Burgundy Flashcards
Burgundy map
How do hills/aspect/slopes affect ripening potential of a vineyard site?
Warm air rises and cold air drops
Middle of slope “solar panel”
South facing in Northern hemisphere is best, North facing in Southern hemisphere
Wines from lower part of the slopes have heaviest soil and suffer most in rain, wereas wines from the top of the slope had less rain but not enough direct sun. Wines from middle of the slope had perfect sun orientation and rain run-off.
What is Kimmeridgian & Portlandian soil?
- Found in Chablis
- Strata lie flat
- Youngest is Portlandian cap rock
- Kimmeridgian soil underneath - used for Grand and 1er crus.
- Dates back to Upper Jurassic period
- Marine fossils embedded
- Gives wine a nice minerality
Limestone
- What makes a Burgundy a Burgundy
- Consistently alkaline and generally ideal in cool climates - provides nice minerality
- Remenants of ancient seabeds and consists of calcium carbonates.
- Effect on vines: Retains moisture in hot weather and provides drainage in wet weather
Marl
Calcerous clay-based soil that is cool and delays ripening
Results in wines with prominent acidity
Deep and lacking in stone fragments
Schist
Laminated and foliated rock-based soil that is very much like slate.
Seen in Burgundy and Douro Valley (Portugal)
Chalk
A very porous and soft limestone that vine roots can easily penetrate
Made up of marine skeletons
Reflects sunlight
Chablis frost
In both spring and fall
Shortens growing season
Results in crisp, acidic wines
Malo helps soften this acidity
Chablis vs Chard from other parts of Burgundy
- Chablis is “crunchy” and more mineral due to Kimmeridgian soil
- Unique minerality earns it the nickname “gunflint”
- Contains hints of saline and crushed minerals
- Fermented in neautral oak or stainless steel
- Chard from other part of Burgundy grown in slightly warmer climate (Macconais).
Oak usage among grand/1er crus in Chablis
Typically no new oak but a small number of Grand and 1ers will use a bit of new oak because those wines are concentrated enough to stand up to the oak’s imapact.
Oak usage in Macon-Villages vs. Pouilly-Fuisse
Mâcon-Villages is vinified with no oak contact to retain the elegant aromas and clean, fresh character that this region is prized for.
Pouilly Fuissé tends to take advantage of the wines’ natural richness and depth and include at least some oak aging, giving added weight and age-worthiness.
Best Chablis producers
Jean-Marc Brocard
Domaine Laroche
Verget
Pattes Loup
Oak usage in Beajolais
- Typically aged in tuns which are large casks of neutral oak - barely any wine comes in contact with wood to preserve fruit character
- Some crus (Moulin-A-Vent) will age in French oak to enhance tannins and prolong aging.
- Nouveau sees no oak because its not aged
Benefits/consequences of planting density
Planted this way because monks etc used to tend to them by hand, before horses
Benefits: increase competition among vines
Consequences: easier spread of disease, poor air circulation. Not good when there is little rain.
What is Oidium?
Parasitic fungus that attacled French vineyards in mid 1800s.
What is Battonage?
Stirring of the lees
Cold soak/prefermentation maceration
- Prior to fermentation, wine makers can let the juice “cold soak” in the tank for a few hours or days.
- Skins will gentle release a small amount of tannin, aroma, and flavor compounds.
- Effect on wine: makes wine a bit more intense than it would have been had it not been cold soaked
Semi-carbonic maceration
- Enhances fresh fruity aromas
- Entire bunches of grapes (often hand harvested) are into the fermenting tank
- The grapes on the bottom are crushed by weight of grapes on top and release their juices which immediately start fermenting due to the wild yeasts on the grape skins
- CO2 gas that is released bathes the grapes on top triggering intercellular fermentation inside the grapes
- When approx 2% of the alcohol is created, those grapes implode and and yeasts in tank take over and complete fermentation.
Cote de Nuits map
Cote de Beaune map
Beaujolais map
