietal permitted in Chablis?
Chardonnay
Where are basic village level CHablis grown?
on the north facing slopes and flatter land.
Where are premier cru and grand cru vineyards located in CHablis?
south facing hillsides giving greater concentration and ripeness to the fruit
describe characteristics of CHablis and Petit Chablis
can be very austere, green fruit, and higher acidity, but better ones display riper fruit.
where are Chablis Grand Cru and Chablis Premier Cru located?
on hillsides sites with better aspects.
describe Chablis Grand Cru and Chablis Premier Cru wine characteristics
generally riper, more concentrated fruit (citrus rather than green apple) and have more body, yet are still balanced by high acidity
How do producers ferment or age Chablis Grand Cru and Chablis Premier Cru wines?
old oak which can give a rounder texture and subtle flavors. although some stay with stainless steel or cement to keep the pure fruit flavors
What runs along the western limit of Cote D’Or?
Massif Central
What does the Massif Central provide in COte d’Or?
favorable east and south east facing hillside vineyard locations
What two sections are Cote split into?
Cote de Nuits and Cote De beaune
Describe Cote de Nuits wines
typically fullest bodied Pinot Noir - all grand crus and Premier crus red except one
Describe Cote de Beaune wines
more southernly Beaune produces red from Pinot Noir but generally in a fruitier style. they are know for Chardonnay. All white Grand Crus except one come from Cote de Beaune.
Burgandy has a hierarchy of vineyards based on quality. what is at the bottom?
regional appellations
how much does the bottom of the hierarchy account for in Burgandy?
about half of the production of the region
what are the two most generic appellations in Burgandy?
Bourgogne Blanc and Bourgogne Rouge - which can come from anywhere in Burgandy
What are Bourgogne Blanc and Bourgogne Rouge typically made from?
pinot noir and chardonnay
What are 3 more regional appellations in Burgandy that cover slight more restrictions than Bourgogne Blanc and Rouge?
Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaune and Bourgogne Cote Chalonnaise
What are 2 more regional appellations in Maconnais that cover slight more restrictions than Bourgogne Blanc and Rouge?
Macon and Macon Villages
What is the next step in the heirarchy after regional appellations
common appellations such as Chablis and Gevrey-CHambertin
how much do the commune appellations account for in Burgandy?
about 1/3 of the total production
What is the only thing that will appear on the label for commune appellations?
just the commune - although the vineyrds name might appear if it is not a premier cru or grand cru and all comes from a single vineyard
what is above the vineyard appellations in Burgandy?
premier cru and then grand cru sites
what is a vineyard in Burgandy that only belongs to one owner
monopole
How many premier crus are spread between Chablis and COte d’Or and COte Chalonnaise
more than 600 - which is about a tenth of Burgandy’s production
what is at the top of the heirarchy for Burgandy vineyards?
grand crus which account for more than 1% of the total production.
how many grand crus are in Cote d’Or?
33
how many grand crus are in Chablis
1
what must appear on the label of grand crus wines
both “grand cru” and the vineyard
what are the key villages of Cote de Nuits from north to south and their grand crus?
Gevrey-CHambertin (Chambertin, Chambertin Clos de Beze), Vougeot (Clos de Vougeot), Vosne-Romanee (Romanee-Conti, La Tache, and La Romainee, and Nuits Saint Georges
On Cote De Beaune the important villages and their grand crus are?
Aloxe-Corton (corton, Corton-Charlemagne), Beaune, Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet (Montrachet), and Chassagne-Montrachet (Montrachet)
what are the two exceptions that don’t make both white and red wines out of the Cote de Beaune Villages
Pommard and Volnay
what are the three villages in Cote de Beaune with the highest reputation for their white wines?
Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne with the last two villages sharing the grand cru of Montrachet
Where are the two regional appellations of Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits and Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaunes located?
to the west and in a higher altitude
What does the higher Altitudes and greater exposure to winds give the two regional appellations of Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits and Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Beaunes wines?
slightly less body and concentration
Where does the COte Chalonnaise lie in Burgandy?
to the South of Cote D’Or
What are the main varietials grown in COte Chalonnaise?
Pinot Noir and CHardonnay
When in harvest in Cote CHalonnaise and why?
due to the high altitudes it is later - and ripening is less reliable
Describe a aspect in COte Chalonnaise
although it is on a hillside it is less consistently toward the east making wines lighter and tending to mature earlier.
Describe a wine from Cote Chalonnaise
light and mature earlier and less prestigious than Cote d’Or wines
what are the four village appellations in Cote CHalonnaise
- Rully
- Mercury
- Givry
- Montagny
What type of wines does Rully produce
more white than red and also produces sparkling
What type of wines does Mercurey produce?
red wines who enjoy highest reputation in Cote Chalonnaise
What type of wines does Givry produce?
the smallest village where red wine is particularly admired
What type of wines does Montagny produce?
only white wines. these communes each have premier cru vineyards but no grand cru
What is the most commonly planted grape in Maconnais?
Chardonnay
what are the reds typically made from in Maconnais?
Gamay, but some PInot Noir is still grown
What is the regional local appellation of Maconnais?
Macon
What are Macon wines like?
can be red or white. The better white wines show green apple, or citrus fruit medium acidity, medium to full body. Could have a hint of creaminess from MLF. the reds are light and fruity and made for early drinking
what are wines that are typically labelled Macon Villages or Macon followed by the name of a particular village?
white wines that generally represent excellent value for money. they will display more ripeness, body and character when just labelled Macon
What are the two most famous village appellations in the Maconnais region?
Pouilly-Fuisse and Saint Veran.
describe wines from Pouilly-Fuisse and Saint Veran.
the best wines display ripe notes of tropical and stone fruit and most are matured for a time in barrels to enhance texture and flavors.
what are soils like in Pouilly-Fuisse and Saint Veran
limestone slopes of the Roche de Solutre with east and south east exposures.
What do the slopes in Pouilly-Fuisse and Saint Veran act as?
sun traps that help to produce some of the richest and ripest Chardonnay’s in Burgandy. which are complemented with toasty oak flavors
