Burgundy Flashcards
What are the 5 areas of Burgundy?
Chablis, Côte d’Or, Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais, Beaujolais
What is the size of Burgundy excluding Chablis?
A relatively narrow strip of land running approximately in a north- south direction between Dijon in the north and Mâcon, around 130 km (80 miles) to the south
How long is the Cote d’Or?
The Côte d’Or is divided into the Côte de Nuits, which runs south from Dijon to just south of Nuits-Saint-Georges and the Côte de Beaune, which runs south from there to Santenay.
What is the quality level of wine in Burgundy?
The wines are produced at a range of quality levels but are mainly good to outstanding and sell for a range of prices from mid-priced to super-premium. Limited supply and surging worldwide demand mean that average prices are high
Main Grape in the Yonne Department (includes Chablis)
80% Chardonnay
Main Grape in the cote d’Or
over 60 per cent Pinot Noir.
Chablis
Chablis is the name of a town and an appellation that lies in the valley of the River Serein
in the northern-most part of Burgundy.
Chablis Location
110 kilometres (70 miles) northwest of Dijon, it has a slightly cooler climate than the Côte d’Or.
Describe generally the taste profile of wine coming from Chablis
All the wines are dry, most are medium bodied, medium alcohol, with zesty high acidity, green apple and lemon fruit flavours.
The general trend is for no or minimal oak flavour, though fermentation and ageing in oak can be used by some producers for premiers and grands crus
Chablis quality & price
There is a range of quality from good to outstanding wines that can be cellared and aged. The prices range from mid-price to premium, with a few super-premium
Generally do not reach the heights of the most expensive wines from the Côte d’Or
Chablis popularity
In the early nineteenth century
it enjoyed a boom due to its relative proximity to Paris.
Plantings in Chablis shrank under the challenges of phylloxera and powdery mildew in the nineteenth century and above all the building of the Paris-Lyons-Marseille railway in the middle of the nineteenth century
After the coming of the railway Chablis could not compete with cheaper wines from the south of France. Rural depopulation after World War I and the devastating frost of 1945 reduced Chablis to a low point of just 500 ha. In more recent decades, demand has led to the land under vine growing back to 5,500ha.3
Chablis Climate
The climate in Chablis is continental with cold winters and warm summers
Because of the cool northern location there is uncertainty about ripening and considerable vintage variation
The early ripening characteristic of Chardonnay is an advantage.
Chablis Rainfall
Average annual rainfall is 670mm but this is spread throughout the year making for a moist climate (high threat of fungal diseases) and difficulties in the period leading to harvest (threat of rot).
Chablis Climate Risks
The region is vulnerable to spring frosts and hail storms during the growing season, both of which have had a severe impact on the region’s yields in recent vintages
Chablis Soil Characteristics
The appellation has limestone and clay soils, some of which has a considerable amount of fossilized seashells and is known as Kimmeridgian soil
Chablis Options for managing spring frosts
- smudge pots: smoky, causes air pollution, requires staff in the vineyard
- sprinklers (‘aspersion’): this is now the most popular option, though the installation and
maintenance costs mean that it is only a realistic option for vineyards with a good return
on investment (premiers crus, grand cru) or for well-funded companies - pruning choices: later pruning promotes later bud-burst, reducing the chance of damage
to the new buds from early spring frosts.
Chablis Vineyard Management: Rootstocks
41B (vinifera x berlandieri) rootstock is widely used in Chablis as it is highly tolerant of limestone soils with a high pH. 420A (riparia x berlandieri) is popular for its low vigour and tolerance to high pH soils
Chablis Vineyard Management: Pruning system
The double Guyot replacement cane training system is typical: if one cane fails, the other may survive frost.
Taille Chablis, a multi- armed cordon system, is typical of Champagne, not Chablis.
Chablis Vineyard Management: Yields & picking
Yields are higher than in the Côte d’Or, though recent years have seen severely reduced yields due to frost and hail damage.
Unlike in the Côte d’Or, much of Chablis today is machine picked, although the grand cru vineyards are mostly too steep for mechanisation and are generally picked by hand
Chablis Location and soil types of the Appellations: Petit Chablis
These are typically higher, cooler vineyards, predominantly with Portlandian soils (hard limestone with less clay).
Chablis Location and soil types of the Appellations: Chablis
This is a large area of Kimmeridgian soil and mixed aspects.
