Burgundy

Question 1

Chablis

Answer 1

Northernmost part of Burgundy on the River Serein
Chardonnay typically unoaked
Dry, medium body, medium alcohol, high acidity, green apple and lemon
Continental climate vulnerable to spring frosts and hail storms in the growing season

Question 2

Petit Chablis

Answer 2

Higher, cooler vineyards predominantly with Portlandian soils (hard limestone with less clay)
Flat land or gentle slopes (many facing north)
Machine picked

Question 3

Chablis Premier Cru

Answer 3

40 named vineyard
Predominately S and SE facing slopes of Kimmeridgian soils
Can be labeled as specific site (Chablis Premier Cru Troesmes) or under larger climat (Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy)

Question 4

Chablis Grand Cru

Answer 4

Single Grand Cru with 7 named vineyards (climats)
Next to the village itself facing southwest, mid-slope on the right bank of the River Serein on Kimmeridgian soil
Sheltered from northern winds by a belt of trees
Riper with greater weight and concentration
1% of total region production

Question 5

Lieu’s-dits

Answer 5

Specific named pieces of land in a centralized land register

Chablis

Question 6

Climats

Answer 6

Named vineyard fixed in AOC legislation

Chablis

Question 7

Kimmeridgian soil

Answer 7

Famous soil in Chablis that has limestone and clay soils, some of which has a considerable amount of fossilized seashells

Question 8

Le Syndicat de Defense de I’Appellation de Chablis

Answer 8

Association of wine producers in Chablis founded by William Fevre in 1993 to combat fraud and address environmental issues

Question 9

L’Union does Grand Cru de Chablis

Answer 9

Voluntary association to promote quality of Chablis Grand Cru. Members must practice sustainable viticulture and hand harvest

Question 10

Côte d’Or

Answer 10

Golden slope that contains Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune

Question 11

Cote Chalonnaise

Answer 11

Just south of Côte d’Or with more varied aspects best S-SE facing found in Bouzeron and Rully

Question 12

Mâconnais

Answer 12

South of Côte Chalonnaise range of sites with best being the south facing Pouilly-Fuissé

Question 13

Chardonnay

Answer 13

Early Budding, Early ripening
Can produce high yields without loss of quality but prone to fungal disease
Grown in varied soils but best examples are grown on limestone/clay soils
Cool climates - apple, pear, lemon, lime with wet stone notes. Light to medium body and high acidity
Moderate climates - ripe citrus, melon, stone fruit, medium to medium + body with medium + to high acidity

Question 14

Pinot Noir

Answer 14

Early budding, Early ripening
Yields must be limited for high quality and it is prone to disease
Has a lot of clones (Dijon)
Burgundy Pinot - strawberry, raspberry, red cherry
Village wines - light flavors of smoke, clove and low to medium tannins, medium alcohol, high acidity
Grand Cru wines - flavors of smoke, clove and medium to medium + tannins, medium alcohol, high acidity. Can develop earth, game and mushroom notes in bottle

Question 15

Poussard-Guyot

Answer 15

Pruning system that aims to maintain the sap route and limits pruning wounds to only the upper part of the cordon limiting Esca and other trunk diseases

Question 16

Premature Oxidation

Answer 16

“Premox” where wines show very advanced color and flavors after a relatively short time in bottle.
Caused by vineyard practices for higher yields, warmer vintages or later picking times, over-clean musts from pneumatic presses, overzealous bâtonnage and lower levels of SO2

Question 17

Regional Appellation

Answer 17

7 Generic appellations such as Bourgogne AOC, Bourgogne Côte d’Or
Accounts for 52% of Burgundy wine

Question 18

Village Appelation

Answer 18

44 Communal appellations such as Meursault AOC or Gevrey- Chambertin AOC

Question 19

Premier Cru

Answer 19

640 additional geographical denominations related to a village, not appellations in their own right.

Pommard Premier Cru Les Rugiens AOC, Vosne Romanée Premier Cru Aux

If a wine comes from more than one Premier Cru vineyard it is labeled simply Village + Premier Cru
Malconsorts AOC

Question 20

Grand Cru

Answer 20

33 individual appellations labeled as the name of the grand cru with no village name attached

Makes up 1% of Burgundy wine production

Richebourg Grand Cru AOC, Bätard-Montrachet Grand Cru AOC

Question 21

Growers

Answer 21

Businesses that have vineyard holdings and sell their grapes or unfinished wines to négociants. Several thousand growers whose holding are divided in parcels in different vineyards and villages

Question 22

Domaines

Answer 22

Businesses that own their own vineyards and make wine from them sold under the domaine label

Question 23

Négociants

Answer 23

Typically larger businesses that buy grapes and/or wines, finish them, bottle and sell them under their own name

Question 24

Micro-Négociants

Answer 24

Smaller businesses that buy grapes from top quality vineyards, finish the wine and sell under their own name (e.g. Benjamin Leroux)

Question 25

Co-operatives

Answer 25

Less important in Côte d’Or but more important in Chablis (Les Chablisienne), the Mâconnais (Cave de Lugny) and to a lesser extent the Côte Chalonnaise