Burgundy Flashcards
Climat
Individually named vineyard fixed in AOC legislation
Region
north to south strip between Dijon in the north and Macon, 80 miles, to the south; approximately 50% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, 8% Aligote, 2% Other
Cote d’Or
divided into Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune; over 60% Pinot Noir
Cote de Nuits
runs south from Dijon to just south of Nuits-Saint-Georges
Cote de Beaune
runs from south of Nuits-Saint-George to Santenay
Yonne department
includes Chablis; 80% Chardonnay; 40,000 ha in early 19th century (proximity to Paris), but plantings shrunk to 500 ha after phylloxera, powdery mildew, Paris-Lyons-Marseille railroad (cheaper wines coming from south of France), rural depopulation after WWI, devastating frost of 1945; modern demand = 5,500 ha
Chablis - Geography
Name of town and appellation that lies in the valley of the River Serein in the northern-most part of Burgundy; 70 miles NW of Dijon
Chablis - Climate
Continental with cold winters, warm summers; slightly cooler than Cote d’Or; average rainfall 670 mm but spread throughout year
Chablis - Chardonnay Tasting Note
dry, light to medium bodied , medium alcohol, zesty high acidity, green apple, pear, lemon and lime fruit flavor, wet stone; minimal to no oak (some fermentation and aging in oak for 1er cru and Grand Cru); good to outstanding; cellaring and aging potential; mid to premium price with a few super premium examples (not as expensive as Cote d’Or)
Chardonnay
Buds early (susceptible to spring frost); early ripening (advantage in cool Chablis); very versatile; suited to a range of climates; produces relatively high yields without loss of quality; prone to grey rot, powdery mildew, millerandage, grapevine yellows; can be grown in wide range of soil types and climates (large range of styles); top-quality are grown on limestone/clay soils (Burgundy); main challenge is vigor management to avoid excessive yield and shading, which would reduce the quality of fruit
Chablis Climate Risks
Cool climate: uncertainty about ripening and considerable vintage variation; moist climate: high threat of fungal disease and difficulties leading up to harvest with rot; vulnerable to spring frosts and hail storms (severe impact in recent vintages)
Chablis - Soil
Limestone and clay, some with considerable amount of fossilized seashells (Kimmeridgian)
Frost Risk Management
- Smudge pots: smokey, causes air pollution, requires staffing vineyard
- Sprinklers (aspersion): most popular, installation and maintenance cost high (only an option for 1er Cru, Grand Cru, well-funded company)
- Pruning choices: later pruning promotes later bud-burst, reducing chance of damage to new buds
Chablis Rootstocks
41B rootstock is widely used = tolerant of limestone soils with high pH; 420A rootstock is popular for low vigor and tolerance to high pH soils
Chablis Training
double Guyot replacement cane training system - Due to the risk of frost damage in Chablis, this system means that if one of the canes is damaged by frost, the other one may well survive, thereby reducing the impact on yield
Chablis Picking
Most machine harvested except grand cru vineyards (most too steep) which are still picked by hand
Petit Chablis AOC
higher, cooler vineyards predominantly with Portlandian soils; predominantly on flat land or gentle slopes; aspects vary w/ many north-facing sites - leads to light bodied wines, notable for high acidity, light intensity and green apple and lemon fruit; mid-priced
Portlandian soil
Hard limestone with less clay
Chablis AOC
Large area of Kimmeridgian soil and mixed aspects; predominantly on flat land or gentle slopes; aspects vary w/ many north-facing sites - leads to light bodied wines, notable for high acidity, medium intensity and green apple and lemon fruit; mid-priced, sometimes premium
Chablis Premier Cru AOC
15% of area under vine; 40 named vineyards/climats, (ex. Montée de Tonnerre, Mont de Milieu, Vaillons, and Fourchaume); S/SE facing slopes on Kimmeridgian soil; premium to super-premium in price
Labelling
some 1er cru with lieux-dits (named plots) within them - can be labelled under specific site (Chablis Premier Cru Troesmes) or under larger climat they fall within (Chablis Premier Cru Beauroy)
Lieu-dit
named piece of land in the centralized land register
Chablis Grand Cru
Single Grand Cru with 7 named vineyards (climats); examples: Les Clos, Vaudesir; immediately next to village of Chablis, facing SW on right bank of River Serein and is on Kimmeridgian soil; south-facing slopes promote ripening (wines with greater weight and concentration, capacity to age than 1er cru or village level); protected from northern winds by belt of trees between it and Petit Chablis; 1% of total production; premium, super-premium in price
Kimmeridgian Soil
mixture of crumbly marl with good drainage and high clay content for water retention = higher quality