The vineyards of both Petit Chablis and Chablis are predominantly on flat land or on gentle slopes. The aspects vary with many north- facing sites.
This leads to light bodied wines, notable for their high acidity, with light (Petit Chablis) to medium (Chablis) intensity, and green apple and lemon fruit.
Chablis & Petit Chablis Taste Profile
light bodied wines, notable for their high acidity, with light (Petit Chablis) to medium (Chablis) intensity, and green apple and lemon fruit.
Chablis Location and soil types of the Appellations: Chablis Premier Cru
40 named vineyards have premier cru status and are predominantly on south-and south-east-facing facing slopes of Kimmeridgian soil.
Some larger premier cru vineyards have specified named plots (lieux-dits) within them. Wines made from these can be labelled under their specific site (like Chablis Premier Cru Troêsmes) or under the larger climat they fall within (like Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy)
climat vs lieu-dit
A climat is a named vineyard fixed in AOC legislation, a lieu-dit is a named piece of land in the centralised land register.
Chablis Location and soil types of the Appellations: Chablis Grand Cru
There is a single grand cru with seven named vineyards.
It is immediately next to the village itself, faces southwest, on the right bank of the River Serein, and is on Kimmeridgian soil.
The south- facing slopes promote ripening and the wines have a greater weight and concentration than either premier cru of village level Chablis.
The mixture of crumbly marl with good drainage and high clay content for water retention contributes to higher quality.
The grand cru vineyards also benefit from shelter from winds coming from the north due to a belt of trees between it and the adjacent Petit Chablis vineyards. As a result, the wines have greater concentration, body and capacity to age.
Chablis Grand Cru represents
just 1 per cent of the region’s total production.
Chablis 7 grand cru climats
Blanchot, Bougros, Les Clos, Grenouilles, Preuses, Valmur, and Vaudésir.
Chablis Premier & Grand Cru Slopes
Premier cru and grand cru Chablis are predominantly on south-facing slopes and often sited mid-slope.
The slope means that vineyards are
better drained and better protected from frost, and the southerly aspect means better light interception and therefore riper fruit.
Chablis Winemaking: Chaptilization
The option for chaptalisation up to the legal limit is used regularly in all but the warmest years.
Chablis Winemaking: Fermentation
Fermentation is typically in stainless steel vessels with storage in stainless steel or concrete for a few months for most wines. Malolactic conversion is common to soften the acidity and the wines may also spend some months on the lees to enhance texture
Chablis Winemaking: Oak
Oak aromas, flavours, and textures are not typically desirable nor commonly found in most generic Chablis, which is celebrated for its crisp, bright citrus and green apple fruit flavours and high acidity.
However, some wines, especially the grands crus and more occasionally the premiers crus, may be fermented and aged in barrels. There is a range of styles from use of old oak (used by, for example, Dauvissat or Raveneau), some new oak (used by, for example, William Fèvre), and the use of stainless steel or concrete for grand cru wines as well (used by, for example, Jean-Marc Brocard).
This issue has been controversial as some think that Chablis should not smell or taste of oak, unlike many Chardonnays from around the world.
Chablis Law & Regulations
Only Chardonnay is allowed within the appellation. Maximum yields are restricted to 60 hL/ha for Petit Chablis AOC and Chablis AOC, 58 hL/ha for Chablis Premier Cru AOC and 54 hL/ha for Chablis Grand Cru AOC.
Chablis Wine Business
As in the rest of Burgundy, the traditional distinction between négociants (merchants) and domaines (estates) is breaking down as négociants have bought land and some domaines supplement their own production with additional négociant business.
Chablis wine business: La Chablisienne
One third of all wine is vinified by the co-operative La Chablisienne, which operates at all levels of the appellation hierarchy. As elsewhere, more growers are making and marketing their own wines.
Chablis Wine Businness: Associations
- Le Syndicat de Défense de l’Appellation de Chablis
- L’Union des Grands Crus de Chablis
Le Syndicat de Défense de l’Appellation de Chablis
William Fèvre founded Le Syndicat de Défense de l’Appellation de Chablis in 1993 with the aims of combating fraud and addressing environmental issues.
L’Union des Grands Crus de Chablis
L’Union des Grands Crus de Chablis is a voluntary association to promote the quality of Chablis Grand Cru and therefore limited to those who own grand cru sites.
