Burgundy Flashcards
What caused the plantings in Chablis to shrink in the past?
Phylloxera and powdery mildew and the Paris-Lyon-Marseille railway (competition from cheaper wines of south of France) in the 19th century.
Depopulation after WW1 and 1945 frost led to low point if 500 ha.
Now recovered to 5.5k ha.
What is the climate if Chablis?
Cool continental with cold winters and warm summers.
Rain spread tbroughout the year so generally moist climate.
What are the soil types in Chablis?
Limestone and clay, some with considerable amoiny of fossilised seashells (aka Kimmeridgian soil)
What are the main natural risks in Chablis?
Spring frost.
Hail.
Mosit climate (fungal diseases in general and rot leading to harvest).
What are the options of managing spring frost in Chablis?
Smudge pots - but air polution and need staff in vineyard.
Sprinklers - most popular but costly (1er cru, grand cru & well funded companies).
Pruning choices - later pruning leading to later bud burst.
What is the typical training method in Chablis and why?
Double Guyot.
If one fails the other could survive.
What are the 2 main rootstocks of Chablis?
41B as its highly tolerant of limestone soils with a high pH.
420A as its low vigour and hogh pH tolerance.
What is the typical soil and vienyard locationa of Petit Chablis?
Portlandian soils - hard limestone with less clay.
Higher, cooler vineyards.
Flat land or gentle slops.
Varying aspects with north facing sites too.
What is the soils Of Chablis AOC and vineyard locations?
Large area of Kimmeridgian soils with mixed aspects.
On flat land or gentle slopes.
Some north facing sites.
What is the soil and typical vineyard locations of Chablis Premier Cru?
Kimmeridgian soils.
South and south east facing.
40 named vineyards.
What is the difference between climat and lieu-dit?
Lieu-dit is a named piece of land in land register.
Climat is named vineyard fixed in AOC legislation.
What is the soil and vineyard locations of Chablis Grand Cru?
7 named vineyards (climats).
Right next to village.
Right bank of River Serein, south west facing.
Shelter from winds from the north due to belt of trees.
Kimmeridgian soils.
Only 1% of total Chablis production.
Is chaptalisation typical in Chablis?
Used regularly up to legal linit in all but warmest years.
How common is MLC and lees ageing in Chablis?
ML. Common in order to soften acidity.
Some age on lees to enhance texture.
Which types of Chablis may be fermented and aged in barrels, and type of wood used?
Grand crus and aometime premier crus.
Some use old oak and some use some new oak (William Févre).
What is the range of max yields for Petit Chablis to Grand Cru?
54 to 60 hL/ha
Who is La Chablisienne?
Co-operative in Chablis covering all levels if appellations, producing 1/3 of all wines.
How much of Chablis production is exported?
2/3 to markets such as UK, USA, Japan, Sweden and Canada.
What is the general price of Petit Chablis and Chablis AOC?
Mid prices with some premium
What is the price level of Premier and Grand Cru Chablis?
Premium or super premium
What are some of the key drivers of orice for Chablis wines?
Name of the domaine and level of the appellation.
Comment on the distinction of negociants and domaines in Chablis
Distinction is breaking down:
- negociants started to buy land
- domaines adding negociant business to their normal operations
What is the general climate of Côte d’Dor, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais?
Moderate continental.
Early autumn typically dry but rain can be a threat at harvest.
Mâconnais is slightly drier and warmer than Côte d’Or.
What provides Cote d’Or with protection from rainfall?
The Morvan hills to the west.
Why is ripeness of skins and seeds are key priorities for growers of Cote d’Or down to Maconnais?
Even climate is generally warmer, in cooler years Pinot Noir may contain under ripe tannins, so promoting ripeness is key.
What has exacerbated risk of spring frost even more than normal in Cote d’Or down to Maconnais?
Warmer winters encouraging earlier growth.
Even though highly localised, How does hail impact growers in Cote d’Or to Maconnais and what are the possible solutions?
In April to May could reduce yields as vine may be damaged/complete loss of crops.
Later in the season could damage berries so sorting tables keybto eliminate grey rot tainting wines.
Limited use of anti-hail netting permitted since 2018.
Seed thunderclouds with silver iodine to induce precipitation.
Volnay and Pommard badly affected between 2012 and 2015.
With irrigation not permitted in Burgundy, what natural factor becomes riskier?
Drought stress in hot dry vintages.
Berries could shrivel and vines could shut down completely halting ripening.
How can rain be a problem in Cote d’Or to Maconnais?
Early season rain disrupt fruit set and flowering, lowering yields and leads to uneven ripening.
Extended period of tain throughout increases threat of fungal diseases.
Rain just before harvest increases risk of rot and also dilution of berries.
