Burgundy Flashcards
What is the climate of Burgundy ?
Climate ranges from cool continental in the north to moderate continental further south.
What are the climatic hazards of Burgundy ?
Rain
- can frequently disrupt flowering and harvest - leading to reduction of yield
- Can cause grey rot
Spring frost
- Particularly in Chablis region - can damage de buds and reduce yield
Hailstorms
- can destroy crop
Explain the incluence of vineyards location on vine quality level
Village-level vineyard: Bottom of the slope
Premier cru or grand cru : Mid-Slope, are less prone to frost
Highest quality vineyards have south or east facing exposure, protecting from prevaililng westerly winds.
Describe the soils in Burgundy
- Very varied
- Soils on the hillsides are shallower with better drainage, and soil on flat land is deeper and more fertile
- Large number of geological faults combine with erosion =** precise soil types change significantly over small areas**
- These variations might contribute to subtle chanes in the styles of wines
What are the 2 main grapes of Burgundy
Pinot noir and Chardonnay
Aligoté and Gamay are also grown
Where are the most plantings of Pinot noir in Burgundy?
Côte d’Or
Pinot noir accounts for what portion fo the total vineyard area in Burgundy ?
Over a third
What grape is more susceptible of grey rot in Burgundy?
Pinot Noir
Which grapes is in important plantings in the Côte d’Or?
Pinot Noir
Describe a classic Pinot noir from Burgundy
- Red fruit flavours in youth
- Earth, game and mushroom as the wine matures
- High acidity and low to medium tannins (this vary according to vineyards, producer and vintage)
- Use of whole bunches is becoming popular
- 16-18 months barrel ageing is normal
- Generally, the better wines are aged in a proportion of new oak
Generally, Pinot noir is aged in barrel for how many months in Burgundy ?
16-18 months
Chardonnay accounts for what portion fo the total vineyard area in Burgundy ?
Nearly half
Describe the character of Chardonnay from Burgundy
- From lean, steely, high-acid wines in the North
- To fabulously complex, expressive wines of the Côte d’Or
- To more full-bodied, riper fruited wines of Mâcon
What are the premium Burgundy Chardonnay winemaking techniques ?
- Barrel fermentation
- Barrel ageing fro 6-9 months
- Malolactic convesion
- Use of lees during maturation
- Debates regarding how much new oak is appropriate and the ideal toasting
The most expressive and sought-after Chardonnays come from what Burgundy region?
Côte d’Or
What is the problem encountered by Burgundian Chardonnay around 20 year ago ?
Wines were not ageing as expected and whoed dsign of premature oxidation
Its incidence is much lower now than in the last decade
Several causes from vineyard or winery-bbsd have been suggested
Describe the other grape varieties of Burgundy
Aligoté
- Neutral wines with high acidity
- can make high quality wine when grown in sites for full ripeness, but these sites are often reserved for Chardonnay and Pinot noir, so are still rare.
Gamay
- Early drinking red wines with ripe berry fruit and low tannins
- Can be used in some regional appellations, but only Pinot Noir is allowed for wines of village level and above.
On what is based the hierarchy of the Burgundy appellations?
Quality of the vineyard sites
What are the 3 categories of Burgundy appellations ?
- Regional appellations
- Commune appellations
- Single Vineyard appellation : Premiers Crus and Grand Crus
Explain the Regional appellations of Burgundy ?
- Based on the vineyard sites
- Accounts for half of the production
- Most vineyards do not have the right to superior appellations but there are exceptions
Bourgogne and Bourgogne blanc are the most generic. Can come from anywhere in Burgundy and are usually made of Pinot noir and Chardonnay.
With stricter areas
- Bourgogne Hautes côtes de Nuits
- Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune
- Bourgogne Côte d’or
- Bourgogne Côte Chalonnaise
In the Mâconnais
Mâcon for red and white wines
Mâcon Villages for white wines only
Explain the Commune Appellations of Burgundy
- account for 1/3 of the total production
- Just the name of the commune/village will be given on the label
- Occasionnaly, if the wine comes from a single vineyard that is not a premier cru or grand cru, the vineyard name will appear as well.
- The term “Village” is sometimes used instead of commune
- Ex; Chablis or Gevrey-Chambertain
Explain the single vineyard appellations of Burgundy
- Vineyards that have consistently made high-quality wines
- Rare that a vineyard belongs to ony one owner (monopole)
Premiers crus
- More than 600
- 1/10 of production
- Must state Premier Cru on the label
- if coming from a single vineyard, the name of the vineyard must appear on label
- Producers may blend wines from various premier cru vinyeards within a village , in which case no vineayrd name appears on the label
Grands Crus
- 1/100 of production.
- 32 in the Côte d’or and 1 in Chablis (divided in 7 delineated climats)
- Only the vineyard appears on the label
- The term grand cru must appear on the label