It has a quality charter: members must practice sustainable viticulture and harvest by hand.
Chablis Wine Business: Drivers of price
- The name of the domaine and the level of the appellation, can be very important drivers of price.
- Petit Chablis and Chablis AOC tend to be mid-priced, sometimes premium.
- Premier cru and grand cru wines usually premium or super premium in price.
- Wines from certain highly regarded producers such as Francois Raveneau and Vincent Dauvissat sell at extremely high prices.
In general prices for Chablis are lower than corresponding wines in the quality hierarchy in the Côte d’Or.
Chablis wine business: Export
Two-thirds of Chablis by volume is exported, with the UK being by far the biggest destination, followed by USA, Japan, Sweden, and Canada.6
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Climate
The climate in these parts of Burgundy is moderate continental, Dijon, at the northern end of the Côte d’Or, being around 500 km (300 miles) from the Mediterranean, with cold winters and warm summers. The relatively short summers make early ripening Chardonnay and Pinot Noir suitable varieties.
Côte d’or: Rainfall
In the Côte d’Or the Morvan hills to the west provide protection from rainfall. The average annual rainfall is around 700 millimetres. Early autumn is typically dry, though rain can be a threat at harvest.
Mâconnais Climate
The climate of the Mâconnais is typically slightly drier and warmer than the Côte d’Or.
Influences that affect the quality of individual sites
aspect, altitude, degree of slope and soils.
Recent Climate Trends in regards to ripening pinot noir
Even though the climate is warmer than it was in previous decades, ripening Pinot Noir is still a precarious business, and a cool vintage can result in under-ripe tannins in the finished wines.
Therefore, promoting the ripeness of skins and seeds is a priority for growers in the region.
Due to its northerly location, vineyard site and the particular weather of each vintage are incredibly important for both yield and quality. The variability of the weather from year to year leads to marked vintage variation.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais Climate Risks
- Spring Frost
- Rainfall
- Hail
- Drought
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais Frost
Frost can be a challenge this far north. Spring frosts, if severe, are a significant problem and may substantially reduce yields if they occur after budburst. The risk is particularly acute as both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are early budding.
This issue is further exacerbated by recent warmer than usual winters that encourage earlier growth, making the vines more vulnerable to frost.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Frost Management
- smudge pots: smoky, causes air pollution, requires staff in the vineyard
- sprinklers (‘aspersion’): this is now the most popular option, though the installation and
maintenance costs mean that it is only a realistic option for vineyards with a good return
on investment (premiers crus, grand cru) or for well-funded companies - pruning choices: later pruning promotes later bud-burst, reducing the chance of damage
to the new buds from early spring frosts.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Hail
Hail can be a problem throughout the growing season.
In April–May the damage to the early growth of the vine can lead to reduced yields, or even in extreme cases a total loss of the crop.
Hail later in the season will lead to fruit damage, particularly to exposed grapes
Unless extra care is taken to eliminate damaged berries there is a risk of grey rot tainting the wine. The use of sorting tables has played a critical role in alleviating such problems.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Hail Management
Hail netting was not permitted in the past as it was thought to cause too much shading and appear an inauthentic part of the landscape.
However, the limited use of anti-hail netting has been permitted from June 2018.
Beyond nets, the most common preventative action is to seed thunderclouds with silver iodide to induce precipitation some distance from the vineyards under threat.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Hail Damage
Hail tends to be highly localized, but for those impacted the problems that arise from hail damage can be substantial both in winemaking and commercial terms.
Villages in the Côte de Beaune, most notably Volnay and Pommard, were particularly badly affected by hail between 2012 and 2015.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Rain issues
Rain can be a problem if it falls at the wrong time. Early in the growing cycle it can disrupt flowering and fruit set, lowering yields and leading to uneven ripening.
Extended periods of rain during the growing season increase the threat of fungal diseases.
Too much rain just before harvest can lead to dilution because of uptake of water by the grapevine and increase the chance of rot.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Drought-Stress
Drought-stress has also presented a problem in some recent vintages, where hot, dry summers have caused berries to shrivel and sometimes caused vines to shut down completely, causing a halt in ripening.