In Cote Chalonnaise, where do you find the best south east facing slopes?
Rully and Bouzeron.
What is the general aspects of Maconnais vineyards?
There is a range of site with bests of Pouilly-Fuissé on south facing.
What is the topography of Cote d’Or?
Main range of hills run north - south with elevations from 200-400m.
Slopes on main ridge mainly east facing but side valleys (east - west) mean aspects vary with many sout or south east facing.
Mid slopes the best.
Coolest sites for Aligote or cremant de bourgogne.
Top slopes very poor thin soils and exposed to winds.
Bottom slopes deeper soils and vulnerable to frost.
What is the difference in soil types betwee. Cote de Beaune and Cote de Nuits?
Both is a mixture of limestone and clay.
Cote de Nuits dominated by limestone.
Cote de Beaune has more clay with deeper soils.
What are the soil types in Cote Chalonnaise and Maconnais?
Mixed with a range of limestones and clay.
Depth of soils above bedrock varies significantly, partly due to soils moving down slope by erosion.
From a soils perpective, whats been a continuing problem in Cote d’Or to Maconnais?
Erosion, with soils moving down slops, even in gently sloping vineyards such as walled Clos de Vougeot.
Where is well regarded Aligoté grown in Burgundy?
Village of Bouzeron in Cote Chalonnaise
What are the key characteristics of the Chardonnay grape?
Versatile to grow in a range of climates.
Early budding and early ripener and soils, so range of styles.
Top quality examples in limestone/clay soils (eg Burgundy).
High yielding without loss of quality.
Prone to grey rot, powdery mildew, millerandage and grapevine yellows.
Re growing Chardonnay in Burgundy, what is the main challenge in making high quality wines?
Vigour management yo aboid excessive yield and shading of fruit (lowers quality).
What are the key characteristics of Pinot Noir?
Early budding and early ripening.
Yields must be limited for quality wines.
Prone to millerandage, both mildews, botrytis bunch rot and fan leaf and leaf viruses.
Ripens too fast in warm climates leading to reduced aromas and berries can shrivel and get sunburnt.
What is the main challenge of growing Pinot Noir in Burgundy?
Ripen sufficiently for desired ripness in terms of colour, tannins and flavour.
What is the general style of Pinot Noir in Burgundy?
High acidity, medium alcohol, low to medium tannins, strawberry, cherry, raspberry, some with light oak notes of smoke and clove. With age earth, game and mushroom notes.
What is the general style of Chardonnay in more moderate climates of Burgundy?
Medium (+) to high acidity, medium alcohol, medium to medium (+) body, ripe citrus, melon and stone fruit.
Where were many of the red and white Burgundian clones developed?
University of Burgundy in Dijon.
The Dijon clone families.
Now widely used around the world.
What aspects could clones influence?
Yield.
Disease tolerance.
Ripening speed.
Fruit characteristics.
Do Burgundy producers propagate their own vines via mass selection?
Yes some do.
What choices could Burgundy producers make with regards to clones?
Plant vineyard plots with a single clone for more uniform fruit profile or…
plant a mix for greater diversity of characteristics (good or bad) with potentially more disease resistance.
What is the normal training method in Cote d’Ord down to Maconnais?
Traditionally Guyot with trellising.
Some use Cordon de Royat (double or single) to limit vigour and yields.
Recently many reverting back to Guyot and also an even aofter method if cane pruning called Poussard/Guyot.
What is the main negative of the Cordon de Royat system?
High proportion of old wood can harbour diseases such as Esca and other diseases.
Comment in the Poussard-Guyot system?
Maintain same sap route year on year.
Pruning wounds only on upper part of cordon.
Reduces pruning wounds to reduce chance of Esca and other trunk diseases.
Needs slilled vineyard workers.
Aids canopy management during growing season.
What is ten typical planting density in Cote d’Or to Maconnais?
8-10k vines per hectare, but some have much higher densities.
How can producers in Cote d’Or to Maconnais manage or reduce yields?
Winter pruning.
De-budding.
Green harvesting.
What are the disadvanatges of de-budding?
Drastic effect in final yields if vines suffer from hail, frost or gungal diseases after de-budding.
What are the disadvantges of green harvesting?
Lead to change in vine development through compensation via excessive growth in remaining bunches, hence dilution in the grapes.
What are the max yields of Cote d’Or to Maconnais?
Regional moderate.
Village low.
Some grand crus very low.
Ith organic and biodynamic becoming more pupular in Cote d’Or to Maconnais, what are some of the main challenges?
Moderate climate means managing fungal disease with auch growing methods can be difficult.
With shared vineyards and some organic practices require minimum area of implementation, friction between neighouring can occur if different approcahes are used.
Comment in harvesting in Cote d’Or to Maconnais?
