Burgundy

Question 1

Main regions of Burgundy:

Answer 1

Yonne Departement
Cote d’Or

Question 2

Climate/soil in Chablis?

Answer 2

Continental - cold winters, warm summers
Uncertainty about ripening
Vintage variation
Rainfall consistent throughout year, moist climate
Spring frosts, hail common
Limestone/clay/Kimmeridgian soil

Question 3

Options used against spring frost:

Answer 3

Smudge pots (cause pollution, requires labor)
Sprinklers - costly, but popular
Pruning later (promotes later bud burst)

Question 4

Viticulture in Chablis?

Answer 4

41B rootstock - highly tolerant of limestone
Double Guyot
Machine harvested, except steep Grand Cru
North facing slopes
Petit Chablis - highest, coolest vineyards
Only Chablis (60-54hL/hA)

Question 5

Grand Cru and Premier Cru Chablis:

Answer 5

40 Premier cru vineyards
- South/Southeast facing, mid-slope
7 Grand Cru vineyards (climats)
One Grand Cru designation (1% of production)

Question 6

Winemaking in Chablis?

Answer 6

Chaptalization up to legal limit
MLF common
Month on lees
New oak rare (William Fevre)

Question 7

Wine business in Chablis?

Answer 7

2/3 exported (UK largest)
1/3 vinified by co-op La Chablisienne
Le Syndicat de Defense de l’Appellation de Chablis - 1993: combat fraud and environmental issues
L’Union des Grands Crus de Chablis - promote Grand Cru vineyards; must be hand harvested and sustainable to join

Question 8

Climate of Cote d’Or/Chalonnaise/Maconnais:

Answer 8

Moderate continental
Average rainfall, irrigation not permitted; threat at harvest
Spring frost
Hail (netting approved in 2018; previously, seed thunderclouds with silver iodide)

Question 9

Topography of Cote d’Or?

Answer 9

Best sites mid slope
Top slope = poor soil/cool winds
Bottom slope = deep soils/frost
South-east/East facing slopes

Question 10

Soils in Burgundy?

Answer 10

Cote de Nuits - limestone dominant blend
Cote de Beaune - clay, deeper soils
Chalonnaise/Maconnais - limestone/clay mix

Question 11

Describe Chardonnay:

Answer 11

Early budding
Early ripening
In Cote d’Or:
Citrus/melon/stone fruit
Med/Med+ body
Med+/High acid

Question 12

Describe Pinot Noir:

Answer 12

Early budding
Early ripening
Ripens too fast in warm climates - reduces aromatic intensity
Prone to reduction

Question 13

Viticulture in Cote d’Or:

Answer 13

Cordon de Royat training system
- Limits vigor/yields
Poussard-Guyot (softer cane pruning)
8-10K vines per hectare
De-budding and green harvesting practiced
Pheromone capsules (control moths)
Canopy management/spraying
Esca problem
Mostly hand picked

Question 14

Yield limits in Burgundy?

Answer 14

Regional: 69hL/ha red, 75hL/ha white
Village: 40-45hL/ha red, 45-47hL/ha white
Grand Cru: as low as 35hL/ha red, 40hL/ha white

Question 15

White winemaking in Cote d’Or?

Answer 15

Acidification permitted
Chaptalisation (decreasing)
Sorting tables
Whole bunch press
Sedimentation for high quality
Ambient yeast
16-18* - preserve fruit but avoid banana
New oak for high quality
MLF
Batonnage

Question 16

Red winemaking in Cote d’Or:

Answer 16

Some whole bunch use
Cold soaking
Ambient yeast
Small open-top fermentation vessels
Pump over/punch down
Maceration dependent on quality
Aging dependent on quality

Question 17

Vineyard classification in Cote d’Or:

Answer 17

Formalized in 1930s
Lieux-dits (named places) categorized:
Regional (Bourgogne AOC) (52%)
Village appellations
Premier Cru
Grand Cru (1%)

Question 18

Appellations in Burgundy?

Answer 18

84 total appellations
33 Grand Cru
44 Village
7 regional

640 Premier Crus - related to a village, not appellations

Question 19

Appellations of Cotes de Nuits:

Answer 19

Gevrey-Chambertin AOC (largest)
Morey-Saint-Denis AOC
Chambolle-Musigny AOC
Vougeot AOC
Vosne-Romanee AOC (La Tache AOC grand cru, Romanee-Conti AOC grand cru)
Nuits-Saint-Georges

More affordable:
Marsannay
Fixin

Question 20

Appellations of Cote de Beaune:

Answer 20

Aloxe-Corton AOC
Pernand-Vergelesses AOC
Ladoix-Serrigny AOC
Beaune AOC
Pommard AOC
Volnay AOC
Meursault AOC
Puligny-Montrachet AOC
Chassagne-Montrachet AOC
Saint-Aubin AOC

Question 21

Describe Cote Chalonnaise:

Answer 21

More red than white
No grand cru, but high number of premier crus
Warm, south/southeast/east slopes
Well-drained limestone soils

Question 22

Appellations of Cote Chalonnaise:

Answer 22

Bouzeron AOC (100% Aligote)
Rully AOC (Cremant)
Mercurey AOC
Givry AOC
Montagny AOC (white only, mostly premier cru)

Question 23

Describe Maconnais:

Answer 23

Mostly white wines
Newly established Premier Cru climats (22) as of 2020
Grapes ripen more fully in Pouilly-Fuisse

Question 24

Regions of Maconnais:

Answer 24

Macon AOC (mostly red)
Macon-Villages
Macon+(village name)
Pouilly-Fuisse AOC
Saint-Veran AOC
Vire-Clesse AOC

Question 25

Different styles of red burgundy?

Answer 25

More fruity/fragrant: Volnay/Chambolle-Musigny

Fuller-bodied: Pommard/Gevrey-Chambertin

Question 26

Different styles of white burgundy?

Answer 26

Floral/concentrated: Puligny-Montrachet
Full-bodied/powerful: Meursault

Question 27

Export of burgundy?

Answer 27

25% to EU states
25% elsewhere
50% domestic
USA, UK, Japan

Question 28

Wine business in Burgundy?

Answer 28

Types of organizations:
Growers
Domaines
Negociants
Micro-negociants (smaller businesses buying top quality fruit)
Co-operatives (mostly Chablis)