Since irrigation is not permitted, water-stress is a concern for growers in a hot, dry vintage. Vineyards with high clay content cope better with water-stress due to their water-retaining properties.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Topography - what effects style & quality
The aspect and elevation of the various vineyards in Burgundy are among the most critical factors determining the style and quality of the wines
Cote d’Or Topography
The Côte d’Or lies on a range of hills oriented north-south at elevations ranging from around 200 metres above sea level to around 400 metres.
Side valleys are oriented in a more east–west direction at various points along the main slope. This means that although the main ridge of the Côte d’Or is basically east- facing, there are in fact a range of aspects across its vineyards many of which are more south- east or even southerly in aspect.
Cote D’Or best sites
The best sites are mostly found on the mid-slope. They benefit from well-draining shallow soils, good sunlight interception, and comparative frost protection and better ripening potential due to their central position.
Cote D’Or top of slope vs bottom slope soils
Vineyards at the very top of the slope can have very poor, thin soil and are exposed to cooling winds, whilst vineyards at the bottom of the slope have deeper soils and are vulnerable to frost.
The coolest sites may be planted with Aligoté or used for the production of Crémant de Bourgogne.
Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais Aspect
Aspects are more varied in the Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais. Some of the best south- east facing slopes of the Côte Chalonnaise are found in Bouzeron and Rully.
In the Mâconnais, there are a range of sites with the best sites of Pouilly-Fuissé typically on slopes with south-facing aspect.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Soils
In general, the vineyard soils are composed of mixtures of various types of limestones and clay, though the proportions vary.
The Côte de Nuits: Soils
More dominated by limestone in the mixture. The majority of the most highly regarded Pinot Noir wines is grown here
The Côte de Beaune: Soils
Has more clay and the soils are deeper. The majority of the most highly regarded Chardonnay wines come from this area.
Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Soils
Mixed with a range of limestones and clay. The depth of soil above the bedrock varies significantly, due in part to the movement of soils down the slopes by erosion
Burgundy Erosion
This is a source of continuing problems, even in gently sloping vineyards such as the walled Clos de Vougeot.
Burgundy soil changes at elevation
There are thinner soils at higher elevations and deeper ones at the bottom of the slopes. At the top of the slope there is too little soil for vines to thrive. At the bottom of the slope, drainage is poorer, and the soil is deeper with more clay, resulting in greater fertility.
In turn this leads to more vigour with an increased danger of shading, a factor that contributes to grapes being less ripe in these areas.
Côte d’or, Côte Chalonnaise and Mâconnais: Grape Varieties
Chardonnay for white wines and Pinot Noir for the reds. Historically there was a substantial proportion of Aligoté and Gamay grown here until the early part of the twentieth century. Some well-regarded Aligoté is grown in the village of Bouzeron in the Côte Chalonnaise.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a versatile variety suited to a range of climates. It buds early and so can be susceptible to spring frosts. It also ripens early making it suitable to grow in a cool region.
It can produce relatively high yields without loss of quality.
It can be grown in a wide range of soils and climates, resulting in a range of styles. However, many top-quality examples are grown on limestone/clay soils, as in Burgundy.
Chardonnay Cons
- grey rot,
- powdery mildew,
- millerandage
- grapevine yellows
Chardonnay Taste Profile
Cooler spots (Chablis):,
* apple, pear, lemon and lime fruit
* wet stone notes,
* light to medium body
* high acidity.
In more moderate climates, (cote d”or):
* ripe citrus, melon and stone fruit,
* medium to medium (+) body,
* with medium (+) to high acidity.
Burgundy Chardonnay Main Challenge in good growing seasons
In good growing seasons in Burgundy, the main challenge in making high quality wine can be vigour management to avoid excessive yield and shading, which would reduce the quality of the fruit.
Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is a variety that buds early, and can therefore be susceptible to spring frosts. It also ripens early making it suitable to grow in cool regions. However, unlike Chardonnay yields must be limited to produce quality wines
Pinot Noir Cons
variety that buds early, and can therefore be susceptible to spring frosts.
It is a delicate variety:
* millerandage,
* downy and powdery mildew,
* botrytis bunch rot,
* fan leaf and leaf roll viruses.
In warm climates, it tends to ripen too fast (reducing the intensity of aromas), and the berries can shrivel and suffer from sunburn
Burgundy Pinot Noir Main Challenge in good growing seasons
In Burgundy, the concerns are more typically whether the fruit will ripen sufficiently to achieve the desired ripeness (tannins, colour and flavour).