Majority picked by hand, so work force availability is key consideration.
Timing is critical in such marginal climates.
Pick early to retain acidity but full ripness may not be achieved.
Pick later for softer wine but weather concern re dilution or damage of fruits.
In Cote d’Or to Maconnais, how do they tackle grape moths, fungal diseases?
Pheromone capsules for grape moths.
Canopy mangement and spraying for fungal diseases.
What type of recent outbreak have lead to authorities in the main part of Burgundy to keep vigilant in monitoring and restricting?
Grapevine yellows.
Re white winemaking in main Burgundy, how often is acidification or de-acidification practiced?
Rarely
In main Burgundy, how has recent warmer growing season temperatures impacted chaptalisatin in white winemaking?
Used to be regular and now less necessary, but also because if better canopy management.
Chaptalisation is more likely done to add perceived body rather than to meet minimum potential alcohol levels.
Note the key parts of white winemaking in main Burgundy
Grapes sorting on sorting tables for consistant quality.
Whole bunch pressed as stems aids draining.
No skin contact as Chardonnay isn’t aromatic and extraction if tannins isn’t desired.
Clarification by sedimentation for high quality must, quicker methods for less expensive wines.
Some use hyperoxidation to lower risk of oxidation in final wine.
Ambient yeasts more common with higee colume regional wines using cultured yeasts.
Fermentation for inexpensive and some mid-priced wines in stainless steel/concrete at late teens degrees, then aged in same vessel or older barrels.
Fermentation in barrel for more expensive wines at mid temperatures, aged in barrel with fine lees contact for 8-12 months.
MLC is normally carried out but some may have a proportion not converted for fresher character.
Lees stirring may be done once or more to add texture and can reduce reductive flavours.
Often filtered to avoid cloudiness.
In main Burgundy white winemaking, what barrels is mostly used and proportion of new?
228L piéce but some use larger barrels for subtler oak flavours and oxidation.
Little new oak at regional.
20-25% at village.
30-50% at premier cru.
50% or more at grand cru and some even 100%.
What is premature oxidation for white wines from the main oart of Burgundy?
1996 vintage and after, wines showing very asvanced flavours and colour after relatively short time of bottle ageing.
Causes suggested include change in vineyard practices leading to higher yields and different chemical composition in grapes, warmer vintages or picking later, over-clean musts from pneumatic presses, overzealous bâtonnage, lower sulphur at bottling and quality of corks and changes in their treatment before use.
Peoblem remains but much lower cases.
Problem also exists in other white wines, not just white burgundy.
For Pinot Noir wines from main Burgundy, what are the main aims in the winery?
Maintain peimary fruit and not overwhelm with too much new oak flavor.
Hence the grapes are vinicied carefullt due to its delicate character, aromatic nature and relatively low tannins.
Lay out the main steps in red winemaking in main Burgundy.
Fruit sorting common apart from least expensives.
Whole bunches or destemmed, many use whole bunches as Pinot Noir is well suited, some use a proportion if whole bunches depending on the vineyard and the vintage.
Cold soaking lasting a few hours to a few days as Pinot Noir has low anthocyanins.
Most use ambient yeasts.
Fermentation vessel is normally small open-top to facilitate pumping over and punching down.
Fermentation temperature can reach 30 degrees.
Post fermentation maceration can be long at 2-3 weeks for wines of more concentration and structure, but depends on style desired and ripeness of fruit.
Horizontal Pneumatic pressmor vertical basket press.
Mature in 228L pièce for 12-20 months for premium and super premium wines, less than one year of less expensives.
Higher proportion of new oak in premier and grand crus.
MLC spontaneous in spring after harvest.
Mid-priced may be fined and lightly filtered but many higher level may not.
Who in Burgundy led the trend of destemming?
Henri Jayer
Why do some use whole Pinot Noir bunches in main Burgundy?
Aid aeration of must.
Add perfume, freshness and fine tannins.
Stems must ne ripe to aboid green astringent tannins in final wine.
Why breaking the cap of fermentation is important in red winemaking in main Burgundy?
Introduce oxygen for yeast metabolism.
Avoid reduction and production of reductive sulfur compounds.
Avoid acetic acid production.
Extract colour, tannins and flavours from skins.
Regulate fermentation tempertures.
When was the Burgundy classification formalised?
In 1930s
What factors are considered for the Classification of main Burgundy?
Soil, aspect and microclimate, i.e. terroir.
Name the 4 hierachies of main Burgundy
Regional/generic (Bourgogne AOC & Bourgogne Côte d’Or AOC.
Communal/village (Meursault AOC & Gevry Chambertin AOC)
Premier cru (Pommard Premir Cru Les Rugiens AOC)
Grand cru (Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru)
What is the split of main Burgundy product based on the 4 hierachies?
52% regional
1% grand cru
47% premir cru and village
Are there any grand crus in Maconnais and Côte Chalonnaise?
No, stop at premier cru level, with Maconnais in final stages of formalising premier cru vineyards.
With main Burgundy grand cru appellations varying in size, name a large and the smallest appellation
Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru = 50 hectares
La Romanée Grand Cru = 0.84 hectare
Which village in the Cote d’Or is theonly one that can produce rosé?
Marsannay.
In Cote d’Or, what are the ‘extreme’ styles of reds and whites and their village names
Pinot Noir:
Volnay and Chambolle-Musigny more fragrant and fruity.
Gevrey-Chambertin and Pommard fuller bodied.
Chardonnay:
Puligny-Montrachet more concentrated and floral.
Meursault powerful and full bodied.
Name the AOCs of Côtes de Nuits that can make white wines?
Morey-Saint-Denis
Vougeot
Nuits-Saint-Georges
Give examples of the grand crus in Côtes de Nuits
Charmes Chambertin Clos de la Roche (Morey-Saint-Denis) Musigny Clos de Vougeot Romaneé-Conti
Which Of the most famous Côtes de Nuits AOC doesn’t have grand crus but only premier crus?
Nuits-Saint-Georges, premier crus:
Les Saint-Georges
Les Vaucrains
Which Côtes de Beaune AOCs make only red wines?
Volnay
Pommard
Name the only red wine producing grand cru in Cotes de Beaune?
Corton Grand Cru AOC
Name some of the famous white grand crus of cotes de Beaune
Corton Charlemagne
Le Montrachet
Bâtard-Montrachet
Name a few premier crus of Cotes de Beaune
Clos des Chênes (Volnay)
Le Gréves (Beaune)
En Remilly (Saint-Aubin)
Does the Côte Chalonnaise produce more red or white?
More reds than whites.
Regional AOC is Bourgogne Cote Chalonnaise AOC but often kust called Bourgogne AOC.
Which Burgundy AOC is from 100% Aligoté?
Bouzeron AOC
Which Cote Chalonnaise AOC produces only white wines?
Montagny
In the Maconnais, in an increasing order of quality and decreasing in size, give the regions
Mâcon AOC (mainly reds or rosé)
Mâcon-Village & Mâcon-plus named village (Mâcon-Lugny AOC, whites only)
Named village appellations (Pouilly-Fuissé AOC)
Why grapes from Fuissé can rioen more fully?
The amphitheatre provides better sunlight interveption and good drainage.
In 2020, which Mâconnais AOC was awarded 22 premier cru status climats?
Pouilly-Fuissé
In Burgundy, historically did trade used to go through négociants or via domaines?
Négociants.
But since 1980s, move towards domains bottling.
Name of famous Burgundy related négociants
Joseph Drouhin
Louis Jadot
During the 2000s, whats been the developments in Burgundy in relation to negociants and domaines?
Domaines started to also act as negociants, marketing their domaine wines under one name and negociant wines under another.
For example, Dujac, Domaine Dujac and Dujac Fils et Pére.
Name the different types of organisations associated with Burgundy in terms of wine business
Growers.
Domaines.
Negociants.
Micro-negociants (smaller businesses buying very good to top quality grapes, e.g. Benjamin Leroux).
Co-operatives (less key in Cote d’Or, Maconnais example Cave de Lugny).
Re Burgundy, what is one of the reasons why detailed knowledge is needed to identify source if a particular wine?
Inheritance laws in France, so producers can have very similar names.
What is one of the main reason for the significant rise in quality of Burdundy wines?
Many young winemakers better trained and travelled and made wine more widely.
More adaptable and open minded approach to winemaking.
What are the routes to market for main Burgundy wines?
Direct to retailers (increasing)
Direct to consumers (cellar doors, increasing)
Negociants
Co-operatives
For main Burgundy wines, are is the aplit of export and doemstic, and key ezport markets?
50% domestic, 25% EU and 25% no EU.
USA, UK and Japan key markets.
For main Burgundy wines, what factors heavily influence price?
Name of domaine.
Appellation.
Single vineyard names.
Domaine Armand Rousseau Gevrey-Chambertin AOC can easily out-price premir crus from same billage by lesser known producer.
Where are main Burgundy wines sold?
En primeur.
Specailist wine shops.
Fine dining restaurants.
Generic and village level via supermarkets and hospitality.
Burgundy prices have increase dramatically since mid 2000s, why?
Increase in land prices, due to scarcity of supply.
Worldwide demand for small production.
Differences in production volumes due to weather hazards.
What is the production of volumes Burgundy versus Bordeaux?
Burgundy is 25% of Bordeaux
